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What 's A Name? Essay

Decent Essays

What’s in a name? Names define us as individuals. We as people have a first name, a last name, sometimes a middle name, and also perhaps some nicknames used by different people. Names are important, but not just for people. In the Bible, there are dozens of different names used for God throughout the Scriptures. Many people might wonder why God needs so many names. I believe one of the primary reasons why God has so many names throughout Scripture is because they have to do with His nature and character. I feel that each of God’s and Jesus’ names in the Bible emphasizes a particular facet of Their character. As we understand how each of God’s names reveals another aspect of His character in the Bible, the more we will learn about Him. Let’s look at some names that were used to identify Jesus in the New Testament. The first name or names I would like to discuss is “Jesus” and “Immanuel”. The reason I am counting both of them as one is because they seem to be interchangeable in the Bible. “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us)” (Mat. 1:21-23, ESV). As stated in the Scripture, Immanuel means “God with us.” Important to note, is that Jesus was the name given by God whereas Immanuel was the name by which man called Him.

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