With Jesus dead, Emmanuel (God with us) now became Jesus, in Hebrew, meaning Yeshua (Salvation). The connotation is actually similar to the name Joshua. Remember him?
He was the one who took the people of Israel to the Promised Land. In times past, Joshua was responsible for saving the people by making them conquer their new home. Jesus became responsible for saving us from our sins and taking us home to eternity.
But the beauty of this transformation from Emmanuel to Yeshua is that it was predicted before it even happened. The angel Gabriel was the one who asked Mary and Joseph to name the child JESUS (Luke 1:31, Matthew 1:21).
The prophets of old predicted His advent (Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:6-7, Micah 5:2), and even wise men from the east could sense something different in the stars and came to worship Him (Matthew 2:1-12).
However similar to his birth, Jesus’ death was also predicted. It would mean a difference was about to be made in our eternal destiny and freedom from slavery to sin.
Why Christ had to die
1. To save us from sin (1 Corinthians 15:56-57)
Like an addict unsure of how to free himself from the shackles of porn or drugs, sin can make us slaves by the power of its allure. God saved us from sin with the power of his death and resurrection.
2. To give us freedom (John 8:36)
Since sin produces a yoke, and bondage to fear, we needed someone who could make us live again. We get a new life, a new meaning, and a new home all in one simple act of belief in a Saviour – the One who conquered fear.
3. To save us from death (Revelation 1:18)
The Apostle James mentioned that sin’s ultimate result was death. Whether in this age or the next, anyone who sins will fall into a deadly trap of the enemy. The only respite from this is through Jesus – the sinless, blameless One, who conquered death.
4. To save us from hell (Matthew 10:28)
Death’s result for the unsaved is eternity being punished in hell. We should know that Jesus has the keys to hell and the grave and is alive forevermore (Revelation 1:18). He is the One who has the power over your soul and destiny.
5. To give us eternal life John 3:16
The world will many times be dark and dreadful. Jesus came to shine a light into those areas and give them life. But the majestic fullness of God’s truth is that those who believe in His death on their behalf are not condemned and gain everlasting life.
But that wasn’t the end of Jesus. If Jesus had simply died, the gospel message would have no weight or power. The Apostle Paul would mention that a pastor’s preaching would be in vain (1 Corinthians 15:14). That means the good news would be null and void. But Jesus rose from the dead and is alive.
What Jesus’ resurrection means
The resurrection of Jesus means we now have a place in the kingdom of God. Once we believe in Him as the Anointed Son Saviour of the world we become saved.
Jesus is now our Kinsman Redeemer. A man coming from the line of the tribe of Judah and King David.
He is not just a Humble Servant but a Conquering King. He is not just for the Jews but for the entire world. He is not just a man from the first century but the God of the earth who simply reduced His deity for a brief moment in time to bring us back to Him.
Jesus is the epitome of the meaning of life and the One who was spoken of ages ago. He’s the lamb that was slain from the foundations of the world. He’s the God of us all.
This was part 2 of a 3-part series about “The meaning of salvation.” Join our weekly newsletter to get a notice when “Part 3 – Redemption forever” drops.
