Emmanuel Baptist Church
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Pastor Wade Burleson



My Favorite Christmas Sermons
A Name Above All Names

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Mathew 1:18-21 (KJV)
  1. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
  2. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.
  3. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
  4. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

"A Name Above All Names"

Matthew 1:18-21

This passage is a remarkable account of the angel of the Lord informing Joseph that the child in the womb of his fiancee. Mary was "conceived of the Holy Spirit." What makes this one of my favorite advent passages is v.21 where the angel of the Lord declares:
"And thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins."
Jesus is the name of the Son of God. It is the name above every name. It means "savior."

  1. The Giver of the Name . . . "And thou shalt call his name Jesus"
    One of the privileges of every parent is to name their children. Mom and Dad pull out the baby name book and go through all the names they like until one is finally chosen. However, heaven named this baby. The angel announced his name was to be Jesus.
    1. Some names are chosen because of the way they sound . . .
      Pretty sounding names are prominent in the United States. Parent choose them because they are pleasing to the ear. This is not why the name Jesus was chosen.
    2. Some names are chosen because they are special . . .
      I am William Wade Burleson. My father is William Paul. My first born son is William Kade. William goes back for generations in the Burleson family. Some families have a fondness for special names. That is not why Jesus was named.
    3. Some names are chosen because of what they signify . . .
      Some names have very special meanings and as a result signify the life and character of the person being named. Indians used to name their children this way. Mankiller, Bear Hunter, etc. . . . are names chosen to signify character. This is why God chose the name Jesus. It signified the character of His Son.
  2. The Greatness in the Name . . . "Thou shalt call his name Jesus"
    Jesus is the New Testament form of the Hebrew (Jehoshua; Joshua). The name literally means "Savior" or "deliverer." Just as Joshua delivered the people of Israel from the land of bondage into the land flowing with milk and honey, the Savior of mankind delivers His people from the bondage of sin and death.
    1. HE shall save . . . Jesus Christ delivers you form the power of sin and death.
    2. He SHALL save . . . It is not a wish. It is not a desire. It is a guarantee.
    3. He shall SAVE . . . He saves from the punishment, power, and presence of sin.
  3. The Grace from the Name . . . "He shall save his people from their sins."
    Who are His people? That question can be answered from two different perspectives.
    1. A heavely perspective
      His people are those He has chosen from eternity. They are the ones Jesus refers to in John 6:39: "I shall lose no one of all that the Father has given me, but shall raise them all up on the last day." Christ knows His people by name.
    2. An earthly perspective
      "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13). Do you need deliverance this morning? God delivers anyone who calls to Jesus.


    Questions? Comments?
    Pastor Wade