THURSDAY October 3rd
Imagine as a parent, or should I say as an expectant parent being told by someone else what name you are to give to the baby when he or she arrives! I don’t think that Elaine and I would have been happy if someone else told us what we were to call them. We wanted to choose the names, and we wanted to use names which we liked. Altogether with our six children we have used 14 names, some are family names, but generally names which together we liked.
Well, the scenario I have started with happened to a woman who suddenly discovered she was going to have a child, and straightaway she was told what name he was to be given. Her name was Mary, and she was betrothed to a man called Joseph, and at first it was an embarrassment to them because they were not yet legally together as a man and wife and the scripture says they had not yet come together and yet she was pregnant. How on earth did it happen? Well God sent an angel to explain it all, and I take up the story from Josephs encounter and one of the key verses being in Matthew 1:20 as the angel appeared to Joseph saying, ‘Do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit’. I guess that took a load off the mind of Joseph, even though he may not have fully understood it all.
But then another bombshell. ‘Joseph’ (I am exaggerating the point to make it) ‘Don’t even start to think about choosing a name! It has already been chosen’. ‘She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.’ But then a third bombshell for it continues, this is the reason why ‘for he will save his people from their sins’.
In other words, choosing a name is out of your hands, it has already been decided, his name will be a name that describes exactly why he has been born, Jesus, to be the Saviour of the world. But, then in the following verses we are told that it all took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the prophet Isaiah, ‘A virgin will conceive and bear a Son’ and he was to have another name as well, Immanuel (or Emmanuel) which means ‘God with us.’ We are back again to John chapter one, The Word, who is God, became flesh and dwelt among men.
I have often joked about Mary and Joseph going to register his birth, the question being asked, ‘What is his name?’ and Mary and Joseph looking at each other and thinking, ‘Where do we start’, then turning to the registrar and saying, ‘How much time do you have, or more importantly how much space is there to write the names down’ and then begin to reel off, ‘Jesus, Immanuel, Mighty God, Everlasting Father . . . .’ Then imagine having to answer the question, ‘Who is the father?’
But let’s just jump ahead 33 years, imagine Mary having to go and to register his death! What did he do? And she would go through all the amazing things that Jesus had done, ‘He was a carpenter, then he was a preacher, oh and he healed lots of people, and he did some amazing miracles’, and the list would continue. But this is the best part, imagine a day or so later Mary having to run into the registrar’s office, out of breath and full of excitement, ‘You remember me registering the death of Jesus?’ ‘Yes’, comes the reply. ‘Well, scrap the certificate, rip it up and throw it away’, ‘Why?’ ‘Well, he is alive again’.
The story of this baby who was to be born and given the name Jesus is incredible and we will continue.