His name means salvation.
This attests to his ultimate purpose and mission: to bring salvation to people. So it is highly appropriate that Jesus is the name of the Savior of the world.
As it is written:
“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
Why do we need a Savior? Why do we need Jesus?
Because of our sin. Sin keeps you from receiving protection and blessings from God, and later, eternal life in heaven. Literally, sin means that we have missed the mark and have fallen short of the target. Sin is disobedience and rebellion to God. People were made with a free will so we could choose to love or to hate, to obey or to sin. But once there was sin, we became slaves to sin. The immediate consequences of sin are fear, shame, guilt, and broken relationships. Other, more severe consequences follow. As a result of sin, death came into the world (1 Cor 15:22).
People not only die physically, but spiritually (Ephesians 2:1-2).
Spiritual death cut us off from God and left humankind completely helpless.
But the worst is yet to come. There will come a day of judgment.
But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars- their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.
– REVELATION 21:8
This verse seems to include every human being. We all have our faults. Then, who can rescue us? Since all people are in the same condition, there was no one person who was free of sin’s corrupting influence. Only God himself was outside of the boundaries of corruption, and only God himself could save. The Savior needed to have the purity of God, and yet somehow be associated with man.
You may have heard of Jesus Christ
Christ is not his last name (surname). It is his title. Both Christ (derived from Greek) and Messiah (derived from Hebrew) mean “the Anointed One.” Ancient kings and spiritual leaders were ceremonially anointed by having oil poured on their head as a symbol of being empowered to lead with authority. Jesus is the Anointed One. He is the chosen of God. He is God’s one and only Son.
Jesus came into the world and lived sinlessly. After a time, Jesus suffered at the hands of evil men and was nailed to a wooden cross to die. This was God’s plan to pay the cost for your sins. He was buried, but after three days he rose from the dead, proving that what he claimed about himself was true. He showed himself to his disciples, to more than 500 people at the same time (1 Cor. 15:5).
After that, he returned to heaven to prepare a place for those who would trust in him.
For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in Him
shall not perish but have Everlasting Life.
– JOHN 3:16
How then can we gain this wonderful everlasting life? Not by our own acts of goodness. Our goodness is only relative to the standard of sinful men, not to God’s absolute and perfect standard. Our only act can be to believe in Jesus by respecting who Jesus is and what he has done for you.
Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave him the name
that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
– PHILIPPIANS 2:9-11
Gospel means Good News
The story of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection is called the Gospel. This can be good news for you, too. To become a follower of Jesus, you begin with a simple prayer to God asking to be forgiven for your sins and claiming Jesus Christ as your Savior. Scripture states:
If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart
that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. – ROMANS 10:9
DO IT NOW! – Acts 4:12
If you have accepted Jesus Christ, your new life begins today. Like a newborn baby, you need to be nurtured in order to grow spiritually healthy.
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The goal now is to become more like Jesus. Others may notice personality changes in you. You may feel more guilty about certain acts of sin that you were not sensitive to before. However, it is more than likely that it will take time to notice an outward change.
Nevertheless, you have been changed – on the inside – in your heart. – Ezekiel 36:26
Have you changed? Click here to learn more.