Consider this synopsis of the Gospel story.
Zechariah, a priest, and his wife Elizabeth begat John the Baptist, who declared that Jesus, born in Bethlehem, was both the Son of God and the lamb of God. Jesus the Christ, also known as Immanuel, was born of Joseph and Mary, and lived in Nazareth. Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot in the Garden of Gethsemene, sentenced by Pontius Pilate to die instead of Barabbas, and crucified on Golgotha. After His death, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, both members of the Sanhedrin, laid Jesus in Joseph's tomb, and Jesus was resurrected three days later.
This is not the whole of the Gospel message, but the names, places, and events are familiar to Christianity. Many believe there are no random names in the Bible, that everyone is named according to who or what they are or will become. If we look at the names involved, we will see a deeper layer of meaning. Breaking it down sentence by sentence, name by name.
Sentence One
Zachariah (Zicharyah) - God remembers. The name Zachariah consists of two parts. The ending of the name is יה, the abbreviated form of the Name of the Lord: יהוה or YHWH. The first part of the name Zacharias was taken from the verb זכר (zakar), meaning to think about, meditate, or remember. Zachariah was a Levitical priest of the line of Abijah who had a vision of the angel Gabriel while serving in the temple. Gabriel told him his wife would bear a son, and his name would be John - Incensed [1].
Elizabeth - (Elishevah) - Oath of God. Elizabeth, is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew name אלישבע, Elisheba, which was the name of the wife of Aaron; the "mother of all priests". The Hebrew name Elisheba, consists of two parts. The first part is אל (El) the common abbreviation of Elohim or God. The second part is שבע (shaba), meaning oath, swear, adjure.
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| John the Baptist Named |
Jesus (Yeshua) - Salvation. The name Jesus is the Greek transliteration of the name יהושע (Joshua) and consists of two elements. The first part is the appellative יה (Yah) YHWH. The second element of the name Joshua/Jesus comes from the root-verb ישע (yasha'), meaning to save or deliver. Note how much more meaningful it is if we put the Hebrew back into Isaiah 12:1-3.
1 Then you will say on that day, "I will give thanks to You, O LORD; For although You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, And You comfort me. 2 "Behold, God is my salvation (Jesus), I will trust and not be afraid; For the LORD GOD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation (Jesus)." 3 Therefore you will joyously draw water From the springs of salvation (Jesus).
John 6:32-35 is called the Bread of Life Discourse of Jesus. It was given in the synagogue of Capernaum shortly after the feeding of 5000 - Wikipedia [2].
John 6:32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. 33 For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.” 34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.” 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.Here's what GotQuestions had to say about the Bread of Life Discourse.
“I am the Bread of Life” (John 6:35) is one of the seven “I AM” statements of Jesus. Jesus used the same phrase “I AM” in seven declarations about Himself. Bread is such a basic food item that it becomes synonymous for food in general. Bread also plays an integral part of the Jewish Passover meal. The Jews were to eat unleavened bread during the Passover feast and then for seven days following as a celebration of the exodus from Egypt. Finally, when the Jews (Israelites) were wandering in the desert for 40 years, God rained down “bread from heaven” to sustain the nation. - GotQuestions [3]
Bethlehem was also significant because that's where the Temple lambs came from. John the Baptist (remember he was a Levitical priest) testified that Jesus was the Lamb of God`.
The bawling of sheep rang across the fields of Bethlehem. Migdal Eder, the Tower of the Flock, was the place where lambs destined for the Temple were born and raised. Every firstborn male lamb from the area around Bethlehem was considered holy, set aside for sacrifice in Jerusalem - Why Bethlehem [4]The Tower of the Flock was probably the very place where Mary placed Jesus in a manger, just like the newborn lambs - The Birth Revisited [5]
Luke's original audience would have immediately picked up on the religious significance of the Bethlehem shepherds watching their flocks by night. Aware of the Tanakh (Old Testament) and the Jewish Temple worship of the day, they would have known that when you said Bethlehem, you said "sacrificial lambs". The hills around Bethlehem were home to the thousands of lambs used in ritual worship in the Temple. Every day, according to the Torah, two lambs were required for a daily sacrifice in the Temple, meaning that 730 were needed each year plus the tens of thousands more lambs needed for Pesach (Passover) as well as for the other religious rituals. Everyone in Israel recognized Bethlehem as being synonymous with sacrificial lambs - The Birth Revisited [5]
We could rewrite the first sentence like this.
