In reading Matthew & Luke's accounts of the Christmas narrative this year, we see angelic directives to two sets of parents in the naming of their sons. Zach & Elizabeth and Joseph & Mary were directed by heaven to name their respective sons, John & Jesus. Gabriel's imperatives were according to heaven's perspective on these boys' lives long before they drew a breath outside of the womb...
From this observation alone, we could surmise that 'names have power' from heaven's point of view. Neither set of parents could fully comprehend how their sons names respectively would point to the summit of the continental divide between God's old and new covenants with mankind.
As I considered these profoundly prophetic names, I recalled the naming process of my two sons, Sammy & Noah, and I was stunned to see the pieces of the Christmas narrative be unveiled so crisply in high-definition this year.
As Patricia & I discovered that we were pregnant during the Valentine's Day 2006 season, our families were filled with great joy at this news! Two days later, Patricia & I called my mom to wish her a "happy birthday" and announce our good news by singing 'Happy Birthday Abuela' to her. Not speaking Spanish, my parents asked what that meant... After translation, my parents screamed with excitement and joy on the other end of the phone! What an unforgettably special moment!
Sadly, my dad had a heart-attack two weeks later and passed from this world into the presence of the Lord... cutting short his enthusiastic hope of being Grandpa. Ironically, the sonogram images & news of a grandson were like a healing balm to my mom's grief.
Long before his October arrival, we prayerfully sought the Lord in naming our first-born. Most of our friends & family know him as "Sammy", but we were drawn to the narrative of Zacharias & Elizabeth's little boy... 'You shall call him John'. We named our son John Samuel Brown.
In my recent consideration of Zacharias & Elizabeth's holy moment, I finally began to ask curiously, 'Why did Gabriel give the imperative naming of their son: John?' A simple search uncovered this reality. Google explains: The name John is a
Zach & Elizabeth's story... as well as the Brown family... could feel the weighty reasons for God's declaration of His benevolent lovingkindness over their lives... over ours as well! The All Powerful, Self-Existent Creator God Yahweh was declaring His Amazing Grace to a couple of couples... then & now! But more than this!!
The Brown family, along with the prophetic Zach & Elizabeth, were unknowingly declaring God's Amazing Grace with the Advent (ie. coming) of the forerunner to the Messiah-Servant declared 700 years beforehand to God's People through Isaiah in chapter 40! Handel's Messiah echo's this with his opening words... "Comfort, O comfort My People"... Handel goes on to echo the prophet's words to let her know that someone has come to 'lift every valley' and 'make the crooked places straight'. John later embraces this role as a "voice in the wilderness" to help as a priestly healer of relationship between God & men before the coming Messiah. Though he has been long touted as a harsh prophet, John, in the fullest sense of his name, administered an echo of the prophets that "Yahweh has been and IS Gracious!"
Six months after Zach & Elizabeth were told they were going to have John, the Angel Gabriel was sent from the very presence of Yahweh to a little adolescent girl's home in Nazareth. The virgin Mary was requested to partner with Yahweh to give birth to a son as the prophet Isaiah (chapters 7 & 9) described. Gabriel gives Mary the imperative to name this son Jesus (Luke 1). Mary visits Elizabeth in the hillcountry, but returns to Nazareth 3 months later. Matthew's gospel (Matt 1) records that Joseph was mandated to take Mary as his wife after considering divorcing her quietly... In this same moment, Gabriel directs him to name the son, Jesus "because He will save His people from their sins."
Later Matthew connects this moment with Isaiah's prophecy that 'a virgin will give birth to a son and they will call his name 'Immanuel'... which means "God with us."
In 2010, Patricia & I discovered that we were going to have another son! It's important to the Brown family to point out that we prayerfully asked the Lord to help us name this boy... We named him Noah Emmanuel.
Aside from all of the many angles of the Christmas narrative, I landed deeply the imperative of these names as well... Jesus & Immanuel. What does Jesus mean? Thank you, Google: The Hebrew name for Jesus is Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ, Yēšūaʿ). Joshua is an equivalent for Jesus which means "the Lord is salvation".
How is God demonstrating His Amazing Grace... announced by John? God so loved the world that He's providing His only begotten Son, Jesus to demonstrate His deliverance from mankind's greatest foe... 'He will save His people from their sins'!
What do we see in this year's Christmas consideration? First of all, Yahweh In His nature is gracious! In the middle of darkness, even great darkness, the people have seen a great light. John declares hope & God's grace to a people ravaged by oppression and hopelessness brought on by the complications of sinful, selfish humanity! God echos his hope & grace through John that the Kingdom of God is at hand!
The God of Heaven does not just 'talk' about being gracious and offering hope... He lays down His regalia and humbles Himself to DO SOMETHING about our human mess. Yahweh Incarnate, veiled in flesh His Godhead see...Hail the Incarnate Deity! He came to be WITH US so we could be delivered from our sins and be WITH HIM for eternity if we will receive Him as The Lord is Salvation... our Savior!
John, manifesting the gracious character & plan of God, points to Jesus, "Behold the Lamb of God"... who takes away the sin of the world!
Certainly, John's birth was a great blessing to Zach & Elizabeth... Just as John Samuel Brown was a great demonstration of God's grace to the Browns. But more than this, their names point to the God of All Grace whose First Advent we celebrate and His Second Advent we Await! O Come! O Come Emmanuel!... We long for your appearing even more than ever as the days get darker. With the testimony of Noah Emmanuel, God is the One who doesn't just let us figure life out from a distance like a deistic false-picture of God.
Thank You Jesus, Our Savior & Immanuel! We can count on your nearness to be with us until the end of the age as you promised and we will continue to give testimony to your amazing grace & salvation until You return.
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