Advent Day 22: Jesus | Savior

Names of Jesus #614, Timothy Botts. Calligraphy, printed on fine art paper with archival pigment-based inks. Image size appx. 10.75 x 13.75 in. Used with permission from the artist.

The Nativity with a Torch, Le Nain Brothers, 1635–40. Oil on canvas, 118 x 148 cm. Private Collection. Public Domain.

“That Beautiful Name” from the album Hark! The Herald Angels. Performed by George Beverly Shea, Lyrics by Jean Perry, music by Mabel Johnston Camp.

“There’s Something about That Name” from the album Glorious. Performed by Rachel Jackson and Christ for the Nations Worship, composed by Bill and Gloria Gaither.

Week Four Introduction:

Names Associated with the Nativity of Christ

This is Christmas week, a time of great rejoicing for Christians throughout the world. During the next few days, we will focus on some of the many names surrounding the birth of Christ, titles we commonly hear during this season of the church year. When an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, he instructed him, “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 NKJV). Yeshua, or Joshua, Jesus’ name in Hebrew, means “Yahweh saves” or “The Lord is salvation.” “Jehovah God” of the Old Testament becomes “Jesus” in the New Testament as Jehovah Himself takes on the form of a mortal human.

The Spirit of God in the Old Testament is often characterized as temporary and given to selective individuals for specific reasons. In the New Testament, the relationship between God and mankind changes dramatically. Under the new covenant in Christ, an intimate relationship with God is possible. Believers now have permanent access to God through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Immanuel (Emmanuel), “God with us,” is a significant name because God in Christ walked this earth with us and as a result is able to fully identify with the human condition and empathize with us on every level. The names we will mull over this week reflect the miraculous child that forever changed the unfolding events of human history when He was born over two thousand years ago in a Bethlehem cave.

“We sing, Immanuel, Thy praise, Thou Prince of life and Fount of grace, Thou Flower of heaven and Star of morn, Thou Lord of lords, Thou virgin born. Hallelujah!”
—Paul Gerhardt, 1653

Poetry:

“Lachrimae Amantis”
by Geoffrey Hill

What is there in my heart that you should sue
so fiercely for its love? What kind of care
brings you as though a stranger to my door
through the long night and in the icy dew
seeking the heart that will not harbour you,
that keeps itself religiously secure?
At this dark solstice filled with frost and fire
your passion’s ancient wounds must bleed anew.
So many nights the angel of my house
has fed such urgent comfort through a dream,
whispered “your lord is coming, he is close”
that I have drowsed half-faithful for a time
bathed in pure tones of promise and remorse:
“tomorrow I shall wake to welcome him.”

Jesus the Savior

Before Jesus ever drew His first breath, His name burst into the world like light splitting the darkness. It is difficult to fathom the earth-shaking implications of that moment when an angel stood before Joseph and declared a miracle with a single sentence: “You shall call His name Jesus.” Yeshua. The Lord is salvation.

How glorious that moment when a weary world first learned that a Savior would be born, the hope foretold by prophets for thousands of years.

With that proclamation, the angel announced more than a birth. He announced the beginning of a rescue plan that the earth had longed for since Eden. As Paul wrote, “All creation has been groaning… waiting eagerly for redemption” (Romans 8:22–23).

For generations, the world lay dormant, yet God had not forgotten His promise: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light” (Isaiah 9:2). And in the fullness of time, God sent His son to reconcile all people to Himself forever.

The name of Jesus marked the dawn of redemption, as heaven unveiled its rescue plan: God Himself stepping into humanity to take on the sins of the world.

Jesus is the name that calms storms, heals the brokenhearted, and raises the dead. Jesus awakens our hope where none remains. Jesus: our peace, our salvation, and our friend.

This Savior was not only for the righteous, but for every heart that has wandered, doubted, or grown weary. He is a Savior for all who have sinned and all who have suffered. He is a Savior for you, and you are invited into relationship with Him.

At the heart of Christmas is a God who comes close. A God who saves. A man named Jesus, heaven’s greatest gift.

Today, let us meditate with great joy on the name of Jesus, the Savior of the whole world.

Prayer

Jesus, Savior of the world, thank You for entering our darkness with Your light. Thank You for bearing our sin in Your love beyond measure. Awaken our hearts today to the wonder of Your name. May Your grace transform us, and Your presence draw us near to You. Amen.

Erica Curtis
Adjunct Professor
English Department
Biola University

For more information about the artwork, music, and poetry selected for this day, please visit our website via the link in our bio.