The name Jesus is actually not 100% correct, believe it or not.
- Jesus comes from the Hebrew word “Yeshua” or “Je-ho-shu-a”, which should be translated as Joshua, which means “Yahweh saves”, “Jehovah is Salvation”
- So when Jesus entered the scene, the Israelites expected Him to be a Joshua - to be a warrior that delivers them and saves them
An angel announced to Joseph that his soon-to-be wife will give birth: “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus (Joshua) for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)
The good news that the angel announced was that the saviour to be born will save us from our sins.
The Apostle Paul explains what this means in his letter to the Romans (Romans 6:20-22)
- We were all slaves to sin at one point, under the power and dominion of sin, with no hope of escape
- Yet God through Christ set us free from sin, sin is no longer our master!
- Not only that, we have become slaves to God, God is our master, God is our Lord.
- As we live as slaves to God, our paths lead to sanctification (becoming more holy) and eternal life.
The good news is that we have hope of escaping the darkness that we once lived in. There is a way out of the sin that binds us. There is a possibility for changing our destructive habits and behaviors: whether it be lust, pride, jealousy, greed, anger. All this because Jesus has saved us from our sins, sin is no longer our master.
So Paul encourages us to not let sin reign over us (Romans 6:12-14). Do not present or be near sin, and present ourselves to God.
Why Christmas?
So that Jesus can save us from our sins.
So that God can show us that He is with us and he loves us.
So that we can carry the light and blessing to the world, and be the reason for this season.
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