“so that at the name of Jesus…”
Philippians 2:10
Precious Name – Given from Heaven
This name is precious because it was not given by Mary or Joseph. It was not a family name passed down through generations. The name Jesus was given to Him from Heaven!
The angel first gave the name “Jesus” to Mary, and then in Matthew 1:21, to Joseph. Repeatedly throughout the Gospel of John, the Lord Jesus affirms that He came down from Heaven (John 3:13; 4:34; 6:41, 51, 58). He came down from the Father, and so did His precious name—and the Father knows the value of that name!
Precious Name – Great in History
Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Yeshua, which is equivalent to Joshua in the Old Testament and means “Jehovah is salvation.”
Two notable men named Joshua in the Old Testament help illustrate the grace found in our Lord Jesus Christ:
Joshua, son of Nun – He led God’s people into the Promised Land, following Moses the lawgiver. Joshua serves as a powerful picture of God’s grace in action. Moses, representing the law, could not enter the land of rest; similarly, the law cannot bring spiritual rest. But Jesus invites us: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28–29) He could say this because He was “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14), for: “The law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).
Joshua, the priest in Zechariah 3 – This Joshua fell short, symbolizing our human weakness. Yet, he also points us to our Great High Priest, who now sits at the right hand of the Majesty on High (Hebrews 4:14): “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.” (Hebrews 2:9)
Precious Name – Glorious in Honor
Paul declares this truth without ambiguity in Philippians 2:5–11 where he states: “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name…”
Though “Jesus” may have been a common name in that culture, because of who He is and what He has accomplished, the name has never been the same. God the Father has exalted, extolled, and glorified the name of Jesus!
Precious Name – Gracious Help
Blind Bartimaeus found the name of Jesus to be a source of gracious help, crying out: “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10:47)
Today, you and I can still cry out to the Lord Jesus Christ and find help in our time of need. The same mercy (lovingkindness) that Bartimaeus found, we find at the mercy seat of Christ. “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15–16)
Anchor For Today:
Precious, peerless Name of Jesus, none can tell its worth;
Sweetest Name there is in heaven, or on earth. ~ E. E. Nichols