Mensa Otabil - You Shall Call His Name Jesus
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Well, we’ve looked at prophecies concerning the breath of the Lord Jesus Christ. We’ve examined six in the Old Testament so far. Today, we looked at the seventh prophecy, but it is in the New Testament. You ask, how can the prophecy about Jesus be in the New Testament? Well, this occurred before He was born, and so it qualifies as a prophecy. We’re going to read it from Luke’s Gospel, chapter 1, verses 30 and 31.
Then the angel said to her, «Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a son, and you shall call His name Jesus.» This is the culmination of what began in the Garden of Eden when God said the seed of the woman shall bruise the head of the serpent. Isaiah prophesied that the virgin shall conceive and give birth, and different prophets indicated where He was going to come from. Finally, an angel of God pinpoints this woman and says, «You are the woman. You are going to produce what God promised right from the Garden of Eden.»
So, 2,000 years ago, a young girl by the name of Mary received a heavenly visitor. This girl, a very normal Jewish girl going about her own business and her own life, was just about to get married to someone when God intervened in her life, stepped into her life, and spoke to her the most flabbergasting information, the most astonishing news anyone could ever hear: that God has chosen you to bear His son and that He’s going to do it in a very unusual way. As we know, Mary accepted this challenge, and God performed His word. The name of the child is now revealed by the angel as Jesus. Isaiah said His name would mean that God is with us, but now the angel says His name is Jesus. In Hebrew, the name is Yeshua, and Yeshua means the Lord is our salvation.
It was not an extraordinary name; so many Jewish boys were called Yeshua because there had been a Yeshua known in Jewish history, the second leader after they came out of Egypt. We call him Joshua; he came after Moses. Many people were called Yeshua, and Jesus was one of those who was called Yeshua. But this Yeshua’s name was chosen prophetically, not just to reflect the first Joshua, but to indicate that God is going to redeem people from their sins. And truly, He came to redeem us from our sins. This child, Jesus, changed the course of history.
So today, as we think about Christmas and all the things that people do, the lights we put up, and the costumes we buy, all of that happened because thousands of years ago in the Garden of Eden, God made a promise and kept His promise. Two thousand years ago, the promise was fulfilled, and two thousand years later, we feel the effect of that promise. So when you celebrate Christmas, think of the faithfulness of God. Think of the goodness of the Lord, the Lord who promises and fulfills, the God who crosses time and comes to wherever we are—in our small village, a small lady, a small woman—whoever we are, and uses us to do amazing things for His kingdom and glory. I pray that this Christmas, the Lord will visit you and do amazing things with you. May you experience the supernatural in every area of your life in Jesus' name.
Stay with me in prayer. Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us Your Son. I believe in my heart and boldly confess that Jesus is Lord, and in His name I pray. Amen and amen. Well, God bless you! Have a great week. From tomorrow, I’ll be with you. I’m Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.