His Name Is Called Jesus — Erlo Stegen

Jesus, the Name Given to the Savior

We will find our text this morning in Luke chapter 2. And then verse 21. And when the eight days were completed for the circumcision of the child and his name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

And it was my desire that on this first day that I speak about this word. Yesterday evening we spoke about the end of the year. Right coming to the end, the last day. And now the beginning. Now as we stand before a new year, it is like standing in front of a great wall, a huge wall.

We don't know if you look to the side where that wall ends or the height of it where it ends. What's on the other side? We don't know. For this year, this new year, 2010, we will never know what's on the other side.

But what awaits us? But on this wall, there is a door. And above it is written Jesus. Because blessed is that person that will enter the new year in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and with him. And for me, I find no other word to be able to speak about this morning when we enter this new year.

And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the child, Now, today, we remember that day when our Lord Jesus Christ was circumcised. Another person might say, but what does this word mean?

And being circumcised, he received a name. And that was on the eighth day. The things of God are amazing. And the Israelites were told that a male child must be circumcised on the eighth day. And that's an amazing word.

And the doctors confirm it today that there is no better day to be circumcised than on the eighth day. Because then a child doesn't bleed that much. And it quickly gets healed. And you see God's wisdom, how amazing that is, that it is on the eighth day.

Circumcision as the Sign of the Covenant

And it is because God knows. Now, for an Israelite, if he wasn't circumcised, he was of the Gentiles. A sinner. And that he had to become an Israelite, a child of God, he had to be circumcised on the eighth day.

And that was a sign that he belonged to the nation of God. But for me, the Lord circumcised something that I don't fully understand. It's difficult for me to grasp it. Because circumcision was specially for the Israelites and for those that were sinners.

It was a sign and a covenant that God had made with the Israelites. And so we Christians, we aren't circumcised in the flesh, but in our heart, we must be circumcised. If we are circumcised in the heart, then all evil, all our rubbish is done away with.

And the stiff-necked ones in Israel, they didn't want to accept our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of them it was said, you stiff-necked people, you uncircumcised people. And now why is it, what was the reason that Jesus had to be circumcised?

And that is what is difficult for me to understand. It wasn't a need for the Lord to be circumcised. He was God himself, creator of heaven and earth. And everything that was created, was created by Him.

And everything that exists, exists because of Him. And everything that was created, was created for Him. Now He then came and became flesh, like us. But the amazing thing is that on the eighth day, they circumcised Him.

There was no need for Him to be circumcised. But here is the mystery, that God himself, Christ who was God, came down to earth to become man. And He came down to our standard, to our level. And then He came and He became one of us.

Although He needed circumcision, He needed, He didn't. But He came to be with us, we who were sinners. Now the baptism of John is completely different to what the Christian baptism is today. When we are baptized, we unite ourselves with the Lord by saying, we died with Him and we rose with Him.

Christ’s Baptism and Identification with Sinners

But the baptism of John the Baptist was one of repentance and confessing your sin. Now when Jesus Christ came onto this earth to carry on with His work, He started with baptism. John the Baptist who was filled with the Holy Spirit while being in the womb of his mother, before he was born.

Now when John the Baptist saw Christ coming to be baptized, he said never, I can't baptize you, I can't do that. And John the Baptist knew, this is the Lamb of God who was pure without any sin and He was the one that would save the people from their sin.

Not his sin because he had no sin. But your sin and my sin. And the Lord said no, it must be done like that because He entered into your shoes, He entered into your footsteps, into your being who you are.

He took your position and my position. And that's an amazing, you cannot describe what it really means. He who was sinless without sin, that He came and united Himself with us who were sinners. And John to whom it was revealed, pointed to Christ and said, it is He who will remove the sin of this world.

The Holy Spirit Reveals Christ

Now who told John this secret? It was the Holy Spirit who revealed this secret to him. Yesterday evening we spoke about the Spirit and the Bride. They were one united. The Child of God and the Holy Spirit.

And it was the Holy Spirit who revealed this secret to him. And it was the Holy Spirit that revealed this secret to John the Baptist to say, this is the Lamb of God, this is the sinless one who is going to take away the sin of the world.

The Bible says the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of the Father, and then the oneness, the unity of the Holy Spirit be with all of you. And then the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. It is when the Holy Spirit is one with the believer that He will reveal and speak about secrets which are from heaven.

Simeon who was at the temple was revealed through the Holy Spirit that he won't die having not seen the Saviour. The Holy Spirit led him and said to him, go into the temple. And when he entered the temple he met Mary and Joseph with the Child there who had brought the Child.

And then nobody had written a letter, nobody had told Simeon about it, but the Holy Spirit had led him and showed him this is the Child. And then Simeon said, my eyes have seen the salvation and now I can die in peace.

