"Save"

We dare not put the nativity drama under glass with a Do Not Touch sign on it. It is fair to assume that Mary and Joseph found the naming of their impending child a subject for frequent discussion. After all, they were ordinary human beings. They were not puppets. They enjoyed freedom of choice. Their musings on naming their child did not last long. Their right to name their child was preempted by a higher power. Do you remember the directive given to Joseph?

“You shall call his name Jesus for he will save his people from their sins.” Wasn’t Jesus an ordinary, first century, common name? The name Jesus means save. No doubt the name Jesus is a common tag for millions. It is also an ironic tag for all those who fail to live up to that name.

Who would have imagined that Jesus would cry from the cross, “Father forgive them. They do not know what they are dong”? Who could have predicted that Jesus would free us from pride and save us from the tyranny of our own transgressions? It was Jesus of Nazareth who made the name great and not the other way around.

Blessings,