God remembered His covenant with His people Israel, where He promised them the grace of salvation (Is 53:6) found in the New Covenant (Jer 31:31). The mediator of this new covenant is Jesus, who is the Son of God, the Bread From Heaven, and the Lamb of God, pictured in the symbols of the Passover service.
Sentence Two
Christ - Anointed One. Christos is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew Mashiach. It is really a title, not a name. The English word Messiah is identical to the noun and adjective משיח (mashiah), meaning Anointed One, and comes from the Hebrew verb משח (mashah), meaning to anoint. The name Messiah is really a pseudonym for King
1) The Hebrew preposition עם (im), meaning 'with'.
2) The nu-part in Immanu comes from the common pronominal suffix that means 'us'.
3) The third part of the name Immanuel is the Hebrew word אל (El), the common abbreviation of the word אלהים (Elohim), denoting the genus God.
Joseph - Increaser, Repeater, Doubler. The name Joseph comes from the verb יסף (yasap) meaning to add, increase, or repeat. But wait, there's more. Based on Biblical prophecies, ancient rabbis spoke of two Messiahs, one who would fight for and deliver His people, and another who would suffer and die for His people. They call the fighter Messiah ben (son of) David, the redeemer Messiah ben (son of) Joseph, the Doubler. Hebrew For Christians [6] lists 60 parallels between the lives of Joseph, son of Jacob and Jesus the Christ. Messiah ben Joseph is the one who died on the cross. Messiah ben David will return soon in power and glory. Others dispute the authenticity of this, saying the writings about the two Messiahs are from long after Jesus' death.
Mary (Miriam) - Beloved, Bitterness, Rebellion. The name Miriam is probably Egyptian of origin, derived from a word that means Beloved. But to a Hebrew audience it may have seemed that the name Miriam came from the verb מרה (mara) meaning to be rebellious or disobedient. However, the Greek name Maria (which became Mary in the English language) may have reminded a Hebrew audience of the Hebrew and Aramaic verb מרר (marar), meaning to be bitter or strong. Jonathan Cahn said it this way "a world of bitterness and rebellion to give birth to salvation." - Book Of Mysteries [7]
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| Nazareth |
We could rewrite sentence two like this.
A world of bitterness and rebellion gave birth to salvation, in the person of the Anointed One, the Messiah whose government will increase without end. The Son of God branched out from humble beginnings to sow the seed of the Word of God.
Sentence Three
Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot in Gethsemene, sentenced by Pontius Pilate to die instead of Barabbas, and crucified on Golgotha.
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| Judas given 30 pieces of silver |
Iscariot - City Dweller. The Hebrew name consists of two elements. The first element is the common Hebrew noun איש ('ish), meaning man. The second part of our name appears in the Old Testament as Kerioth, which was a town situated on the southern border of the territory of the tribe of Judah. The name Kerioth is a plural of the noun קריה (qiryah), meaning city, which comes from the verb קרה (qara), meaning to meet or get together. The Sanhedrin gathered to plot against Jesus.
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| Stone Olive Press |
Is 53:10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
Jesus is the one crushed, Mark 14:34 "My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death". The crushing betrayal of the Messiah at Gethsemane (and on the cross at Golgotha) brought forth the Holy Spirit, symbolized by the oil. There are many parallels between the Garden of Eden and the Garden of Gethsemane.
Another interpretation might be that Jesus ushered in a new beginning, analogous to the eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles.
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| Ecce Homo – Behold the Man |
Pontius - Fifth - The name Pontius either means Fifth or Belonging To The Sea. I don't understand how either of these meanings makes sense.
Barabbas - Son of the Father. The name Barabbas is Greek transliteration of a Chaldean or Aramaic name. It consists of two elements. The first part is the Chaldean or Aramaic word בר (bar), meaning son. The second part of the name Barabbas comes from the Semitic word אב (ab), basically meaning father. Jesus was also Son of the Father. In the Atonement (Yom Kippur) ceremony, two goats were presented to the High Priest, one was sacrificed, and one was sent away, a recurring theme in the Bible, see Cain and Abel [8]. Pilate unknowingly acted out Yom Kippur with Jesus and Barabbas.
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| Golgotha |
Rewriting sentence three.
After His death, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, both members of the Sanhedrin, laid Jesus in Joseph's tomb, and Jesus was resurrected three days later.
