Christmas Eve

In the past three years, Emily and I have had the privilege of naming three children. I once thought that naming a child would be the easy, but I have come to believe that naming a child is frightfully arduous. I believe this because names, more often than not, define and shape the life of a child. For example, my daughter Edith is named after Emily's grandmother Nana Edie who was known to have never-ending energy and mirth and who also loved to dance; does this not describe my daughter? My son Gunder is named after my Grandfather Gunder whose love for cars and trucks is only surpassed by his great stubbornness and tolerance of pain; does this not describe my son? My wife Emily, whose name means "industrious one" was bored out of her mind in the hospital this week and requested fabric, thread and a needle so that she could pass the time by sewing our daughter Shirley a Christmas stocking. I am named after my Grandpa Bob who died before I was born, but I have been told I bear a striking resemblance in looks and character to my Grandpa. Names, at least in my limited experience, seem to define and shape the life of their bearer. We'll see how our little Shirley, named after my Bohemian Grandmother, is shaped and defined by her new name.

Joseph and Mary did not have the terrifying dilemma of choosing a name for Mary's child, they were told by the angel Gabriel to name this child Jesus, the Greek translation of the Hebrew name Joshua. Jesus means "The Lord saves" and there is no other name that could have better shaped and defined his life. In that culture it was traditional to name children after great heroes in the Scriptures or after parents and grandparents; therefore it would not have been surprising if Joseph and Mary had wanted to name Jesus "Abraham" after the great patriarch. Abraham means "the father of the multitude", but Abraham could not be the name for this child for Jesus is not the father of many, he is the Saviour of many as St. Paul said, "Through the obedience of the one man [Jesus] the many will be made righteous." (Romans 5:19). The name Isaac would have been a good name for this child. Isaac was the second great patriarch whose name means "He laughs." Yet, this name could not define and shape this child born to Mary, for although Jesus laughed often his laughter was the result of his joy in the salvation of the Lord's people as it says in Hebrews, "for the joy set before him [Jesus] endured the cross." (Hebrews 12:2) The name "Jacob", the third patriarch, would have been a good and proper name for this child. Jacob means "supplanter" and Jesus did indeed supplant sin and death. Yet this name did not shape and define Jesus' life because Jesus' supplantion was not done just for the sake of victory as a show of might and force; it was done to save the Lord's people as St. Paul says, "The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory [over them] through our Lord Jesus Christ." (I Corinthians 15:56, 57). One might suspect that the long expected Messiah who would reign on David's throne throughout eternity would bear the name of his great father David. David means "beloved" and indeed no one could be as beloved by God the Father as was Jesus, his own Son. Yet, David could not be the name of the messiah for Jesus was beloved because of his work to save us as St. Paul says in Philippians 2, "And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross! 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 …and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord." I would have suspected Joseph and Mary to name this child Adam, after the first man for just as the Lord did something new and exciting when he created Adam the first man, so He was doing something new and exciting by sending his son to be the second Adam, the Adam who would succeed where the first Adam had failed. The name Adam literally means "from the earth" and generally means "man" and indeed Jesus was a man as the author of Hebrews said, "[Jesus] shared in [our] humanity," and as St. John said, "The word became flesh and dwelt among us." In fact, Jesus had to be man as St. Paul said, "For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, [Adam] how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ." Yet, this child could not be named Adam because we do not need another mere man, we do not need another human brother, we need a Saviour who comes not from the earth, but from heaven as Jesus said in John 6:38, "I have come down from heave not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.". Man cannot save himself from sin and death therefore Adam could not be the name for this child for salvation is found only in the Lord, as the prophet Jonah said, "Salvation comes from the Lord" (Jonah 2:9) and as St. Peter said, "Salvation is found in no one else for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

Jesus' life was shaped and defined by his singular desire to save the Lord's people. Jesus' life was shaped by his name, the Lord saves, for his life was shaped and defined by our salvation. He was born so that he might die in order that we might have life. He was born to be the Lord's salvation.

Just as Jesus was given a name that shaped and defined his life, so he will give us a name, a name that will shape and define our lives; he will give us his name. In Revelation chapter 14, St. John the Lamb of God surrounded by a multitude who had written on their foreheads the name of the lamb and his Father's name. Just as Joseph and Mary gave the infant Jesus his name, a name that would shape and define his life, so he will give us his name, a name that will shape and define our lives according the salvation he has wrought.

Naming a child can be a terrifying deed, but there is no name under heaven given to man that could have better defined and shaped the life of the child born to Mary then the name Jesus. The name Jesus, the Lord saves, is the only possible name for our Saviour for he was born that man no more may die, born to raise the sons of earth, born to give us second birth. Therefore come let us adore him, the child born to the Virgin Mary, the child given the name Jesus.