Well, this evening I will preach to you God's Word as it has been summarized by and confessed by the church in Lord's Day 11 of the Hatterberg Catechism. But before we read Lord's Day 11, let's read a couple of Scripture passages in connection with it. Let's first of all turn in our Bibles to Matthew 1, verses 18 to 24. Matthew 1 verse 18, hear the word of God. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you are to give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet. The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel, which means God with us. When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son, and he gave him the name Jesus. Let's also go to the book of Acts, where we'll read verses 1 through 12 of chapter 4. Acts 4, verse 1. The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed, because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about 5,000. The next day, the rulers, elders, and teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. Annas, the high priest, was there. And so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and the other men of the high priest's family. They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them. By what power or what name did you do this? And Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, Rulers and elders of the people, if we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel, it is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone. Salvation is found in no one else, For there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. Let's now also turn to Lord's Day 11 of the Hatterberg Catechism. Find that on page 18 at the back of your Psalter hymnal. Here we confess from the Scriptures. Why is the Son of God called Jesus, meaning Savior? Because He saves us from our sins. Salvation cannot be found in anyone else. It is futile to look for any salvation elsewhere. Do those who look for their salvation and security in saints, in themselves, or elsewhere, really believe in the only Savior, Jesus? No. Although they boast of being His, by their deeds they deny the only Savior and Deliverer, Jesus. Either Jesus is not a perfect Savior, Or those who in true faith accept this Savior have in Him all they need for their salvation. Beloved Congregation of the Lord Jesus. When we give out names, the birth of a child, Usually those names that we give out are not filled with significance. You think about it, when you're about to have a baby, the name is usually picked without worrying really about the meaning. How it sounds typically is more important to us. Maybe later we'll go and look it up, a nice sounding name. We'll go and find one of these dictionaries of baby names, and we'll look it up and see what it means. And even if we pick a name with some special meaning, it can happen that the child ends up being out of character. You pick a name with the meaning of active one, and you have a child who seems to be comatose. It can't happen. Well, the same thing also happened in the Scriptures. Think of David's son, Absalom. Absalom means father of peace. But Absalom was anything but. Or think of Rehoboam. His name means, may the nation expand. But what happened under Rehoboam? Israel split into two kingdoms. But when we come to the name of Jesus, we find a name with significance. When we come to the name of Jesus, we find a name that concretely reflects the reason for His coming. When we come to the name of Jesus, we find a name that concretely impacts our lives. And so I preached to you God's Word summarized in the Catechism with the theme, We Confess the Significance of the Name Jesus. And tonight we're going to see the name's significance in that it was, first of all, given by the Father, second of all, born by the Son, and finally, revealed by the Holy Spirit. Well, first of all, we'll look at the fact that it was given by the Father. Imagine for a moment, if you can, that you had never read the New Testament. Imagine that you didn't know that God's Son, come in the flesh, had that name, Jesus. If you'd only had your Old Testament, possibly you could understand that God had promised to send a Messiah. but you would not have known his personal name. Sure, you could have guessed and perhaps if you had a group of a hundred people together and everybody had made a guess as to what his name might be, probably somebody would have guessed the name Joshua, which is the Hebrew equivalent of the Greek name Jesus. But God the Father chose to give the name Jesus when His Son was made incarnate of the Virgin Mary. When the angel came to Joseph in Matthew 1, he came with divine orders. Name the baby Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. We could ask the question, why? After all, there are other names that could have expressed God's salvation equally well. So why Jesus? Well, for the answer to that, we have to look back to the Old Testament. For the people of God in the first century, the name Joshua would likely have evoked certain images. Their thoughts would go back to the first Joshua in Scripture. In their mind's eye, they would see Joshua, the son of Nun, leading the people of Israel into the Promised Land. You may remember that Joshua's name originally was Hoshia. Moses changed his name to Joshua, which means Yahweh saves. When the people of Israel came into the promised land, they knew that that name change was providential. It didn't happen on a whim of Moses. We have to