What's in a Name? In God's Christmas Plan, More than You Know

Names are hidden treasures.  They're the “other character” in the story – as brilliant film scores are the companions of well-crafted scripts.  Films like “Inception” and “Star Wars,” for example, illustrate the powerful intersection between story lines and music.  

When you study names in the Bible, you’re mining for gold because names offer fascinating dimensions about the overall narrative.  Dr. Dwight A. Pryor, in his article, “Patterns and Principles of Jewish Prayer,”  wrote:

“In Hebrew thought, a name represents the person, his character, nature, or authority. A name in and of itself has no power, nor the particular pronunciation of it; rather the efficacy of a name is in the person it represents.”

When Isaiah foretold the Messiah’s name would be Immanuel, God was

Russian icon of the Prophet Isaiah/Photo: Wikipedia

communicating an extraordinary attribute about this special Son and His Christmas plan. Isaiah wrote prophetically:

Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14). 

Matthew refers to Isaiah 7 when he cites the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:18-23 (King James Version):

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.

But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Isaiah also prophesied a location that would be affected by Immanuel’s arrival. In Isaiah 9:1-2, the prophet wrote that the land of the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali (near Galilee), would see a great light. That came true. The Light was Jesus, the Seed God promised to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. “Jesus” means “Yah will save.”  

In John 8:12 (KJV), Jesus calls Himself the light of the world, and His words beautifully echo Isaiah’s messianic prophecy:

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Names mean a great deal to God. When He reveals names about Himself, they give us a glimpse of His inexhaustible nature. When He reveals our names, He gives a hint of who we are to be. Abraham and Jacob, for instance, both experienced name changes that spoke of their destiny. Deborah was a warrior judge, but her name reflects the cunning of a bee. Ruth’s name means “friend” and her friendship with her mother-in-law became instrumental in the progression of God’s Christmas plan.

Within the name Immanuel, God unveils His loving intentions for everyone to see... Through His Son Jesus, God calls from eternity that He wants to be with us.

Next: God’s promise that Jesus would spend time in Egypt