Jesus: Immanuel, God With Us

-Roy Lessin, Jesus Name Above All Names

"Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." -Matthew 1:23 NKJV

Immanuel means that God (deity) came to be with us (humanity). God did not come to us as an idea, a concept, a philosophy, or an ideal. He didn't come as the sun, the moon, or a star. He didn't come as a statue or an unapproachable being. He came to us as a man. He took on human flesh. Jesus Christ is completely God and completely man.

God with us—not in heaven, no out of touch or out of reach, not a phantom, not a shadow, not a legend or a myth, but God with us in grace, in truth, in mercy. God with us in human flesh—touchable, seeable, knowable. Love breathing, love giving, love caring, love dying. Walking where we walk, crying our tears, knowing our pain, feeling our grief, bearing our sorrows.

God with us—in the manger, in the temple, on the road, by the well, in the boat, upon the hillside, in the home, at the table; healing the sick, feeding the hungry, comforting those who mourn. God incarnate speaking to the multitude and seeking out the individual with arms extended, with words that beckon, with a voice that calls, "Come unto Me."

God with us—to seek, to worship, to love, to believe in, to follow, to proclaim, to cherish, forever! 
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©2011, 2020, Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. All rights reserved. 

Jesus: The Lord

-Roy Lessin, Jesus Name Above All Names

They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household." -Acts 16:31 NIV

The name "Lord" is an awesome name. It is a name that causes us to lift up our eyes and bend our knees, to raise our hands and humble our hearts, to celebrate with our voices and worship in our spirits with reverential awe. Jesus Christ is not just the Lord, but He is the Lord of lords. He is the Master of all there is and the Ruler of all that will be. He is in charge and He is in control. There is no one in the heavens above or in the earth beneath who can be His equal. 

When Jesus comes into a life as Lord, He doesn't come in to make suggestions, to plead His cause, to pamper and beg, to argue and debate, to manipulate and bargain, to push and persuade, to reason and debate, or to pamper and coddle; He comes into a life to take over.

When Saul met Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-9), Saul didn't get into a debate with Jesus or let Jesus know His point of view. Saul knew without a doubt that Jesus was His Lord. He immediately surrendered his life to Jesus' control and asked for his marching orders. "What would you have me to do?" was his immediate response to the voice of the One who met him and called out his name.
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©2011, 2020 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow, all rights reserved.

Jesus: The Christ

And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. -Matthew 1:16 KJV

The name Christ means Messiah. Messiah means the Anointed One, the one sent by God to be the Savior. For centuries the Jewish people had known, through the promises God made to Abraham, Moses, and David, that the Messiah would come. The prophets also spoke of the Messiah's coming. Isaiah proclaimed, "His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

The name Jesus Christ means that He is the Savior of all who believe; the promised Messiah, and the anointed Redeemer of Israel. As God so faithfully promised, He is the light that would reveal God's heart for the Gentiles and the glory of His people Israel. 

Jesus was sent by the God of Israel; He did not send Himself. Jesus was appointed by the God of Israel; He did not appoint Himself. Jesus was anointed by the God of Israel; He did not anoint Himself. No one had to tell Jesus why He was sent—He knew. He understood exactly why He had come. No explanation was needed. What's more, no motivation was needed as Jesus rejoiced in the plan to deliver mankind.

His place, His person, His position, His passion, His purpose, flowed out of the anointing He carried as Messiah, the one sent by God.

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©2011, 2020 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. All rights reserved.

Jesus: Savior

 -Roy Lessin, Jesus Name Above All Names

We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. -1 John 4:14 NKJV

Salvation means liberty from sin's bondage, forgiveness from sin's transgression, justification from sin's judgment, and life from sin's sentence of death. The celebration of salvation also means deliverance, aid, prosperity, health, help, and welfare.

In salvation we find everything that is good, but in sin we find everything that is bad. Salvation represents everything that is right; sin stands for everything that is wrong. Deception and lies are at the heart of sin, while truth and verity belong to salvation. 

Jesus was given the name Savior because He is the Savior. Salvation is not found in a ritual, a church, a creed, or in any good works that anyone can do no matter how sincere they may be. Salvation is in a person. God has only one Savior for the sinner and only one way to be saved. That way, that name, that person, is Jesus.

In the words of Bramwell Booth, "Yes, that is it! Christ the Savior! Not merely Christ the Helper of the poor, or Feeder of the hungry, or the Father of the prodigals, or the Comfort of the sorrowful; but Christ the Savior from condemnation and guilt, from stains and filth, from the love and power and presence of sin." 

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©2011, 2020 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow, all rights reserved.

Jesus: Jesus

-Roy Lessin, Jesus Name Above All Names

Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name JESUS. -Luke 1:31 KJV

When the angel Gabriel came to Mary to tell her the incredible news of the life that would be formed in her, the angel also gave her the name of the child. The name was not her choice, nor the choice of Joseph, to whom she was promised. The name was God's choice.

God chose a name that could, in one single word, put a spotlight on the reason why God's son left heaven and came to earth. They were not told to call Him "Wise" even though He was the Wisdom of God; they were not told to call Him "Creator" even through by Him all things were created; they were not told to call Him "Warrior" even though He is the Captain of the heavenly host.

The earthly name God chose for His Son was Jesus. In Hebrew His name is Yeshua. Yeshua is a name that means salvation. It also means a celebration of all that salvation brings to us. Even though Jesus could help people, heal people, guide people, encourage people, and bless people, it would mean nothing if He could not save people from their sins. Jesus means a celebration of victory over the greatest problem men and women face: the problem of sin. It is a problem that only God could solve, and it is a problem that God did solve through His Son.

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©2011, 2020 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow, all rights reserved.