And it's wonderful, it's something heavenly when the Holy Spirit comes and speaks to somebody, reveals things of heaven to a person. And our Anna, an old widow who was faithful, she also went to the temple.

And she also saw this Child and then prophesied about Him. And it is said Anna was in prayer day and night. And she was a widow that wasn't troubled about man or wanting a man, no. Her husband, he was God and she spoke to him day and night.

And the Holy Spirit then said, Anna, here is the Messiah. The Holy Spirit can reveal things to man. Now Peter who was in the church, was there when men and different people brought money to the church?

Ananias and Sapphira: Lying to the Holy Spirit

Now it's an amazing thing, we won't just come and bring money and place it at the feet. But we'll take our money and we'll put it into the pocket which is close to our heart. Now the amazing thing is the Apostle said no, the money will be brought and placed at our feet.

And that's something amazing, you hear you disciples of our Lord, that money mustn't play any role in our lives, in our heart. And when Ananias brought his money Now Peter didn't say, oh praise the Lord Ananias for the money that you have brought.

But you know there are so many people, three, five thousand people, it costs so much money and we're so thankful for this money. But it wasn't like that. But Peter had an ear to hear what the Holy Spirit said.

Many a time God's word says, he who has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says. Do you have an ear to hear what God says, what the Spirit says? So when Ananias brought that money, the Holy Spirit spoke to Peter and said, you ask him if this is all the money that he had brought, was it complete?

And the way Ananias went about it and how he did it, it showed as if it was everything that he had brought. But Ananias only had brought half. But Ananias with his wife back at home had agreed and they were united in this saying, well let us make as if we're bringing everything but let us keep something back like some people do.

But Peter through the Holy Spirit sensed that there's a rotten rat. And then Peter asked Ananias, have you really sold your land for this money, for this amount? And he said yes. And then he said, but why do you lie to the Holy Spirit?

And it was the Holy Spirit that had spoken to Peter and said, no, this is not the truth. What this man is doing, he's got some money back at home. And that's why Peter said, you're not lying to me, but you're lying to the Holy Spirit.

And then Peter said, but Ananias, you had the right, you sold the field, it was yours, the money is yours, but why have you decided to do this? Maybe you saw others doing it and then thought, well I'm going to be a Pharisee and I'm going to do the same.

But in the meantime, holding back. He had the right to withhold some of that money, maybe only give 10%, keep 90 or keep 80%. But the whole thing was he lied. He told a lie. And that was the wrong thing.

And then Peter said, but Ananias, why did you lie? Why did you tell a lie? And when Ananias heard those words, he fell over and he died. He wasn't sick. Maybe you're also not sick, you aren't sick. After three hours, his wife Sapphira comes in.

She doesn't know what all had happened. And Peter asked Sapphira, have you sold your land for this amount of money? They had agreed beforehand. And she also said, and agreed and said it was true. And Peter said to Sapphira, have you sold your land for this amount of money?

They had agreed beforehand. And she also said, and agreed and said it was true. And so Peter said, you, why did you agree about this? Both this thing, which was a lie. So you woman, be careful when you agree with your husband and something that is wrong, you better be there to help him.

And then Peter said to Sapphira, those feet that carried out your husband, they're outside the door to kill you. They're outside the door to come and fetch you. And when she heard those words, she fell over and she died.

And why? Because they had told a lie against the Holy Spirit, the spirit of truth. And maybe you say, well, you know, I've already told lies and why haven't I died? Nothing has happened to me. But let me tell you, spiritually, you are dead.

You are dead spiritually. And then Sapphira fell over, she died and was the second person that was buried. And then how did Peter know? It was revealed to him by the Holy Spirit. And then it is said, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The love of the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Now, I want to ask you in this year, beginning of this year, do you know what it means to have a fellowship with the Holy Spirit? He will lead you into all the truth.

Discerning True and False Spiritual Influence

Now, when Paul walked, there was a certain young girl that followed him and she was telling everybody, listen to these people because they are the servants of the Most High. And they tell you the truth.

And she did that daily. And Paul disliked it. And so after a certain time, he said to this girl that she should stop. Because she didn't have the Holy Spirit, but she had a spirit of fortune telling. And so the fellowship of the Holy Spirit is something so important in our life.

When that child was brought into the temple, people who had fellowship with the Holy Spirit, they were dead. And so in this year, 2010, blessed is that person who enters having the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

The Blood of Christ and the Meaning of Jesus’ Name

So let's come back to this point where Mary and Joseph brought this child into the temple to be circumcised on the eighth day. And the child was circumcised. And then the blood flowed. It was the bleeding of the blood that flowed from the Lamb of God.

And it was spilt because of our sin. And it was the beginning that the blood of our Lord dripped down and that part would be spilt for our sins. So do you understand now why this matter of circumcision of our Lord is so great and means so much?

