The name of Jesus stands out as a name above all other names. In the Bible Jesus is given many names and titles: Prophet, King, Messiah, Prince of Peace, Son of God, Son of Man, Servant, Savior. In the words of the Bible he is the Altogether Lovely One.
Of all the names and titles given to the Son of the living God, none is as precious, as sweet, as majestic as the name Jesus. It is a special name. During the time of Jesus, the name of Jesus was no different from other names given to children. While this is true, the name was chosen for the Son of God not by his Mother Mary nor by his foster-father Joseph but by his heavenly Father.
The name points back to the Father. The name “Jesus” means “Jehovah is salvation.” In the Old Testament God is a God of wrath and judgment; in the New Testament God is purely and wholly Love. God is love and everything he does is an outgrowth and an expression of his love. Therefore, when the Father sent Jesus to come into our world he was sending a message to humanity, “I have not forgotten nor forsaken you. I love you and I give my Son who will reveal me to you.”
It is a name that paints God’s portrait. The name Jesus at once reveals the Son’s mission and the Father’s heart. God is not in the business of condemning people but in the business of saving people. He does not wish to have anyone go to hell. He tells us that the fires of hell were made for the lost, for the devil and his fallen angels. When the Father chose the name Jesus for his Son, in one word he was telling every creature in his creation that his goal was the redemption and salvation of mankind. This is what he wanted and this is what he accomplished through Jesus.