“On the eighth day, when the time for the child’s circumcision had arrived, he was given the name Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived in the womb.” (Luke 2:21)

Meditation: The Saving Name of Jesus

“Jesus! This name, by which Christ was known in his family and among his friends in Nazareth, exalted by the crowds and invoked by the sick during the years of his public ministry, calls to mind his identity and mission as Saviour. In fact “Jesus” means “God saves”. A blessed name, which also proved to be a sign of contradiction, ending by being written on the Cross in justification of his death sentence (cf. John 19:19). But this name, in the supreme sacrifice of Golgotha, shone forth as a life-giving name in which God offers the grace of reconciliation and peace to all mankind.” (Pope St John Paul II, 22 December 1996)

Next in the series | Back to the menu

See the full image:

• Gospels
• New Testament
• Postmodern Art