Dem Name Am Jesus

One week old. Small small fingers, soft cry, family wey gather close. And then di moment wey every parent dey wait for. To call im name out loud for di first time. Jesus.

One week don pass for Bethlehem since di night wey dem put di baby inside manger. Di shepherds don go back to dia sheep, dey praise God. Di crowd wey come for di registration fit don dey reduce. Mary dey recover, and like every new mother, she dey learn how to feed, calm and take care of her son. Joseph dey look after both of dem. And now di eighth day don reach. For Jewish family, dat day special. Na di day wey baby boy go receive di sign of God covenant, and by custom, di day wey dem go name am.

Luke tell am for one sentence. When eight days complete to circumcise di pikin, dem call im name Jesus. Circumcision na di sign wey God give Abraham, many hundred years before. E show say di boy belong to God people, part of di promise wey God make. So by dis act, Mary and Joseph dey talk say: our son na pikin of Abraham, son of Israel, under God law. Jesus no born outside di story of God people. E born for di very middle of am.

Then di name come. Normally, di family go discuss am. Make dem name am after im papa, im grandpapa, or im uncle? But dis name no dey for discussion at all. Luke talk say na di name wey di angel give before im life even begin for im mother womb. Months before, Gabriel don tell Mary, you go call im name Jesus. And for dream, one angel don tell Joseph di same tin. So for dis day, Mary and Joseph no choose. Dem obey. Dem give dia son di name wey God don already choose.

And na wonderful name be dat. For Hebrew, na Yeshua, one form of Joshua. E mean, di Lord dey save. Di angel don tell Joseph why: e go save im people from dia sins. Every time Mary call her small boy make e come chop dinner, every time Joseph teach am how to hold tool, every time im friends shout im name for di village street, dem dey talk di same words: di Lord dey save. Im name na im mission. And e carry am from im eighth day go forward.

Jesus na common name for dat time. Na di Greek form of Joshua, di name of di leader wey take over from Moses and carry Israel enter di promised land. Di Jewish historian Josephus mention different men wey dem dey call Jesus, including one high priest. So when di angel choose dis name, e choose ordinary name for baby wey look ordinary. Wetin make am special na di person wey carry am.

You go find di naming of Jesus for Luke chapter two, verse twenty-one. Family wey dey keep God law, and parents wey give dia son di name wey heaven choose. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. When you call di name Jesus, wey mean di Lord dey save, wetin e mean to you?