The angel told Joseph that Mary would bring forth a son. Though she had never been with a man, the Holy Ghost conceived in her the promised Redeemer of humanity. That is why the child was given the name Jesus. “…and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

The name Jesus is Yeshua in the Hebrew, which is a variant of Joshua. It means “Jehovah God saves and delivers.” The angel said that the Child’s name would be Jesus “for he shall save his people from their sins.”

Salvation and deliverance from sin was the eternal mission of the Messiah. Christ came to “seek and to save that which was lost.” The only way Christ could save us from sin was through a sufficient sacrifice. A payment was required. The divine payment called for Christ to lay down His own life on the cross; He who knew no sin became sin for us.

Therefore, it was no accident that He was called Jesus. From the very first moment His name was uttered on planet earth, it served to remind humanity of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Savior. We call Him Jesus because Christ, and Christ alone, has the power to save!