Did you know there is a connection between the names of Jesus and his work of creation? Psalm 8 celebrates his names as they relate to creation. “O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!” (v. 1). In other words, Oh Jehovah (our covenantal God of creation), our Adonai (Jesus, the ruler and authority over all creation), how excellent, strong, mighty, and powerful is thy name in all the created universe.
Why do you have the name you do? Are you named after someone in your family? Were your parents trying to create a connection among you and your siblings by having all your names start or end with the same letter? Maybe you were named after a historical hero, a favorite athlete, or a beloved book character. Your parents could have chosen thousands of possible names but wanted the perfect name for you. Because there’s only one you, and nothing will identify you more than your name.
Have you ever looked at a most popular baby name list? As you can imagine, they’re different for each country. In 2022, Oliver and Charlotte were the favorite names in Australia for newborns. For Northern Ireland, James and Grace topped the list. The Netherlands had Noah and Emma. France had Gabriel and Jade. Jack and Emily were the winners in Ireland. What do you think the two most popular names for babies were in the United States in 2022? Stay tuned, and I’ll answer that question at the end of this devotion.
Even Joseph and Mary had to name their new baby. But they weren’t looking for a sentimental family name or a unique spelling trend. They were told by the angel Gabriel, “Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). Because Jesus means “Jehovah salvation,” we say we are saved by his name (Acts 4:12). Besides his birth name, you can find over two hundred other names for Jesus in the Bible. These names reveal who Jesus is and what he did for us, sometimes called his person and work.
Did you know there is a connection between the names of Jesus and his work of creation? Psalm 8 celebrates his names as they relate to creation. “O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!” (v. 1).