Intr \u2013 \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Do you know who chose your name?<\/p>\nMaybe it was your parents, maybe a person in the family had a say. I’ve watched expectant parents having a hard time over this decision\u2014pulling out baby name books, checking meanings, choosing from ancestors\u2019 names.<\/p>\n
Modern life has added new concerns too. For example, the email-address problem. I once saw a man online complaining about his name, Steven Tink. His company used first initial plus last name for email addresses\u2026 well, you can imagine the issue. (And yes, I changed the name and details\u2014because the original version definitely cannot be used in a sermon.)<\/p>\n
Choosing a name matters because it is something a person, in most cases, carries for the rest of their life and, humanly speaking, your name is your biggest asset.<\/p>\n
Now, names also carry meaning. Perhaps, even expectations. Talk about people named Junior or II, III, IV\u2026 Names can carry both hopes and desires, and sometimes even difficulties, like for those who have a non-conventional name or don\u2019t like their name at all. Maybe it\u2019s hard to spell. Hard to pronounce. Maybe you\u2019ve spent your whole life correcting people. Instead of a gift, a name may become a burden.<\/p>\n
Thinking about meaning, I started to wonder: what if we had to live up to the expectation of what our name means?<\/em><\/p>\n\n- Sophie<\/em>\u2014wisdom; Irene<\/em>\u2014peace;\u00a0 Felix \u2014 happy<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Something struck me this week as I prepared this sermon during the week. I\u2019ve been \u201cLucas\u201d my whole life, but until now, I had never actually looked up what my name means. I always thought of Luke\u2014the evangelist, the beloved physician Paul mentions. But the meaning of the name itself is \u201cthe bright one,\u201d<\/em> or \u201cbearer of light.\u201d <\/em>That\u2019s a pretty tall order. And if that was my mom and dad\u2019s expectations for my life, well\u2026 sorry, mom I only found it 50 years later!<\/p>\nIf we had to live up to the expectations of our own names, or the expectations of those who named us, we would have to be honest: it is impossible<\/strong>. We frequently fall short of them.<\/p>\nWell, after all of this reflection about our name, in the end, someone could say, \u201cI know, a name is important, but in the end, it\u2019s just a name. Your personal trajectory is not tied to its meaning, or lack thereof.\u201d As the saying goes, \u201cA name does not make the person; the person makes the name.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s not the case in Scripture though. In the Bible, the name and the person belong together when it comes to the name of God and the promised Messiah.<\/p>\n
Look to today\u2019s Gospel and the name mentioned there. The angel announces to Joseph how he should name his child. And it is a name that sounds comforting. \u201cThey shall call His name Immanuel,\u201d which means, God with us. However, <\/em>here is the truth: God with us would be trouble\u2014unless His name were Jesus.<\/strong><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\nJoseph is caught in fear and confusion. Mary is pregnant before marriage. His world is collapsing.\u00a0 And now the baby still needs a name. This was no ordinary child. If they had been free to choose, perhaps they would have chosen a name that reflected their situation: Tzaddik<\/em>\u2014\u201cRighteous\u201d\u2014because Joseph was a righteous man. Or Matityahu<\/em>\u2014\u201cGift of God\u201d\u2014in awe of the miracle. They were expecting a King, a Consoler, a Deliverer.<\/p>\nAnd into that moment, an angel speaks\u2014not with a suggestion, but with a command: \u201cYou shall call His name Jesus.\u201d Phew! Less work for Joseph and Mary, they don\u2019t need to choose the child\u2019s name. Heaven does.<\/p>\n
And the angel explains why: \u201cFor He will save His people from their sins.\u201d The name Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew Yeshua<\/em>\u2014 \u201cThe LORD saves.\u201d<\/p>\nThis name is not a personality description. \u00a0It is not symbolic. It is not poetic. It is not a hope or a sentiment. The name is the person. One and the same.<\/strong><\/p>\nIn Scripture, when God gives a name, He is not merely describing\u2014He is revealing Himself. The name doesn\u2019t only describe a person, the name IS the person<\/strong>.<\/p>\n-Yahweh is God, \u201cI am who I am\u201d
\n-Jesus is the \u201cRedeemer, Saviour\u201d
\n-Immanuel is God in person with us. In Person,<\/p>\n
When God reveals His name, He gives Himself. And when the angel says, \u201cYou shall call His name Jesus,\u201d this means: Savior is not just what He does. Savior is who He is.<\/strong><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Fear in Immanuel<\/strong><\/p>\nNow, we often hear God with us<\/em> and immediately think comfort. Warmth. Reassurance. But Scripture teaches something important here. A holy God coming near sinful people is not automatically good news. We know ourselves well enough to know that. Our hands are not clean. Our hearts are weak. Our lives do not match God\u2019s holiness.<\/p>\nAnd when I say “sinful\u201d I don\u2019t mean \u2018a specific kind of bad people\u201d. \u00a0I find it useful to clarify it here especially if you are visiting our are new to our Church and are getting to know our the teaching. When we talk about sinners, sinful people, we mean people<\/em>. People like us\u2014imperfect,\u00a0 inconsistent, unable to live up even to our own standards.<\/p>\nIf God comes to be near us as Judge, He will expose, measure and demand perfection. In that case, God with us<\/em> is not comfort at all. It is fear.<\/p>\nI wonder if that could bear some connection, directly or indirectly, with the problem with Christmas outside of Christian faith. Outside of the Christian faith, Immanuel is not good, but terrible news. God with us would be a terrible announcement\u2014 unless His name were Jesus. Therefore, Jesus can slide to the background while good tidings and nostalgia take centre stage.<\/strong><\/p>\nEven though this is true \u2013 God with us is not good news for sinners – we don\u2019t stop here. We go to where Matthew takes us and learn about Jesus, his name and His mission. We learn why, in faith, Immanuel doesn\u2019t spell trouble and condemnation, but salvation and peace.<\/p>\n
