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Matthew 1:20-21

“What’s in a name?” The quote is a famous line from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and it is said as Juliet considers the animosity between the two families. Their feud was a fight between groups with two different last names.

For most of us our names have little meaning aside from simply identifying who we are. As we look at our faith and the celebration of Christmas we must see the importance of certain names. The very title “Christmas” comes from the fact that we are celebrating the birth of Christ. And the word “Christ” actually is a Greek word which means “Messiah.”

But we can also see that the name the Messiah was given had special meaning. As we celebrate the birth of the baby we must also recall the reason for this wonderful gift. The angel who visited Joseph explained it all. What assurance does the angel give Joseph? What name is to be given the child? What does the name mean?

Joseph was understandably concerned when he discovered that the young woman he was pledged to marry was with child. His first decision was that he would divorce her, end the agreement between the two, but he would do it in such a way that he would not bring disgrace to her. But an angel came to Joseph to explain to him what he was supposed to do.

Joseph should go through with the marriage. He had to understand that the child Mary carried was a gift from God. And he and Mary would give the child a special name – Jesus.

The name “Jesus” is the Greek version of the Hebrew name “Yeshua,” which translates into English as “Joshua.” The name carries its own meaning, however. More than just an identifying label the name means “the Lord saves.” With his very name Joseph was announcing to the world that the baby born would save the world.

This is part of the celebration of Christmas. It is more than just a holiday to remember the birth of a child. It is a celebration that God loved us so much He sent His one and only Son to save us from sin. His gift to us was a gift of salvation, of being reconciled back to a loving God, a gift of inner peace in knowing we are deeply loved.

Part of our observance of Christmas should be a living out of this precious gift. We should be willing to give love this Christmas, not just costly items wrapped in nice paper. We should celebrate the very name of Jesus.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you share a gift of love this year?

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