What’s in a Name?
By Jerry Batson, Th.D.
Special to The Alabama Baptist
For a number of weeks Theology 101 has had as its theme the question: What’s New? That question was the springboard for thinking about the new covenant, the new commandment, the new memorial meal, the new birth, the new day of worship and ultimately the new heavens and new earth. For several upcoming weeks we will explore thoughts related to another question: What’s in a Name? However, we will not be thinking about just any name. The focus will be on Jesus. We will be thinking about some of the names or titles by which the Bible speaks of Him. Our aim will be to discern aspects of doctrinal truth that are wrapped up in the various ways Scripture refers to Jesus.
The most commonly used name was the one given by the angel when announcing to Mary the miraculous conception: “You shall call His name Jesus” (Luke 1:31). While having a heavenly origin and brought earthward by the angel, Jesus was a very human name. Others also bore that name. For example, the Bible makes reference to a man named Jesus Justus (Col. 4:11). Our concern will be to discern the significance of the Bible’s most prominent Jesus — Jesus of Nazareth.
The name Jesus had its Old Testament counterpart in the name Joshua, the former a Greek name and the latter a Hebrew name, but each carrying the meaning of “Yahweh (or, the Lord) saves.” So, when Hebrews 4:8 makes reference to Joshua, the English translation sometimes uses Jesus (as in the King James Version), since the same word can be understood as either Joshua or Jesus.
Since the name Jesus was a rather common male name, sometimes Jesus was further identified by the extension Jesus of Nazareth. Such was the case with a demon-possessed man in a synagogue in Capernaum. While Jesus was teaching the man cried out “What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?” (Luke 4:34). Cleopas and his companion referred to Him also as “Jesus of Nazareth” (Luke 24:19).
We might take several important truths from this most common name by which God’s Son was introduced when He came into the world. For example, bearing a very human name served to remind people that the divine Son of God became human. Some early philosophies held that what is physical, such as a human body, is evil. The upshot of such a belief was that they held the goal of the well-lived life was to escape the physical body. Such a belief caused an early heretical view that the Son of God did not really become human since He came and lived on earth in a physical body.
Instead they espoused the idea that He only seemed to be human.
Fully human
Being fully human, Jesus was tempted in all points as we humans are yet without sinning. He took a full human nature and poured into it a perfect life. Furthermore, since He was tempted as we are, He understands and is capable of sympathizing with our failures and weaknesses (Heb. 4:15). As Jesus looks upon us, He knows that in our case, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak (Matt. 26:41).
Furthermore His very human name also declares His mission by which He seeks and saves the lost. The announcing angel that gave this name to Mary also visited Joseph with the same message about the naming of Mary’s child but added as explanation, “For He will save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21).
EDITOR’S NOTE — Jerry Batson is a retired Alabama Baptist pastor who also has served as associate dean of Beeson Divinity School at Samford University and professor of several schools of religion during his career.
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