remember that the exodus and the entrance into the promised land was the most important redemptive event in the Old Testament. So Joshua's name spoke of God's faithfulness to His covenant promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God had promised to give His people rest in the land. And He followed through by giving them a leader in this man, Joshua. So Jewish people in the first century would probably remember Joshua, the son of Nun, when they heard the name Jesus being applied to the Messiah, to the Christ. They would be reminded that God is trustworthy. They might also think of another Joshua in the Old Testament. During the time after the exile, there was a well-known high priest who went by that name. He would be remembered because he figures prominently in one of the night visions of Zechariah. In Zechariah chapter 3, Joshua, the high priest, appears before the angel of the Lord. You may remember this. Satan is opposing Joshua. And the Lord, Yahweh, rebukes Satan. And Joshua's filthy garments are replaced with clean ones. And in this way, God makes Joshua fit for atoning for the sins of the people. The name of Joshua, the high priest, spoke of God's willingness to make a way for atonement and for salvation. The name of Joshua, the high priest, spoke of God's love for his people. So when God's people in the first century heard that God had given the name Jesus to the Messiah, they would be encouraged to look back and see what God had done in years past. Their mental DVD players, if you wish, would skip back to the events of salvation in the Old Testament. Looking back and thinking on those things, they would eagerly anticipate what God was going to do in the present and in the future. There was a good reason for the song of Simeon in Luke 2. This child of God, Simeon, he knew why God the Father had given this name, Jesus. Simeon knew that the name Jesus meant covenant faithfulness and salvation for God's people in the past. Simeon knew that Jesus meant covenant faithfulness and salvation for God's people in the present and in the future. And we today, 2,000 years later, we can also reflect on what the Father's giving of this name means for our past and our present and future. As we look back in our lives, hasn't the name Jesus, hasn't that meant salvation for us? Hasn't it meant that God has been faithful towards us? And as we look at the present time in our lives, doesn't the name Jesus mean salvation for us right now? Isn't God continuing to be faithful and loving towards us? You may have struggles in your life. Things are hard. But in giving the name Jesus to His Son, God reveals the gracious fulfillment of His promise. The crushing of the head of the serpent. Satan will be put under your feet. Bruised, bleeding, dead. When you believe in this name, sin and the consequences of sin will be dealt with. We look to the future and we see that God the Father gives the name Jesus so that we can have hope. That we can have hope for the battle against sin in our lives. And we can have hope for the race of faith that we heard about this morning. Holding on to this name. Embracing the name Jesus. More importantly, embracing the person. It's like wearing a survival suit in a cold ocean of sin. And knowing that rescue is at hand. Our Father will not let us drown or die of exposure. He gives the name Jesus as a guarantee. good news for us and that good news gets only better when we look at the second point the fact that this name Jesus was born by the Son of God now for some reason some people don't make their real names public all of us and I think here many of us have Dutch backgrounds so we can probably relate to this all of us can probably think of somebody who doesn't go by the name that's on their birth certificate Maybe it's too Dutch. Maybe it just sounds funny. But with our Savior, it was entirely different. As He lived on this earth, as He carried out His earthly ministry, right up to the cross and beyond, He gladly and He willingly bore the name Jesus. Further, His life did not hide the fact that His name was significantly attached to what He came to do. Think of Mark 10.45. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. The Lord bore His name publicly, both in life and in death. In John 19.19, we read that the placard placed on the cross proclaimed His name for everyone to see. It said, Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. In God's providence, it was to be clear to everyone that this was the one who saves from sin. And after our Savior had ascended into heaven, His apostles continued to make His name known publicly. We read from Acts chapter 4, the first 12 verses. And there we see the apostles preaching and healing. In the name of Jesus. In this connection, Peter publicly proclaims the exclusive claims of the Gospel. He says, salvation is found in no one else. For there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. Lord's Day 11 echoes these words in question answer 29 when it says, salvation cannot be found in anyone else. It is futile to look for any salvation elsewhere. Peter's public proclamation of the name of Jesus takes on a deeper meaning when we consider that these Acts of the Apostles, this book, it's really the Acts of Jesus Christ through the Apostles. In Acts 1, Luke tells us that in his former book, He told Theophilus about what the Lord Jesus had begun to do and to teach. On putting it that way, it's implied that