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At the Name of Jesus…

January 1, 2026

Numbers 6:22-27 | Psalm 8 | Galatians 4:4-7 or Philippians 2:5-11|Luke 2:15-21

As I read the scriptures for this day, I kept coming back to the question “what does the name of Jesus mean to me?” I thought immediately of the hymns we sing that invoke a reverence for the name of Jesus: At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow; All hail the power of Jesus’ name; and, Jesu, Jesu. I went to our hymnal and found several others that invoked inspiration at the name of Jesus…Jesus! Name of wondrous love; Jesus, the very thought of thee; and others that I’m not sure I’ve ever sung!

The name Jesus was not unusual at the time of his birth, yet the intention behind this name choice was clear. As Joseph debated his own thoughts at the news of Mary’s pregnancy, an angel visited him in a dream. Joseph was told that the child was conceived from the Holy Spirit and that when the boy was born, he was to ‘give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins’. The name Jesus invoked Christ’s identity as savior and the intent of his life’s work. Joseph did what he was told to do and, I imagine, pondered the weight and promise of this choice along with Mary as they traveled to Bethlehem.

To be honest, my first thought about the name of Jesus as I read the readings was how broadly his name is invoked. From the profane use we often hear when someone is angry or surprised, to the casual awareness or incorporation of Jesus and his mission in our daily lives, I realized the intent of this name was rather lost on me. It is a calling to all of us to join together, to be with Jesus in all we do.

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.  Galatians 4:4-7

As we enter this New Year, it is a name that aptly signals a commitment to hope, to peace and justice, to love and joy through a closeness to God that comes with the belief in Jesus as Savior. My resolution for 2026? I want to dig deeper into this name and the message it brings – belief, faith, love, assurance – and rejoice in the name of Jesus as I sing the hymns, meet my neighbor, and reflect on my life as a child of God.

Deborah Collins