The God of the universe chose to be called Jesus (Yeshua). Yeshua in Hebrew means, The Lord Our Salvation. We saw that when the angel of the Lord instructed Joseph as to what name the baby that Mary would deliver should be called, Joseph was told this in the 1st Chapter of Matthew's gospel, in verses 20 and 21;
(20)"Joseph, son od David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for that which
has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. (21) And she will bear a Son; and you
shall call His name Jesus (Yeshua), for it is He who will save His people from their sins."
The One who saves is of course a Savior. This was pointed out in the gospel of Luke in his 2nd Chapter, verses 10 and 11, when the angel of the Lord spoke this to the shepherds in the field;
(10) "And the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news
of a great joy which shall be for ALL the people;(11) for today in the city of David
there will there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."
So Jesus (Yeshua) is The Lord Our Salvation. When we go back to the writings of the prophet Isaiah, we see this written in his 45 Chapter, in verses 5 and 6;
(5)"I am the Lord, and there is no other; Besides Me there is no God, I will gird you
though you have not known Me;(6) That men may know from the rising to the setting
of the sun that there is no one besides Me. I am the Lord and there is no other."
So if the God of Israel is speaking this trough Isaiah that there is only One Lord and there is no other, then how can Jesus be Lord unless they are one and the same? In verse 15 it says this;
"...............................O God of Israel, Savior!"
So if the God of Israel is Savior, then how can Jesus be Savior unless they are one and the same? For there is just one Savior. Isaiah writes this latter is the same Chapter 45, in verses 20-23;
(20) "Gather yourselves and come; Draw near together, you fugitives of the nations;
They have no knowledge, who carry around their wooden idol, and pray to a God
who cannot save.(21) Declare and set forth your case; Indeed, let them consult
together. who has announced this from old? Who has long since declared it? Is it
not I the Lord? And there is no other God beside Me, a righteous God and a Savior;
There is none except Me. (22) Turn to Me and be saved, ALL the ends of the earth:
For I am God and there is no other.(23) I have sworn by Myself, the word has gone
forth from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, that to Me every knee
will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance."
So what the only God is saying is that He is the only Lord and the only Savior and there is no other.
If God says this and therefore it must be true, then Jesus cannot be Lord and Savior unless they are one and the same. This means that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the great I Am, became flesh in the person of Jesus, who is Lord and Savior. God is Jesus. Are there writings in the new testament that are in agreement to this? Or course there is or I would not have asked the question. It is actually one of most revealing passages in the new testament as to who Jesus really is. This was written by the apostle Paul, who remember was a former Pharisee well aware of Isaiah's writings, in his letter written to the Philippians in the 2nd Chapter, verses 1-11;
(1)"If therefore there is any encouragement in the Messiah, if there is any consolation
of love, if there is any fellowship in the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,(2) make
my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit,
intent on one purpose.(3) Do nothing out of selfishness or empty deceit, but with
humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself;
(4) do not merely look out for your own interests, but also for the interests of others.
(5) Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in the Messiah Jesus,(6) who,
although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be
grasped,(7) but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in
the likeness of men.(8) And being found in the appearance as a man, He humble Himself
by becoming obedient to the point of death, on a cross.(9) Therefore also God highly
exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,(10) that at
the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and
under the earth,(11) and that every tongue should confess that Jesus the Messiah is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father."
So we saw earlier in Isaiah's writings that to the only God, Lord and Savior will every knee bow to and swear allegiance to. We just read here in Paul's writings that to the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. There is only one Lord. Jesus is a name above all names because it is the name that God chose for Himself. When all will bow and confess that Jesus is Lord, they are acknowledging that Jesus is Lord of all, which will in turn by giving Jesus glory will also give the Holy Spirit of God, who is the Father, glory. For they are one and the same. The Lord Our God is One.
May Jesus' grace, understanding and peace be with you.
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