The Forgotten Name | The Etymology of ‘Jesus’ (Pt. 3)

During the Babylonian captivity, scholars among the Israelite nation decided to replace the name of God (YHWH) with the word ‘Adonai’.

The word ‘Adonai’ means ‘my lords’ and comes from the root word ‘adon’. It was chosen to portray God as Lord of all lords.

The scholars based their decision on this verse:

“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.”

Exodus 20:7

This drastic change within the Tanakh led to the loss of God’s name over time. Many studies suggest that this drastic change was necessary to prevent the Israelites from breaking a commandment, but there is speculation about how much ancient scholars sought to appease their Babylonian masters.

Reading the book of Daniel, we understand that Persian and Babylonian leaders wanted to erase the Hebrew religion, going as far as forcing everyone to worship their gods and even outlawing prayer.

Either way, the removal of God’s name led to a problem that no one saw coming—the nation of Israel completely forgot who their God was.

The Prophet Isaiah

In Proverbs, the author, Agur, exclaims this:

“Who has gone up to heaven and come down?
Whose hands have gathered up the wind?
Who has wrapped up the waters in a cloak?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name, and what is the name of his son?
Surely you know!”

Proverbs 30:4

Isaiah was a prophet who rose up during the reign of King Uzziah. He witnessed the Israelites suffer under the Assyrian and Babylonian empires and was perhaps also a witness to the drastic replacement of God’s name in the Torah (Laws of Moses).

Isaiah’s name means ‘YHWH is salvation’, and he was the prophet who came to the Israelites with the message of a servant from David’s lineage who would come to save the Israelites from their spiritual captivity. His book reveals to the Israelites the hope of a coming Messiah.

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Isaiah prophesied to the Israelites the lineage, birth, death, and resurrection of the Messiah. He outlined how the Messiah would come and the titles he would go by while on earth.

“For to us a child is born,
Unto us a son is given,
And the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Isaiah 9:6

However, Isaiah also reveals to the Israelites the name of this coming Messiah.

“Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

Isaiah 7:14

The name ‘Immanuel’ means ‘God with us’. While this was meant to be a symbolic name, it truly reflected the purpose of Christ’s mission on Earth.

This Messiah, foretold by the prophets of old, would be the one to redeem Israel and the world, back to God.

Restoration

Through His prophets, God initiated a new type of restoration—a covenantal one designed to redeem humanity back to Himself. The book of Romans tells us:

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Romans 10:13

But if no one knows the name of the Lord, how can we even call on it?

During 4 BCE, most of Israel was already scattered, and the only nation remaining was that of Judea, which was at the time under Roman captivity. In a small village, a young woman named Mary received a special visit.

An angel, Gabriel, appeared to her with a message that would forever change that young girl’s life, and later, change the world. Her encounter was similar to that of Manoah’s wife in the book of Judges. However, there was one key difference. This child that Mary was about to have would deliver Israel from a different sort of captivity.

Here, the angel reminds Mary of the prophecy in Isaiah.

“But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Yeshua (Jesus). He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.’”

Luke 1:40-33

The name that Gabriel gave to Mary was ‘Yeshua’, which is translated to ‘Jesus’. He would be known as the Son of God, and his kingdom would never end. However, the question still remains: what does ‘Jesus’ mean and where does it come from?

Until Next Time…

We know Jesus as the Savior of the world, but understanding the revelation given to Mary can help us see why we know Jesus as the ultimate deliverer of our sins.

What’s in a Name Sessions will take place every Wednesday at noon as a part of my Lunch and Learn Bible Study Sessions. Here, we discuss topical situations and how our faith in Christ challenges our perspective on them. Some For Inquiring Minds Only questions will also be answered as a mini-series during the Lunch and Learn Sessions.

I welcome healthy discussions in the comments section and encourage you to share your thoughts and insights on the blog.

Remember that our best teacher and guide is the Holy Spirit. Pray for clarity and understanding before reading through a session, and feel free to ask any questions that may arise.

Signed,