Joseph - Increaser, Repeater, Doubler. Joseph was covered above. Note there were two Josephs in Jesus life, like a repeat.
of Arimathea - The Heights. Arimathea literally means The Heights. Job 22:12 "Is not God in the heights of heaven?" God the Father was looking out for Jesus from on high. A possible interpretation could be that God magnified Jesus sacrifice. Embedded in the name Arimathea is rimmon which means pomegranate, which adorned the robe of the High Priest, and which some say symbolizes righteousness. Perhaps Jesus life could be summed up as the Height of Righteousness.
Nicodemus - Victory Of The People. The name Nicodemus is a compound of two elements. The first part of our name comes from the word νικη (nike), meaning victory. The second part of the name Nicodemus comes from the familiar noun δημος (demos), meaning people. All the people on earth have been prisoners held captive by the Adversary. Jesus has given us the victory over him. Dt 5:6 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage."
Our Savior was crushed by the betrayal of a gathering of the Jews, His own people, first by His friend, and then by the High Priest and the Council, who sent Him to the Romans to be killed. As on Yom Kippur, the innocent was slain, the guilty sent away. His blood was poured out on a cross in a place called the Skull, that we may have salvation, and receive the gift of God's own Spirit as a down payment on eternal life.
Sentence Four
After His death, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, both members of the Sanhedrin, laid Jesus in Joseph's tomb, and Jesus was resurrected three days later.
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| Pomegranates and Bells on the High Priest's Robe |
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| Victory of the People |
Sanhedrin - Council. From the Greek sunedrion , "a council-chamber", the supreme council of the Jewish people in the time of Christ and earlier. The Great Sanhedrin in Jerusalem had 70 members plus the High Priest. This hearkens back to the time of Moses where 70 men were chosen to help Moses judge the people - GotQuestions [10]. It also hearkens back to the "table of nations" in Gen 10, a listing of 70 nations descended from Noah. In other words, the Great Sanhedrin passed judgment on Jesus on behalf of all the nations on Earth. It was not unanimous however.
Rewriting sentence four.
Our savior's life was the height of righteousness. He won victory for all the people of earth. In his death, He freed us from bondage to sin. In His resurrection, He was set in the heights of heaven where He saves us by His life.
Rewriting sentence four.
Our savior's life was the height of righteousness. He won victory for all the people of earth. In his death, He freed us from bondage to sin. In His resurrection, He was set in the heights of heaven where He saves us by His life.
What's In A Name?
Taking a simple account of the Gospel and expanding the meaning of the names gives a richer, deeper story. The Bible text has many layers of meaning.
God remembered His covenant with His people Israel, where He promised them the grace of salvation (Is 53:6) found in the New Covenant (Jer 31:31). The mediator of this new covenant is Jesus, who is the Son of God, the Bread From Heaven, and the Lamb of God, pictured in the symbols of the Passover service. A world of bitterness and rebellion gave birth to salvation, in the person of the Anointed One, the Messiah whose government will increase without end. The Son of God branched out from humble beginnings to sow the seed of the Word of God. Our Savior was crushed by the betrayal of a gathering of the Jews, His own people, first by His friend, and then by the High Priest and the Council, who sent Him to the Romans to be killed. As on Yom Kippur, the innocent was slain, the guilty sent away. His blood was poured out on a cross in a place called the Skull, that we may have salvation, and receive the gift of God's own Spirit as a down payment on eternal life. Our savior's life was the height of righteousness. He won victory for all the people of earth. In his death, He freed us from bondage to sin. In His resurrection, He was set in the heights of heaven where He saves us by His life.
References
Nearly all the descriptions of the meanings of the names came from Abarim Publications. To avoid clutter, I didn't include individual references above, but this would have been difficult without the info at Abarim. I'm indebted to them. Their website is http://www.abarim-publications.com/. From there, one can research almost any name or place in the Bible.
1. http://jlfreeman-1.blogspot.com/2015/10/incensed.html
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread_of_Life_Discourse
3. https://gotquestions.org/bread-of-life.html
4. http://www.cbn.com/special/thenativitymovie/articles/whybethlehem.aspx
5, http://hethathasanear.com/Birth.html
6. http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Articles/Mashiach_ben_Yosef/mashiach_ben_yosef.html
6. http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Articles/Mashiach_ben_Yosef/mashiach_ben_yosef.html
7. https://www.amazon.com/Book-Mysteries-Jonathan-Cahn/dp/162998941X
8. http://jlfreeman-1.blogspot.com/2016/08/a-tale-of-two-siblings.html
8. http://jlfreeman-1.blogspot.com/2016/08/a-tale-of-two-siblings.html
9. http://www.gospel-mysteries.net/golgotha.html
10. https://gotquestions.org/Sanhedrin.html
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