Immanuel becomes good news because God who is with us is the God who saves us from our sins. The name does not point away<\/em> from the person. The name is the person given to us<\/strong>. Immanuel. God with us.<\/p>\nAs I said earlier, in our case, we are not our own names. Our names may describe what someone hoped that we would be. When it comes to Jesus though, His name does what it promises! It redeems, saves, strengthens.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\nIt is the name you say in our morning and evening prayer. It is the name you bear in your heart everywhere you go. It is the name you praise here at Church, and you will receive in Holy Communion. It is the name that always makes sense when your life seems to be falling apart. It is the name that is the person Himself \u2013 Jesus. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Living in His Name<\/strong><\/p>\nThis is the promise of Christmas. The promise is not that we finally live up to our names. The promise is that we are invited to live in His name<\/strong>. Living by His name does not mean becoming worthy of it. It means being carried by it. That reflects in our daily lives:<\/p>\n-When you pray in the name of Jesus, you are not borrowing spiritual authority from a set of letters. You are calling the Saviour Himself.<\/p>\n
-When you are baptized into His name, you are not receiving a symbol. You are being joined to the living Christ, brought into His family of faith.<\/p>\n
-When you gather in His name, He is present among you\u2014not to measure your worthiness, but to give forgiveness, life, and salvation.<\/p>\n
When you act in His name, you bear witness to that name\u2014serving your neighbor, showing mercy, living the essence of Christmas in daily life.<\/p>\n
Paul says it this way in Romans 1: Jesus was \u201cdeclared to be the Son of God in power\u2026 through the resurrection from the dead.\u201d His name is backed by God\u2019s action. His name is sealed by the cross. His name is confirmed by the empty tomb. His name is Jesus Himself, present in your heart and guiding your life.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s the saying that goes around saying like this \u201cthere are no atheists inside an airplane that is in trouble\u201d. Whether that is always true or not, here\u2019s the deeper point. Why is it that many start praying – calling upon the name of God? I would say that it is because at that time they don\u2019t need an idea, a concept, a motivational word or a word to think about. In crisis, people don\u2019t reach for abstract ideas. They reach for a person to call upon.\u00a0 And when call upon the name of God in Christ, we are calling on the One who, throughout the centuries, has saved, comforted, and led His people\u2014 whether in life or in death.<\/strong> We belong to his name.<\/p>\nAnd because we belong to His name, we belong to Him. <\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Conclusion: Immanuel<\/strong>. Jesus. Christ. To speak the name of Jesus is to receive the Savior Himself. A name above every name. A name that saves. When you say the name, you don’t just say a name. You receive the Savior and His promises delivered to your heart. Say the name. Trust the Name!<\/p>\nIn the name of the Father, and of the Son, Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/strong>________________<\/strong><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/strong>Post-sermon Q&A <\/strong><\/p>\nQ1: \u201cAre you saying God is scary?\u201d
\n<\/em><\/strong>Answer:<\/strong>
\nYes\u2014if<\/em> God comes as Judge. That\u2019s why Christians don\u2019t find comfort in a vague idea of God. Our comfort is in Jesus<\/strong>, who shows us what God is like for sinners.<\/em><\/p>\nQ2: \u201cThis sounds exclusive. What about other beliefs?\u201d
\n<\/em><\/strong>Answer: <\/strong>Christianity doesn\u2019t teach that everyone believes the same thing. It makes a specific claim: that God comes near in Jesus to save. Anyone is free to disagree\u2014but clarity is more honest than pretending differences don\u2019t exist.<\/p>\nQ3: \u201cWhy talk about sin? Isn\u2019t that outdated?\u201d
\n<\/em><\/strong>Answer: <\/strong>Sin isn\u2019t about being worse than others. It\u2019s about being separated from God \u2013 it is about being imperfect, wanting the good but failing to live it out every day. Most people recognize that experience, even if they use a different word.<\/p>\nQ4: \u201cAre you saying I have to earn God\u2019s presence?\u201d
\n<\/em><\/strong>Answer: <\/strong>No\u2014the opposite. The whole sermon is about why we can\u2019t<\/em> earn it. That\u2019s why the name Jesus matters. He brings God\u2019s presence to us as gift, not reward.<\/p>\nQ5: \u201cSo what am I supposed to do with this?\u201d
\n<\/em><\/strong>Answer: <\/strong>You don\u2019t start by doing. You start by hearing the name\u2014Jesus\u2014and holding on to His promises. Christian faith begins with receiving, not achieving.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Text: Matthew 1:18-25; Romans 1:1-7 Theme: \u201cIn the name\u201d ___________________________ \u00a0Intr \u2013 \u00a0\u00a0Do you know who chose your name? Maybe it was your parents, maybe a person in the family had a say. I’ve watched expectant parents having a hard time over this decision\u2014pulling out baby name books, checking meanings, choosing from ancestors\u2019 names. Modern […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":4299,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4298","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
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