Whether we have been hostile to Jesus’ name or simply ambivalent, we can recognize God at work within our hearts when we are confronted with our sin and find ourselves admitting we can’t solve the problem on our own. We can’t become better people. We can’t clear ourselves of the guilt of the past or the present. We can’t save ourselves.

If you have been brought face-to-face with your sin and have come to believe that Jesus is your Savior, no name will be more precious to you than His.

But once we are convinced that Jesus is the answer to our greatest problems, we can accept His gift of salvation in childlike faith. Jesus was born in a manger in Bethlehem so that He could, as Matthew tells us, “save his people from their sins,” restoring them to peace with God and giving them the promise of eternal life with Him. He did this by dying on the cross and taking the punishment of sin on His own shoulders. And now, having been raised from the dead, He sits at the Father’s right hand—an eternal testimony that He has saved those who have put their faith in Him. And someday, He will come again to make all things new.

The name given to the incarnate Son of God was significant. This Christmas, take the time to understand just how precious that name is. Put your faith in Jesus, the Savior, and rest in the assurance that you can rejoice in His name forever.

This article was adapted from the sermon “The Name of Jesus” by Alistair Begg.