What's in a Name?

Near Christmas we  concentrate on Jesus, his birth, the full impact of what this baby was all about. He was also called IMMANUEL, which means God with us. He truly was with us--he came as a baby and grew to be a boy and then a man, but He was fully God, too. He IS with us still, as The Holy Spirit.

The Bible clearly states that He was to be called Jesus, but in Isaiah, there are many names and we even have a song at Christmas with the names of Jesus from this verse. Many years ago I collected porcelain ornaments for our Christmas tree with these names and I wondered why we didn't use these names and talk about it more often. These names reveal God's character and who Jesus would be for us. What are the names of God and what do they mean? Let's look.

ADONAI –The Lord, Master
EL ELOHE YISRAEL – God, the God of Israel
EL ELYON – The most high God
ELPHIM – Creator, all powerful
EL OLAM – Eternal, everlasting God
EL ROI – The God who sees me
EL SHADDAI –Almighty God, strength giver
IMMANUEL – God with us
JEHOVAH – I AM, the self-existent One
JEHOVAH-JIREH – The Lord will provide
JEHOVAH-MEKADDISHKEM – The Lord Who sanctifies
JEHOVAH-NISSI – The Lord is my banner
JEHOVAH-RAPHA – The Lord Who heals
JEHOVAH-ROHI – The Lord is my Shepherd
JEHOVAH-SABAOTH – The Lord Heaven’s armies
JEHOVAH-SHALOM – The Lord is peace
JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH – The Lord is companion
JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU – The Lord is our Righteousness
YAH or JAH or YHWH (YAHWEH) – I AM

Who is God to you this Christmas? Is He just a baby, born in a stable in Bethlehem? Is He near--Immanuel? Is He El Shaddai, the Almighty God? Who is this Jesus to you? One name not mentioned in these lists is the name important to me--Savior--Jesus, our Savior, Christ the Lord. Amen.

Merry Christmas to you from me,

  May God come near to you this Christmas.