And then he was circumcised and given the name Jesus, which was given to Mary and was told Mary before he even was conceived in a womb. And then Jesus was born and the angel had told Mary to name him Jesus.

It's our beloved Joshua because that is what his name means. The Joshua of heaven had come. And after the eighth day, then already his blood started flowing. And that's because he was the Lamb of God and that Lamb of God who was going to carry the sin of this world.

Jesus should be a treasure to each and every one of us. And that name should be above every other name in heaven and on earth. I read of a certain man of God overseas. And this man said, you know, I cannot pronounce that name.

I cannot even write that name without something happening within me. That is something that I feel. And so people just today, when they name that name of Jesus, they just mention it without feeling or knowing anything what they're saying.

And so even last night we spoke about that word Amen. And that also word, that word means our Lord. Amen. Amen. Praise the Lord. Amen. Amen. A certain preacher was preaching and in the congregation there was a person who always called out Jesus and Amen.

And he didn't like it. He didn't like it. He would say something and this man would call out Amen. And then one day this preacher decided to say something wrong in a sermon. And then this man suddenly called out Amen to that.

And then the preacher stopped and says, Sir, how can you say Amen to something that is wrong? And that closed his mouth. And there are so many things that are done where a person just plays the fool and it's not acceptable to God.

So with our Lord Jesus Christ on the eighth day, then the blood started to flow and was spilled because of your sin and because of my sin. And the blood started to flow and was spilled because of your sin and because of my sin.

So that name just doesn't mean anything. That name is a name above any other name. It's the most wonderful, beautiful name. That name of our Lord Jesus Christ in actual fact is a treasure. And when the angel came down from heaven and told Mary, you will name him Jesus.

She said, he'll receive that name. The angel said, you'll receive that name because he will save his people from their sin. And Jesus means Savior, a person who will save the people from their sin, you from your sin.

And so when you say Jesus, Jesus, and you live in your sin and you carry on in your sin, you are a liar because you're not saying the truth because he came to save you from your sin. And then you say Jesus, Jesus, that's the sweetest name, but you are bitter because yes, you call his name, but you live in sin.

When people look at you, they say, what? He calls himself and he calls out that name, but look at his life. He's a person of hell. It was Jesus who, the one that led his people out of Egypt. And they were a nation of slavery.

They were under the heel of Pharaoh. He was the one that enslaved them. And when it's true,. And so when it's said that you are living in the land of Egypt, it means that you are living a life of sin.

You are in bondage of sin. Now Christ must come and he must lead you out of that land to a land flowing with milk and honey. And milk resembles life. That is what life is. And honey resembling that wonderful life that goes together with life.

Not that only honey tastes sweet to the tongue,. But not only is honey sweet and tastes good, but it has healing properties. If a person has maybe a sore or something and you put honey onto it, it heals that sore.

And a renowned doctor in Peter Meritsburg, Dr. Strauss, a woman came to him after she had been operated. And there where they had knitted together, sewn it together, it was so to say rotting away. And then this doctor, he took some honey, smeared it on that wound and it healed.

The Promised Land and Overflowing Life in Christ

And when it says a land of milk and honey, it means a land that is full of life. And a land where it's wonderful and where a person can be healed from all different kinds of bacteria. If you go to the hothouses, those that work there,.

And if you go and see the people pruning there, Each one has a little cup hanging around their neck with milk inside. Where you dip your fingers into that milk, you prune that plant, and before touching the next plant, you dip your fingers in that milk again and it destroys the virus.

And it's an overflowing life. And Christ said to us, you will have life and life and overflowing. Not just a little bit, but in such a manner that Jesus will be written on your forehead, everybody will be able to see it.

And it is said when a person dies, in dying he crosses the Jordan into the promised land. That's true. But that promised land, that Canaan, you've got to experience here already in this world. If you want to go to heaven, you'll never receive it if you haven't received it here.

Now if you haven't experienced heaven yet, don't think you'll ever experience it. You wake up and you wake up in hell. If you wake up in the mornings, then a person says, what a wonderful day. What haven't I experienced?

What joy don't I have? So you'll never find, enter heaven on the other side, if you didn't enter it on this side. Heaven, you only receive on the other side, but when you have received it on this side, a land flowing with milk and honey.

And it is said his name will be Jesus because he will save you from your lies already on this side. And he'll save you from hypocrisy. And why? Because this name is above every other name. It brings us salvation.

It brings us freedom. Freedom from sin. It brings us freedom from sin. It brings us salvation. It brings us freedom from sin. It brings us salvation. It brings us freedom from sin. It brings us salvation.

It brings us freedom from sin. And so it is. Somebody said, well, now we have received freedom in South Africa, but what is this freedom then all about? Because when you look, people live in sin, people drink, people are murdered, but only freedom comes from that Joshua from heaven.