the book of Acts is about what the Lord Jesus continued to do and to teach. The Savior continued to work through His servants, the apostles. And in this way, He continued to bear His name publicly. He continued to bear His name, not only before the Jews, but also before the Gentiles, announcing that He is the One who saves, saves from every kind of sin, saves from the curse of sin, He saves from the power of sin. Today, the Savior continues to bear His name in public. How does He do that, you might ask? Well, He does it through His church. Through us. At least that's the way it should be. Sometimes, especially when we're young, it can happen when we're older too, unbelievers can think that they know us quite well. They don't even know that we're Christians. Let alone know our testimony about the name of Jesus. How sad that is. Often, we too easily give in to a way of thinking that says our lifestyle is enough. People will see our lifestyle, we don't even have to say anything to them, and they will know that we are Christians, and they'll know all about Jesus just from looking at us. But will they know? Will they know the significance of the name Jesus? Will they know, like the Catechism says, that those who by true faith accept the Savior must find in Him all that is necessary for their salvation? How will they know that only Jesus saves us from all our sins? Unless somebody tells them. Unless we tell them. How will they know the difference between you and the good Roman Catholic who zealously prays the rosary every day? The Lord Jesus wants His name and its significance to be public knowledge. And so, when you pray for and receive the God-given opportunities, the Lord wants us to speak about the name that is above every name. Now that name Jesus is not only a matter of public significance, there's also the fact that the Savior will continue to bear this name unto eternity. Hebrews 7, 24-25 Because Jesus, not the name, because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore, He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him because He always lives to intercede for them. Our Savior saves us from our sins, not just at one particular moment, maybe at the beginning of our Christian life, but always. He will never stop being our Savior. Your Savior. this is a help and a comfort for believers who are plagued by doubts. When doubts and questions come, brothers and sisters, hold on to the undeniable fact that the Son of God bears the name Jesus forever. That's not just some kind of abstract truth that's disconnected from your life. Jesus has this name because He saves you completely. This Jesus always lives to intercede, to step in for you. He carries that name Jesus because He is for you. And He will be for you eternally. He will never stop being your complete, your total Savior. This relates to the teaching of Scripture about the perseverance of the saints that we confess in the canons of Dort. In chapter 5, article 8, we confess that it is the grace of the triune God that preserves us. About the work of God the Son, we confess that, quote, the merit, intercession, and preservation of Christ cannot be nullified. Isn't that beautiful? The merit, intercession, and preservation of Christ cannot be nullified. Why not? Well, one reason is because Scripture teaches that the Son of God is faithful to the meaning of His name. And He is faithful eternally. That's God's promise to you. Holding on to the Lord Jesus means that you will never be lost. Now in all of this, the Holy Spirit also has his place. We see that in our last point this evening. That the name Jesus is revealed by the Holy Spirit. Now it's very easy to forget about the work of the third person of the Trinity. Being listed as the third person often means that people subconsciously think that he's third rate. But the fact is, we could not know the name Jesus. apart from the Holy Spirit, revealing it to us. The Holy Spirit, He inspired the Scriptures where we learn the personal name of God the Son. 2 Peter 1.21, well-known passage, For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit also preserved these same Scriptures for us. And because of this work of the Spirit inspiring and preserving the Bible, we can be sure that God has given us the real deal. Again, there's no need for doubt. Because of the work of the Spirit in the Word, we can reliably know the name Jesus and the person behind that name. And through the work of the Spirit in us, we can and we will also confess His name. There can sometimes be a difference, can't there, between knowing and confessing. The kind of knowing we're talking about here is simply a head knowing. It's like knowing that pi is 3.14159 and so on. I read a book a while back about a mathematician who could get quite emotional about pi. And not much else. But for most of us, knowing the value of pi, 3.14159, that's not likely to bring a smile to our faces or tears to our eyes. That's the kind of cold knowing we're talking about. Warmly confessing with the heart is different than that kind of knowing. Confessing the name Jesus means laying claim to it in faith. Confessing the name Jesus means publicly acknowledging our relationship with the One who bears this name. The fact that we are united to Him. The Scriptures are clear that confession of this sort can only be made by the Holy Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 12.3, we read, Therefore I make known to you