Why Was He Named Jesus?

. . . and you shall call him Jesus.
Luke 1:31

At Christmas time, it is common to rejoice over many details surrounding the birth and infancy of Jesus, but I have never heard any celebration over the fact that the angel Gabriel told his mother Mary, “You shall name him Jesus.” Asking about this neglected fact leads to two discoveries about his mission—and ours! If treasure is hidden in a field, it may take some digging to find it.

Many Biblical names have meaning that comes from the words that make up the name, and “Jesus” is no exception—this is how we say the Hebrew name “Joshua.” If we ask why Jesus was given that name, the most common answer is that this name is formed from two words, which together mean God saves or Yahweh is salvation. This suggests that we can think of Jesus’ mission as revealing God as a savior—and himself as one with God.

In the light of Jewish history, we may find additional meaning in the name. Consider the possibility that he was named after the prophet Joshua, the successor of Moses. From place to place, for decades, Moses led the Hebrews, teaching them about God and giving them laws and discipline. At the end of his life, Moses needed to appoint someone to be in charge.

Moses spoke to the Lord, saying, “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be as sheep that have no shepherd.” So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him.”

The image of leading the people in and out comes from a shepherd’s function of protecting the sheep from danger by leading them in and out of a safe enclosure, at night for example. After it was clear whom to appoint, Moses turned over the command of his followers to Joshua, who later took over much of the land of Canaan by military conquest. That territory is now, very roughly, the land of Israel. It has been referred to as “the promised land,” because it was traditionally regarded as having been promised by God as a permanent homeland given to the descendants of Abraham.

To make the connection, consider that Jesus, on one occasion, was surrounded by a crowd who looked like “sheep without a shepherd.” Another time, Jesus referred to himself as “the good shepherd.”
But Joshua was a political and military leader, and Jesus was neither one, so what sense does it makes for Jesus to be named after Joshua? Unless Jesus’ mission was to lead people into a spiritual promised land. Which is exactly what he did.

I am using the term “promised land” here to refer to the kingdom of God, the central theme in Jesus’ message. Think of his prayer: “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven.” This prayer envisions the kingdom in its future fullness, our planetary destiny. Then humankind will live the will of God in a way that reflects life in heaven. That is the kind of life that Jesus showed us how to live.

In accord with God’s divine purpose for all of his children, Jesus’ mission is shared, in a way, by everyone. We each have a particular mission of our own, which is part of Jesus’ universal mission.

Thought for the Day: What do you think? Does the naming of Jesus suggest that he was sent by God the savior as the successor of Moses—a Joshua who would lead us into a spiritual promised land?

Prayer: Thank you, God, for sending Gabriel, who gave to the Christmas child the name Jesus without explanation, giving us the adventure of seeking its meaning.

Jeff Wattles,
retired and preparing a second career in some form of ministry