What's in a Name?

"See the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel, which is translated "God is with us."

- Matthew 1:23

How did you get your name?  Was it a name your parents liked?  Was it a family name?  Was it a name that was popular in culture during the time period you were born?  My first name was a name that my parents liked; and one of my middle names is a family name.  I also know of many children who have names that were based on movies or celebrities.  Names can be anything from traditional to interesting to down-right “what was the parent thinking?”  God knew what He was thinking when He chose the perfect name for His Son.  He chose a name that would span the ages of time and would be meaningful to all.

In the New Testament, we find that God, through His angel messenger(s), gave specific instructions to Mary and Joseph about what to name His Son.  In both Matthew 1:21b and Luke 1:31b, the couple is told, “…you will call His name Jesus.”  It’s interesting to note that in Hebrew, this special name means “The Lord Saves.”  Coincidence?  I think not.

As we study the Scriptures, we find that our Savior Jesus has many descriptions, which we also refer to as “names,” woven throughout the Bible.  Isaiah 9:6 tells us our Savior will be the, “Wonderful Counselor, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.”  He is also described as Christ, Lord, Master, Messiah, Son of Man, Lamb of God, Light of the World, and so many more.  These descriptions help us to connect with and worship our Savior for the great and amazing things he has done and is doing in our lives.

In this season of my life, my favorite name of Jesus is “Immanuel.”  It’s actually the name that was prophesied for Jesus way before He was born.  “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).  The name Immanuel means “God With Us.” 

About this time last year, I was ever so mindful of the name Immanuel.  I was going through a very hard time of grief and loss – something that I haven’t really talked about publically.  It was one of the most painful things I have ever gone through in my life and I felt so alone in my sorrow.  Don’t get me wrong, my family and some close friends were there for me and walked with me through the valley, but I still felt like no one anywhere understood my exact feelings and my exact grief.  I came to really rely on the name of Immanuel because I knew He hadn’t forgotten me and was the only one who would walk every single second with me…and He has.

Our world is so uncertain and in such upheaval right now that having Jesus with us is about the only way we can make it through.  Devastation, loss, grief, violence, hatred – all of these are situations happening even as you read this blog that make you shake your head and feel hopeless.  If we place our hope in Immanuel, however, we can change our attitude into one of confidence because we know God is with us…always!  He will guide and direct us.  He will lead us through the valley.  He will help us know what to say and how to help others in their time of need.  Can you imagine how the world would react if we changed our attitudes to be one of hope during hardship?!

I find it so significant that Jesus’ last words on earth were such a testament to His name Immanuel – the name He was given and that was prophesied so many years before.  While ascending into heaven, looking at His disciples who were scared and unsure of when their Savior would return again, Jesus comforts them – and us, because we’re waiting too – with words that are so indicative of His given name.  “And remember, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).  Amen!

Forsaken for Me

"About three in the afternoon, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eli, Eli, lena sabachthani?' (which means 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?')" - Matthew 27:46

Loneliness and abandonment are situations that most people hate enduring.  Feeling like you don't belong and that you're forgotten can bring even the most strong-minded person down in a deep, dark valley full of tears, hurt, and depression.  Thankfully, we know that no matter what we go through in this life, Jesus is our constant and ever-present friend that sticks closer than any brother ever could (and maybe even would).  We don't have to fear being completely forsaken in this life because we know Jesus will be there to walk with us through ever single moment - good or bad.

Can you stop and imagine, however, if Jesus wasn't there for us during our hardest moments?  If you're like me, you probably don't want to even imagine it.  To imagine going through pain and hardship completely and utterly alone seems like more than I could ever endure.  Yet someone did just that...and it is the very person that is with each one of us during our pain and hardship - our precious Savior, Jesus.

Matthew 27 outlines - in detail - the events leading up to the death of Christ.  He endured far more than hardship...He endured torture and agony.  He was accused of lying, when all His words were complete truth.  He was mocked by those who, just days earlier, had praised Him.  He was scourged and beaten and forced to carry part of the cross to which He would soon be nailed.  As hard as all of this is for us to even read, none of it compared to the torment of abandonment Christ felt as He was breathing His final breaths.  Matthew writes that around 3:00 in the afternoon, Jesus yelled to His Father, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46).  While this was actually a portion of a Psalm that Christ was quoting (Psalm 22:1), I don't think He was saying this to "just" quote Scripture, I believe that when Jesus said this, He meant it with every fiber in His being.  The torture of having to endure this horrendous suffering alone was now a reality for Jesus - He was completely alone with people laughing at his demise, with blood pouring from his head, hands, and feet, and with death waiting right around the corner.  And God wasn't - really He couldn't be - there.  That is scarier than any horror movie could ever be.

God still loved His Son, He just couldn't be there for Him because God knew that this action and the feelings - all the feelings - associated with it were a necessary step in the redemption of mankind.  As humans, sin separates us from God, and as we learn in Romans 6:23, the punishment for sin is death - eternal separation from God.  When Jesus was nailed to the cross, He took that punishment for us which meant He had to endure it - being separated from everyone and every.single.thing.  So when Jesus was on the cross crying out in a loud voice this portion of Scripture, it wasn't just a repeating of a verse He had learned as a child in Hebrew AWANAs, it was a proclamation of how He felt at that exact moment.

My NLT Study Bible commentary states, "Jesus was not questioning God; he was quoting the first line of Psalm 22 - a deep expression of the anguish he felt when he took on the sins of the world, which caused Him to be separated from His Father.  This was what Jesus dreaded as he prayed to God in the garden to take the cup from him (26:39).  The physical agony was horrible, but even worse was the period of spiritual separation from God.  Jesus suffered this double death so that we would never have to experience eternal separation from God."

As hard as being forsaken by others may feel to us, Jesus is the one constant we have to depend on - always.  Jesus had no one.  He was forsaken so we wouldn't ever have to be.  What a friend we have in Jesus!  

As you reflect on this past Easter weekend, I hope you will continue to take to heart the sacrifice Jesus has made just for you.  He sacrificed everything - His relationships, His emotion, His identity, and His life - all so you wouldn't have to endure eternal separation from God and be alone for eternity.  He loves you THAT much.

If you are struggling with feeling forsaken or abandoned by others or someone in particular, remember Jesus' last words on earth and let them be an encouragement to you as you walk through this lonely time - "And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20b).

Below is a video clip of the song that inspired this blog post...one of my favorite songs that has ministered to me so strongly over the past few months.