“HIS NAME IS JESUS” By
Pastor Yau
Matthew 1:18-25
INTRODUCTION:
It was reported on news that many shop owners instructed their sales clerks not to greet customers by saying “Merry Christmas”, instead, say “Happy Holidays,” just to be on the save side not to offend anyone or to be politically correct. A school music teacher, when teaching school choir singing Christmas carols, changed the word “Christmas” to “winter” in order to fit in the “secular” mood of the school board on matters of Christmas. At a time of celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, the name Jesus was prohibited by secular and political forces. Some good willed Christians begin to worry that the world may forget the name Jesus if this trend of secularization continues in this country.
Why is it that the secular world is so antagonistic or afraid on the name of Jesus? Will the forces of secularism and politics eventually erase the name of Jesus and its significance in human history? The answer is a resounding NO. Why is Jesus so special?
THE NAME OF JESUS WAS GIVEN BY GOD: In oriental cultures, the dignity of a name represents the dignity of the person. Names of babies were usually given by people of honor or authority such as grand parents and respected elders in the larger family context. People will do everything possible to protect the name of the person or the family. The status of a person is in the recognition of his name.
Since the name of Jesus was given by God, He will, and in many cases, has protected this name thru the 2,000 years of Christian history. The name of Jesus, along with his teachings, his influence in culture and civilization, in religion and philosophy, in social and moral arena and even in political establishments, had been under consistent attacks, ridicules, mocked, persecuted, smeared, rejected and outlawed. Yet this name of Jesus has been heard and accepted by more people of all categories. This phenomenal spread of the name of Jesus and his saving power is a proof of the fulfillment of biblical prophecy as it was written in Phil. 2:9-11, “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name above all names that at the name of Jesus every knees shall bow in heaven and on earth and under earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord.”
THE
LIFE OF JESUS WAS FORETOLD BY PROPHETS:
The life of Jesus was planned, carried out, fulfilled and documented by
God through the prophets in the Bible. Prophet Micah predicted he was born in
the city of
All these present to mankind that the name and life of Jesus is not an ordinary event. It is in God’s plan to demonstrate the plan of salvation for mankind. There is no other name of any kind, religious, political, philosophical or any other aspect of human history that could match to the name and life of Jesus.
THE
NAME OF JESUS WAS GIVEN FOR SALVATION OF MEN: When God gave the name, Jesus, he intended to
save men of the world from their sins. (Matt. 1:21) “For all men have sinned and come short of
the glory of God,” (Romans
While many of the great names in human history had their individual contributions to the well being of man, none of them, including all the religious founders and philosophers, was born nor had came to this world intended to save men from sins except Jesus. The Bible clearly declared the purpose of his coming to the earth in I Timothy 1:15, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners.”
CONCLUSION: The name of JUSES, the Church of Jesus Christ
and all the believers in His name have been put thru fierce persecution, banned, murdered,
ridiculed and many other forms of destruction in the 2,000 years of Christian
history, but none of them have or could stop men from confessing this name and
be saved. While many of us moan and feel
sad in seeing the rejection of this name, we can be assured that this name, the
name of JESUS is going to survive and become prosperous and millions shall be
saved when this name is lifted up. (John 12:32)