And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called JESUS, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. Luke 2: 21, NKJV.
Dear God, we thank You for Jesus, our Savior! Please continue to bless us and keep us faithful. This we ask in His blessed name. Amen!
Today, in contemplating the blessings derived from Christ’s birth, we will consider the name of the Baby, “born King of the Jews” – Jesus! This is the Greek form of the Hebrew name, Joshua (The New Oxford Annotated Bible, NRSV, pg. 9, NT). This was the long awaited Savior! A fact that was mentioned in the angel’s mesage to Joseph in a dream: “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1: 21).
A Baby born as king of a particular nation, would become the Savior of the world! I thrill to the thought of Christ’s universality! This is so obvious in His genealogy! Notice that not only male forefathers are mentioned, as was the custom, but mention is also made of females. Now, if we really want to pay attention to detail, let us look closely at these four women:
Tamar: Who conceived twin boys through her father-in-law. In our eyes, not even worthy of mention. In God’s eyes, worthy to form a part of His genealogy (Matthew 1: 3)!
Rahab: A prostitute living on Jericho’s walls. She had faith in the God of Israel. Listen to her expression of faith: “When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below” (Joshua 2: 11, emphasis provided). She hung her crimson string outside her window (21), by faith! She is not only mentioned in Jesus’ genealogy (Matthew 1: 5a), but also in Faith’s, Hall of Fame (Hebrews 11: 31)!
Ruth: The Moabitess. This is what was declared against the Moabites: “No Ammonite or Moabite or any of his descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, even down to the tenth generation” (Deuteronomy 23: 3). “To the tenth generation,” is as if you were saying, they would never be given entrance! Nevertheless, in the wideness of God’s mercy and grace, Ruth was given an abundant entrance into the family of the Savior of the world (Matthew 1: 5b)!
Bathsheba: Who became David’s wife after he committed adultery with her, tried to conceal his sin, and when he was not successful, he murdered her husband! It is almost a given, that in our society, she and her offspring would be tainted. The Savior had her name inscribed in His genealogy (Matthew 1: 6).
Those were the women.
Abraham: was among the men. He was a coward who endangered the life of his wife to ensure his safety – (Genesis 12: 11-13; 20: 2).
Isaac: Followed in his father Abraham’s footsteps (Genesis 26: 6, 7).
Jacob: Deceiver (Genesis 27).
Judah: Did not keep his word to his daughter-in-law Tamar. Was willing to have her burned to death, when it was discovered that she had not “played the harlot,” but had become pregnant by him, through an incestuous relationship albeit unknowing to him, in order for her husband’s name not to be blotted out of Israel (Genesis 38).
David: Adulterer and murderer (2 Samuel 11).
We cringe at what we have just read. But the truth of the matter is that they were just ordinary people, like you and me. Sinful, and in need of a Savior, like you and me. Jesus came to save them, as well as you and me. He calls them and us, “His people” (Romans 9: 25), and if we allow Him, He will save us just like he saved them! He will cleanse us from all the sinful traits in our lives, and make us “holy, as [He] is holy” (Leviticus 11: 44, 45). Aren’t you glad for Jesus – the Savior? I am!