Gospel Reference: She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21
What’s in a name? Has anyone ever asked you what your name means? Do you know what your name means? When your mom and dad found out they were going to have a baby, they spent a lot of time choosing a name. They may have looked through a book that gives the meaning of names. I looked up a few names to see what they meant. (You might like to look up the meaning of the names of several of the children that are in your group. If you do not have a book, there are numerous sites on the Internet that give the meanings of names.).
John is a very popular name for boys and Joan or Joanna for girls. Their name means “God’s gracious gift.”
Have you ever known anyone named Daniel or Danielle? Their name means “God is my judge.”
I have known quite a few boys named Michael and girls named Michaela. That is a great name that means “one who is like God.” One of the angels in the Bible was named Michael.
When Mary and Joseph found out that they were going to have a baby, they didn’t have to go to the library and get a book to choose his name. In fact, they didn’t choose his name at all. God sent an angel to tell Mary and Joseph, “You will have a son, and you will call his name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sin.” You see, the name Jesus means “the Lord saves.” God loved us so much that he sent his only Son to die on the cross to save us from our sin. The Bible tells us that there is no other name that can save us.
What’s in a name? If the name is Jesus, there is salvation!
Heavenly Father, we thank you that there is salvation in the name of Jesus. During this holiday season, help us to remember that it is his birthday that we celebrate. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.