Names of Jesus

Daily Gratitude Year Six-Day 347: Today, I am grateful for the Names of Jesus.

This little Christmas craft caught my eye. It would be the perfect way to decorate a mini tree for a Sunday School room or a sitting area. The Names of Jesus is one of my favorite pages in my journaling Bible. I find I am still adding to it when I remember one I have forgotten. 

My favorite names for God seems to change at different seasons of my life. "I AM" is always in the mix and might maintain #1, but there are others that simply take my breath away. 

Immanuel... "God with Us". What a wonder it is that He would choose us over heaven... and a fragile, needy earth body over a heavenly body. 

“Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” Matthew 1:23

There are scriptures that make me think he might have enjoyed a few more quiet years of carpentry before the mission, but Mary was persistent about the wine problem at a wedding and he performed his first miracle. 

His mission was a warrior's mission. He had to wait patiently for the right time and God's orders to be placed clearly before him. He didn't always like them, but he was always obedient. When the call came to lay down his life for his brothers and sisters... he went obediently. His blood sacrifice sealed a new covenant. Our redemption purchased, paid for and with resurrection... death was conquered!  We can live with freedom and hope.  

How many names can you think of today? A recent favorite for me is the Hebrew version of Jesus. It is "Yeshua". Say it and feel His peace. I savor using it in private prayer moments with the intimacy of a best friend, because that is who he longs to be in our lives. The familiarity of it resonates with my soul. Try it out. It will make you smile. I think it will make Him smile, too. 

Today, I am grateful for the Names of Jesus.