“But as many as received him, to them he gave power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12 KJV). When Moses encountered God at the burning bush and received the mandate for Israel’s deliverance, he asked, “When I come unto the children of Israel... and they shall say to me, what is his name? What shall I say unto them?” God replied, “I AM THAT I AM… say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you” (Exodus 3:13-14). The expression ‘I AM’ in Hebrew is quite a heavy one; even they wouldn’t dare say the word ‘I AM’, so they called Him ‘HE IS’, meaning YHWH (transliterated as Yahweh)— the self-existent, self-sufficient and self-sustaining eternal Being.

Approaching the Red Sea in front and with Pharaoh’s chariots closing in from behind, the Israelites cried out to Moses in fear. This was Moses’s response: “Fear not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD” (Exodus 14:13). The salvation of the LORD is the saving grace of God: “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men” (Titus 2:11) —the same salvation called ‘Yeshua’, meaning “Yahweh saves”. So, YHWH said to Moses, “Lift thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea” (Exodus 14:16). The rod, as we know, is a prophetic picture of JESUS (Isaiah 11:1-2).

At the divine conception of Jesus, an angel appeared to Joseph and said, “For that which is conceived in her (Mary) is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call his name JESUS (Yeshua): for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20-21). Can we now see that Jesus is not a foreigner or some random figure, but YHWH on a mission? I’ve attempted to lay out an explicit background study, but my main subject is His name—JESUS!

“And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also has highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in Earth, and things under the Earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:8-11).

In this present world and universe, ‘JESUS’  is the name given as the location of God’s saving grace. Since His death, resurrection, and ascension, the name is no longer assigned to a person but represents a place—an abiding reality (in Christ). This is the place where we must stand to see, and continue to see, the salvation of God and to partake in the riches of His grace. “The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runs into it, and is safe” (Proverbs 18:10). This is why we call upon and invoke the name of Jesus, as it is written, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

Continued…