And I had freedom when the Afrikaners were ruling, and I've even got freedom today when the black man is ruling because Joshua came, he saved me from my sin, and that's where I got eternal freedom. This freedom of this world, that doesn't mean anything, but the freedom inside, that is what it's all about.

Jesus as Deliverer in Life and Death

The name of our Lord Jesus. If you use it, even on your deathbed, you will live. And even because of Christ's sake, you are thrown into prison. You still have your freedom because of him, not that you are in prison because of something wrong that you have done.

Well, then you deserve it to be there. Now I said, we stand in front of a great wall. What is on the other side, we don't know. But what I say is, it's dark on the other side. Now 2009 is behind us, is past.

2010 lies behind this wall. We don't know what we will meet up with. Now it can be life, it can be death, we don't know. It can be crying, where people mourn, or it can be something of great joy, but we don't know what is on the other side.

And it can be physically that you are alive and well, or that it can be death. That's a name above every other name, where that layman that sat at that temple, when Peter came along, he said, in the name of that name, of our Lord Jesus Christ, arise, and that man was healed.

And even if you have to die in 2010, you can be saved by that name of our Lord Jesus Christ, because by that name, you will be made alive and go to heaven. So, as I say, I say, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, arise, and that man was healed.

So, as I said, there's a door in this wall, and above it is written Jesus. So if you go into this new with our Lord Jesus Christ, you don't need to be afraid. But you will overcome, you will be victorious.

And we remember what Luther said, he said, when I die, and I get to heaven, and see those golden streets, the first thing that I would ask is, where is my Lord? And Luther said, if I was told the Lord is in hell, then I would go to hell.

Because that is where my Lord is, and that is where I want to be. But what I'm sure of, is that if he's in hell, hell will be heaven to me because of our Lord. Now, when Shedrick and them were thrown into that fiery furnace, it was made seven times hotter.

God’s Presence in the Fiery Furnace

But when they were inside, there was a fifth person, and the king said, he looks like the Son of God. And they were free inside, not even the hair on their head was burnt. But if you then enter through this door in 2010, and you are with the Lord, you will be more than victor.

But if you then enter through this door in 2010, and you are with the Lord, you will be more than victor. And if God keeps us, if we come to the end of this year, we will be able to say, if we've gone through with the Lord, yes, he's the beginning and he's the end.

And if you then enter through this door in 2010, and you are with the Lord, you will be more than victor. A post boy will come along, running along, and he will give you a letter. Open it and read it.

And if you then enter through this door in 2010, and you are with the Lord, you will be more than victor. Now, I am that post boy. I have come, and I'm the one that is giving you that letter. You open that letter, you read it, and then you will learn.

And ask the Lord to speak to you, because he will tell you, even if it's two days until you've got to die, or whatever it may be in your life, even if people mock you, that does nothing for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And if you then enter through this door in 2010, and you are with the Lord, you will be more than victor. Now, you enter through that door in that name, and then you stay in that name, live in that name, let that name live in you in such a way that it can be read in your life, on your forehead, that that name is in you.

And then Gabriel the archangel came and said, you will call him Jesus, because he will save you from your sin. So there is no other name, no better name than that name. And that that name means everything to you, is of greatest treasure in your life, that name of our Lord Jesus.

And it's my prayer that that name will grow in your life and mean more to you every day. And that you will be able to say like that man of God that said, if I just, I can't use that name without something happening to me, something that I feel about it.

You know, amongst the Zulus, they can't call their king by name. If there's somebody that you respect and honor, you can't mention that person's name. You can't mention that person's name. But maybe amongst more the English-speaking people, you find that children, they will call their parents by name, any other person by name, Holder, or any other person.

In other words, for them, there's no respect. That name doesn't mean anything so much to them anymore. But with our Lord Jesus Christ, it's different. Like that man said, when that name, I mention it, I hear it, there's something that happens within me.

They even call their parents by name. They're still young. They were born by these people, but they call them by name. Doesn't mean anything. Now I ask you, does the name of Jesus mean anything to you?

Entering the New Year in the Name of Jesus

And I pray that you'll get to know that name better and that more and more will be revealed to you about that name and that as we enter this new year, let's enter in with this name and in this name. He is yesterday, today, and forever the same.

The Alpha, the beginning, and the end. Blessed is he who all the time lives in this name and he'll be blessed by that name. Let's bow our heads and pray. Lord Jesus, that angel gave you your name. Why?

Because you would save your people from this sin. You would lead people out of sin, out of the slavery of sin. You would lead them out of Egypt and out of this world. Lord, lead them and get them out of these things of this world.

That they might experience and receive heaven on the side. There's no criticizing, there's no going against each other, but it is like heaven. Lord, all hell and the demons of hell, they tremble when they hear this name.

And Lord, help us that we might know this name, experience this name, which is above every other name. Amen.