In the Scriptures we find many names for the Son of God, including Scriptures prophesying His coming. In Isaiah 9:6 we read: "For to us a child is born. To us a Sin is given; and the government will be upon his shoulders, and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

As an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph before the Christ child was born two names were given that I would like us to consider tonight, Jesus and Emmanuel.

Reread verse 21-23. "And she will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus; for it is He who will save His people form their sins. Now all this took place that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, behold the virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name, "Emmanuel," which translated means, "God with us."

A. JESUS is a Greek form of the Hebrew names Joshua and Jeshua, Jehoshua, Jehovah, (God is Salvation). Psalm 130 :8 speaks of hope for a redeemer.

We read of the Joshua who is probably most known in the Scriptures in Numbers 13:6 and Joshua as the captain and deliverer of his people. Instead of Moses, a savior does what the Law cannot do. Under the leadership of Joshua the enemies of Israel were conquered and the people were established in the Promised Land.

We might compare this with Jesus leading his people in the fight with sin and temptation.

Another Joshua is written of in Zechariah 3. This Joshua is a high priest ministering before an angel of the Lord. Satan is there, too, ready to accuse. Joshua is clothed with filthy garments. The angel told him to remove these garments and said, "Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you and I will cloth you with rich apparel." The Lord said, "If you walk in my ways and keep my charge, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts."

Hosea is an Old Testament prophet and the root of this name is also related to that of Joshua. He comes on the scene in the Eighth Century B.C. in the Northern Kingdom during the reign of Jeroboam, Hosea is a prophet of grace and salvation that teaches the great truth of the Love of God to his people expressed in the relationship of a husband to his wife. You see, Hosea's wife, Gomer, symbolizes the unfaithfulness of God's people. Hosea saves his unfaithful wife from sin and death as a type of Christ.

After we have these Old Testament characters with names representing salvation we have the name of Jesus Himself spoken of in Matthew's account of the Christmas story. We read of Jesus in Matthew 1:21, ".for He will save His people from their sins."

B. EMMANUEL is Hebrew for God is with us.

Emmanuel is God with us to protect and to save. This is a mysterious, but a precious name. In Isaiah 7:14 we read, "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call him Immanuel. Isaiah 8:10 tells us, "Take counsel together, but it will come to naught; speak a word, but it will not stand, for God is with us." Literally this is speaking of Emmanuel. That is, people would not destroy God's presence. God is with us. The birth of Jesus was going to come about and bring God's presence to earth.

God incarnate came as the Christ child. In John 1:14 we read, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace truth." Jesus Christ is the Word, the Living Logos. Salvation is the bringing of God and man together.

Recall the promise of Jesus in Matthew 28:20 "I am with you always, even to the close of the age."

An old pioneer traveled westward across the Great Plains until he came to an abrupt halt at the edge of the Grand Canyon. He gawked at the sight before him: a vast chasm one mile down, eighteen miles across, and more than a hundred miles long! He gasped, "Something must have happened here!" A visitor to our world at Christmas time seeing the lights, the decorations, the trees, the parades, the festivities and the religious services, would also probably say, "Something must have happened here!" Indeed something did happen. God came into our world on the first Christmas. He came to be the Savior of all who would receive Him and He came to be present with His children forever. Have you received Him as your personal Savior? If not, you can do so this Christmas. If you have already, make sure you invite Jesus to continue to be present in your life each day.

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