Names by Joe La Bianca

What’s in a name? Names are used as a means of identification. You can associate a name with a face and establish the identity of the person. But names have meanings, meanings which are either forgotten in many cases, or never known to begin with. I met a bank teller who’s name was the same as my wife’s maiden name. I asked her if she knew what her last name meant, and she did not. So I told her what her name meant, and she was very interested to hear it. Your names all have meanings. If you don’t know the meanings, you may want to find out what they are. By the way, my wife’s name means dairy farmer in German.
My name is Joe La Bianca and it has a relevant meaning behind it. Joseph means he shall add. The he is referring to the Lord. La Bianca means the white. So my name is a sentence that means He shall add the white, or another rendering would read this way - The Lord will give His goodness. Pretty cool, huh?
Let’s look at the meaning behind the name that is above every name. Needless to say the name Jesus Christ has an immensely important meaning. Jesus means the Lord saved. The first part of the name is Yasha meaning, open, wide, free, to be safe, to succor or help. The full pronunciation in Hebrew is Yehowshuwa and it perfectly describes the nature and work of our Savior. It means, the self-existent eternal God saves, helps, frees, and delivers from evil.
Now let’s look a the meaning behind the word Christ. People falsely think that Christ is Jesus’ last name. Christ is not the last name of Jesus, it’s His title, the distinguishing name that sets Him apart from all others. There are not many Christs as some false religions say. There is only one Christ, and He is the one who died for our sins and rose again. There are many false Christs and anti-Christs, but there is only one Christ sent from the Father. When someone claims to be Christ, or says there is another Christ beside Jesus, they are usurping the office of Jesus without the right. They are found to be liars before God and about God. We need to know what we are talking about in these matters. We also must never easily believe the things we hear about God, just because we like to sound.
God, from the very beginning of time, promised a Messiah; someone who would save the people from sin and bring them back to God. The Messiah is God’s salvation, and shows that we are not left here alone, separate from God, and sinfully hopeless. God would do something about the separation sin caused. Prophecies would pinpoint this Messiah with unmistakable certainty and absolute assurance as to His identity.
He would come from the seed of a woman, the descendent of Noah, then of Shem, a child of Abraham, then Isaac, then Jacob, from the tribe of Judah in Israel, family of Jesse, through David. He would come at a specific time, 483 years after the command to rebuild Jerusalem and the wall, in troublesome times. The prophecy in Daniel 9 says “there will be seven sevens or 49 years to allow for the restoration of the city and this happened as recorded in the books of Nehemiah and Esther. The command to go to Israel and rebuild it was issued by King Artaxerxes. The prophecy goes on to say that after sixty-two sevens or 434 years, “Messiah will come and be cut off, but not for Himself”. This brings us to the time of Jesus, when He was crucified for the sins of the world. There are hundreds of other prophecies proving that Jesus is the Christ.
The word Messiah in Hebrew, or Christ in Greek, means anointed one, anointed with olive oil. The ancient Hebrews would anoint, in a ceremony of consecration, their prophets, priests, and kings. The prophet would represent God to the people of Israel by declaring His will. The priest would sacrifice animals and intercede for the people as a mediator between God and people, and the king would rule over the nation. Jesus Christ is the ultimate prophet, for He so perfectly represented God that He said, “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father.” Jesus Christ is the ultimate priest, for He sacrificed His own body for the sins of the world and ever lives to make intercession for us. Jesus Christ is the ultimate king, for He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
Jesus Christ the prophet, enlightens our minds and shows us what God is like and what God’s will is. This knowledge convicts those who do not harden their hearts and enables us to see our sinfulness. Jesus Christ the priest, saves our souls with His own precious blood and gives us eternal life when we believe in Him. Jesus Christ the king, changes our rebellious hearts to hearts of gratitude and love as He rules over us in grace.
I asked the question “what’s in a name?” and I answer, “salvation, hope, joy, love and grace are in a name… the name above every other name.” Now let me say His name again so we can appreciate the meaning behind it. Jesus Christ.