January 1. The seventh day of Christmastide, and also the first day of the new year. A natural moment for new beginnings. And the church has always connected this day to the name of Jesus.
The name "Jesus" is the Greek form of the Hebrew name "Joshua," which means "Yahweh saves" or "the Lord is salvation." When the angel told Joseph what to name the baby, the explanation was simple: He will save His people from their sins. The name is not just an identifier. It is a mission statement.
She will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.
Matthew 1:21The Eighth Day
January 1 is also the eighth day after December 25. In Jewish tradition, the eighth day was significant. Circumcision was performed on the eighth day. It was the first act of obedience for a Jewish family, the moment when a baby was formally brought into the covenant. And Jesus, too, was circumcised on the eighth day, according to Luke.
On that eighth day, He received the name that would change the world. Not a name chosen by His parents for personal reasons. A name chosen by God. A name that carries power. A name that every knee will bow to.
Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:9–11There is power in the name of Jesus. Not magic, not superstition. But the name that carries all authority in heaven and earth. The name that demons flee from. The name that heals. The name that saves. The name above every name.
What the Name Means
The name Jesus is not just a label. It is a revelation. It tells us who God is and what God does. God saves. That is the whole gospel in one name. Not: God judges. God warns. God distance. God saves. The name is the promise.
And the promise is for you. The same name that every knee will bow to is the name that calls you to salvation. He saves His people. That includes you. That includes me. That includes anyone who calls on His name.
So as the new year begins, you are invited to do something simple: call on His name. Not as a magic spell. As a prayer. As a confession. As a surrender. The name that saved the world is ready to save you.
What Does His Name Mean to You?
You have heard the name Jesus your whole life. But what does it mean to you? Is it just a name from a story? Or is it the name that saves, the name that changes, the name that carries power? Take a moment to let the weight of the name land.
Father, thank you for the name above every name. Thank you for Jesus, who saves. Thank you that His name is not just a word, but a promise. Help me to call on His name with faith. To trust in what His name means: salvation, rescue, redemption.
As this new year begins, let me walk in the power of His name. Let me live as someone who carries that name. And let me introduce others to the name that can save them. In Jesus' name, Amen.
With honesty and hope,
Claire