Friday-December 6th
Our question today is "Why did He come"? There are
numerous reasons that we could examine but today we want to address the most
important!
In the birth story of Jesus that are people such as Mary,
Joseph, Sheppard's, wise men, a king, scribes, a cousin named Elizabeth, and
business person, that is the inn keeper who are mentioned. There are animals mentioned
such as a donkey and flocks. Yet one of the most important connected creatures are
the angels who live in the higher spirit world (Matthew 1:20-21, Luke 1:11,
26--38, 2:9, 13-14). It is from Luke that we get the name of the angel,
Gabriel, who delivers the message to Mary of her being the choice of God to
bring into the world Jesus. Not only will Gabriel give Mary the name to call
the baby but will tie to the name the actions of the baby when He reaches
maturity (Luke 1:26-38). For Luke the actions that Gabriel speaks will be that
of the baby being a King who will
reigning over Jacob (1:32-33).
But Matthew gives to us what could be the most important
position that the baby will hold when the angel gives instruction to Joseph on
the actions he should take with Mary. He will be a savior!
Matthew 1:21 (KJV 1900)
21And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his
name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
There are a number of propositions as to the meaning of the
name of Jesus. including: YHWH saves, (is) salvation,
(is) a saving-cry, (is) a cry-for-saving, (is) a
cry-for-help, (is) my help.[1] The
bottom life of these definitions is that YHWH is a saving God!
When a name is given in the Bible to an individual or a
place it is not given just because it
sound good to the human ear. It is give us much information as to a person's character
and purpose. Thus the purpose of this human body is to be a savior to mankind,
meeting the need of sin that is it is begotten for the purpose of spotless
blood (Hebrews 9:22, 1 Peter 1:19).
The Greek word for the action the angels says that Jesus
will take is "save" is σώζω sṓzō . It means to save, deliver,
make whole, preserve safe from danger, loss, destruction.[2]
When we parse this Greek word we see it is gives us the
following information.
It is a verb and as a verbs it is word that describes an
action, state of being, or the production of a result.[3]
Salvation is Jesus' acting upon the sins of mankind! It is in the future tense.
This means it the verb tense where the writer portrays an action or state of
being that will occur in the future.[4] The
salvation will happen in the future. His birth is the starting point of His
purpose. His purpose is to be the sacrifice to take away the sins of the World.
He must become a man who understands and experiences temptation yet does not
sin to be qualified to become the savior of humanity at His death! Adam the
first son of God failed. Jesus must fulfill the obedience that Adam did not do.
Adam was not a baby but a man who experienced temptation but failed. The last Adam
will be a man who does not fail when tempted by the devil, the world or sin and
the lack of failure from temptation will make Him the man that will bring
salvation (Romans 5:19, I Corinthians 15:22, 45)!
The voice of the verb is active. The subject will do the
action. Jesus will to the saving to His people.
The mood is indicative. The mood in which the action of the
verb or the state of being it describes is presented by the writer as real. It
is the mood of assertion, where the writer portrays something as actual (as
opposed to possible or contingent on intention).[5]
Salvation will actually happen! It is not a wish or an intention. It will come
about in the lives of His people.
Yet one of the most important words to notice in the Matthew
1:21 is the word "for". The Greek word is γάρa or gar. It is a marker of cause or reason between events. The
reason that the baby receiving the name Jesus, is not because it is the most
unique name, neither the most popular name of its day nor because it was the
most recognized name. The reason the baby will be named Jesus is because this
baby as a man will take action that will give to His people salvation! The name
Jesus means When Peter is asked by the Sanhedrin how the lame is healed he
states it is through the name of Jesus. The name of Jesus is connected with the
action of healing. Peter takes the actions of the name a step farther than
healing and states the name of Jesus also has the power to save you. In fact it
is the only name that is or can be connected
with salvation!
Acts 4:12 (KJV 1900)
12Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none
other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
If you want action from God to come to your sin it becomes
important to use the name of Jesus! That name takes the action of washing your
sin away! When you look at Paul's baptism you see that it was in the name of
Jesus and the use of that name caused the action of washing away sins to occur!
Acts 22:16 (KJV 1900)
16And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and
wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
This is why we do not baptize in the Name of the Father and
Son and Holy Ghost. These are titles not names! The power of salvation from His
beginning on this earth was spoken as always being in His name!
Your Response:
Take time to slowly read the following scriptures. Mediate on the
actions of the name of Jesus and how we should use His name in salvation. Take
action and tell someone today about salvation and how it can only come through
the name of Jesus. Encourage them to be baptized in the name of Jesus!
Matthew 1:21 (KJV 1900)
21And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his
name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Acts 4:12 (KJV 1900)
12Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none
other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Acts 22:16 (KJV 1900)
16And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and
wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
Acts 2:38 (KJV 1900)
38Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of
sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Acts 10:44–48 (KJV 1900)
44While Peter yet spake these words, the
Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
45And they of the circumcision which
believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the
Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
46For they heard them speak with tongues,
and magnify God. Then answered Peter,
47Can any man forbid water, that these
should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
48And he commanded them to be baptized in
the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.
Acts 19:1–5 (KJV 1900)
1And it came to pass, that, while Apollos
was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus:
and finding certain disciples,
2He said unto them, Have ye received the
Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as
heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
3And he said unto them, Unto what then were
ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism.
4Then said Paul, John verily baptized with
the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on
him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
5When they heard this, they were baptized
in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Colossians 3:17 (KJV 1900)
17And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name
of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
1 Ernest Klein, A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary
of the Hebrew Language (New York: MacMillan Publishing Company 1987) ;
Talshir, M. H. Segal, A Grammar of Mishnaic Hebrew (Tel Aviv:
1936), p. 146; Strong's Concordance H3091;
Philo, De Mutatione Nominum, §21; Brown, Driver, Briggs, Gesenius, Hebrew
and English Lexicon With an Appendix Containing the Biblical Aramaic (Hendrickson,
1985), ISBN
0-913573-20-5. Cf. Blue Letter Bible, H3442
[2]
Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study
Dictionary: New Testament, electronic ed. (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers,
2000).
[3]
Michael S. Heiser, Glossary of
Morpho-Syntactic Database Terminology (Logos Bible Software, 2005).
[4]
Michael S. Heiser, Glossary of
Morpho-Syntactic Database Terminology (Logos Bible Software, 2005).
[5]
Michael S. Heiser, Glossary of
Morpho-Syntactic Database Terminology (Logos Bible Software, 2005).
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