that no one, speaking by the Spirit of God, calls Jesus accursed. And no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. Jesus is Lord. It's a kind of confession. And God tells us that you can't make that confession without the Holy Spirit leading you and guiding you, working that in you. It's in this way that the Holy Spirit reveals to us the deeper significance of the name Jesus. You know, you could go to a secular university. I'm sure you could do that here. I know you can do it in Canada. And you could take a religious studies class And in this religious studies class, you could study the New Testament with an unbelieving professor. And you could learn that the name Jesus means God saves. But the professor probably wouldn't be a believer. Most of the people in the class probably wouldn't be believers. They would not confess the name. They would not have made the step between a bare, cold knowledge of a fact and a relationship with the One who bears the name. Only the Holy Spirit can take us there. Only the Holy Spirit can lead us to publicly acknowledge our relationship with the One who saves us from all our sins. It's also the Holy Spirit who reveals the name Jesus in such a way that we are led to rest in Him alone. Here again, think of what the Catechism says in question and answer 30. There are people who claim to believe in the Savior. But yet at the same time, they seek their salvation and well-being from saints, from themselves, or from elsewhere. And when we're honest, Oftentimes we're inclined to do the same, aren't we? Especially when it comes to our well-being in this life. Perhaps we seek our well-being and personal satisfaction in food and drink, including alcoholic drinks. Perhaps we seek our well-being and personal happiness in sexual addictions, including those involving the internet. Maybe our stumbling block is the bottom line with our mutual funds or our checking account. In all these ways and many more that could be added, we seek our well-being elsewhere than Jesus. I include myself here as being just as guilty as anyone else. Our problem is that the Savior we believe in, the one we see in our lives, many times is too small. He's not the Savior revealed in the Bible. The Savior, Jesus, in the Bible, has a big name. Full of meaning and significance. And that shows that He is a big Savior, brothers and sisters. He is a Savior who is complete. A Savior who can give us everything we need from first to last for our salvation and our well-being. Do we believe that? Pray for the Holy Spirit to lead us in such a way that we not only believe it, but also more and more live by it. We need the Holy Spirit to guide us so that we learn to repent of our waywardness. That we learn to repent of our being so easily distracted. We need the Holy Spirit to dwell in us so that we really learn in our hearts from God's Word what it means to rest in Jesus. We need the Holy Spirit to convict us that it's true, that it's really true. We can find in the Lord Jesus everything we need for our salvation and well-being. And unless the Spirit opens the eyes of our hearts to that truth, we will be always wavering back and forth like trees in a spring breeze. In that case, the reality will be that we are denying the only Savior, Jesus. Brothers and sisters, pray for the work of the Spirit. That name Jesus is a little word. It's six letters in Greek. It's five letters in English. But the number of letters in the name, of course, is not reflective of its importance in our lives. It is the most important name for us. because the meaning of the name is tied to the person who bears it. And all that He has done for us, all that He will do, all that He will continue doing, a complete Savior with a name above every name, the Savior who gave Himself completely for you, for me, for all of us. Let's pray. Lord God in heaven, we thank You for opening Your Word once again to us and allowing us to understand the significance of the name Jesus. We thank You, Holy Father, that You gave that name to Your Son. And that by so doing, You also again reminded us of Your covenant faithfulness, of Your love to Your people throughout the ages. What You have done in the past, what You do in the present, and what You will do in the future. Father, as we think about that name that You gave Your Son, our hearts are glad and we rejoice. Lord Jesus, we thank You. We praise You for bearing that name. We thank You for all Your work of salvation. We thank You that You redeem us from all sin. That You redeem us from the curse of sin. That You redeem us from the power of sin. What a Savior You are. And we are so grateful. And Holy Spirit, we also praise You for revealing this name to us in Holy Scripture. We praise You for inspiring the Word and for preserving it. And we pray that You would also continue to work in our hearts and in our lives so that we would embrace this name, that we would embrace this Savior who bears this name. We pray that You would help our unbelief, help us more and more to grow in faith and to follow You more faithfully. Lord God, we pray that You would continue to lead and guide our lives. We pray that You would be with us in the week that lays ahead. We pray that You would watch over our paths, Bless the work that we have to do. We pray that in everything, your name would be made much of by your people. We ask that you would hear our prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.