Advent Reading for December 17, 2023 | “The Significance of Names” from Luke 2:21-24

²² And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) ²⁴ and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”

Luke 2:21-24

“The Significance of Names”
by Burt Schmitz

Luke brings us from the rejoicing of the angels and shepherds to what seems to be a mundane event.  A couple of things happen on the eighth day after His birth that are significant.  First, He is circumcised.  He receives the sign of the covenant as a descendent of Abraham (Genesis 17:7-12).  The baby is now identified as a member of the household of faith.  Second, the baby is given His name, Jesus.  This is the name that the angel Gabriel told Mary to give her child (Luke 1:31).  Jesus, “the Lord is salvation”, is His name.  Matthew 1:21 tells us “For He will save His people from their sins.”  

Names are significant.  When we lived in Togo, we learned that the names that were given to children at their birth could be used to give the child identity as well as to indicate a significant event.  My friend Lamoutidja’s name signified that he was born on a Thursday.  His name literally means “Thursday’s man”.  Lamoutidja had a lot of brothers.  Another friend was the first born of his mother and was given the name Nanlieb, “Everyone envies me”.  Having a son was very important and especially as a first born. 

The name Jesus, “the Lord is salvation”, has great significance for us.  It is Jesus, that even from His birth, is identified as the Savior of the world.  Luke 2:11, the angels declare, “there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”  Christ, Messiah, Anointed One, all indicating that Jesus was the Son of God, born to accomplish the task of providing salvation.   

Luke 2:29-32 identifies Jesus not only as the Savior of the Jews, but also of the Gentiles, the whole wide world.  We see in the names and titles given to Jesus around His birth, circumcision, and purification in the temple that Jesus is the baby born to die.  “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”  (Acts 4:12).  

What will you do with Jesus?

Reflection Questions:

1. Reflect on Acts 4:12. Since Jesus is the only way of salvation, how does that impact our desire to share the gospel – good news of great joy – with others?
2. Today’s devotion closed with a question: what will you do with Jesus? Belief in Him is supposed to impact one’s whole life. How does this question challenge the way our daily lives reflect (or do not reflect) Him?

Christ Has Come: The Promised King & His Gift of Peace (Advent 2025) – Refresh & Restore | A JustKeithHarris.com Podcast

Christ Has Come – Week 3Episode Title: The Promised King & His Gift of JoyLuke 1:39–56In this Advent episode of Christ Has Come, Keith Harris turns to Luke 1 and invites us to slow down and listen to the joy that begins stirring before Bethlehem. Long before angels sing to shepherds, joy breaks the silence in the hill country of Judea—through a Spirit-filled confession, a leaping child, and the worshipful song of a young woman who trusts the promises of God.Together, we explore:What biblical joy is—and what it isn’t, distinguishing it from fleeting happiness or emotional highs.How joy appears before the word is even spoken, as John the Baptist leaps for joy in Elizabeth’s womb at the presence of the unborn Messiah.Why Mary’s joy is rooted not in circumstances but in God’s mercy, as she magnifies the Lord and rejoices in God her Savior.The meaning and message of the Magnificat, a Scripture-saturated song that celebrates God’s great reversal—lifting the lowly, filling the hungry, and humbling the proud.How Mary’s joy points beyond herself to Jesus, the promised King who fulfills God’s covenant promises and secures lasting joy through His saving work.This episode reminds us that joy is not something we manufacture—it’s something we receive, and it grows wherever Jesus is trusted. Advent teaches us that true joy is found not in having life figured out, but in the presence of Christ and the mercy He brings.If you would like to see a written version of this study, complete with footnotes and cross-references, you can find it here.

1. Christ Has Come: The Promised King & His Gift of Peace (Advent 2025) 26:00
2. Christ Has Come: The Promised King & His Gift of PEACE (Advent 2025) 22:47
3. Christ Has Come: The Promised King & His Gift of HOPE (Advent 2025) 24:58
4. Thankful: Learning to Number Our Days (Refresh & Restore) 21:21
5. "Strengthen What Remains: Jesus's Letter to the Church at Sardis" (The KING is Coming) 20:30