December 8
Baby names

Luke 1:61-62
But they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” So they made signs to his father—what he would have him called.

The birth of a baby is always drama, and in the old days, the birth of a boy was even more drama. Boys, you see, represent posterity. Fathers are tied inextricably to posterity. Men, even men today, are wound up in the business of who would carry on the family name.

The family name is important. Many families have a “junior” and some families are more elaborate, there is a first (1) and second (II) and a third (III), almost like royalty and dynasty. In the Graham family, of which I am a member, there was a period when every first born male was named Alexander, hence me and my cousins.

Today, many couples and families purchase books and subscribe to website that list and explain baby names and traditions. And when two families both have to honour traditions the children could end up with many and strange sounding names.

Here is what was said by BabyCenter published on November 14, 2023. “Hundreds of thousands of parents registered their babies’ names with BabyCenter this year, and the results are in: For the first time in five years, there’s a new top baby boy name, with Noah overtaking Liam for the number one spot. Liam is still in second place, though, and Oliver stayed in third place, the same ranking it held in 2022. This year’s top three baby girl names are a repeat of last year’s, with Olivia, Emma, and Amelia hanging on to spots one, two, and three.” I am just stunned that a biblical name the top name in 2023!

So the baby that the old priest Zacharias and his old wife Elizabeth got, now had to be named, and out of the blue. Zacharias is unable to contribute to the discourse because he was struck dumb by God through Gabriel, there was no library or Internet to consult, so they stuck with the traditional approach. Elisabeth, already breaking barriers by having a child, her first, in her old age, breaks with the years of tradition and declares that the baby is to be called John.

“So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias. ⁶⁰ His mother answered and said, “No; he shall be called John.”” Luke 1:59-60

In doing this she rejected their suggestion that he be named Junior, well, Zacharias, but you know what I mean. This, of course, upset the family and they responded with the obvious “But they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” Luke 1:61. So they had to resort now to the silent Zacharias for help in the matter, sign language being the appropriate means of communication. Zacharias himself has resorted to sign language in an effort to communicate with the people after his encounter with Gabriel left him dumb.

The result was the same, a break with family and tradition, and the naming of the baby – John. John was the name that Gabriel had given Zacharias for the baby. The suffix the Baptist was added to his name as an adult in ministry by the Jordon River as he served the crucial role of forerunner of Christ. We shouldn’t leave this without noting that Zacharias’ speech returned and he was, once again, a part of the fray.

The naming of Jesus was not attended by a family gathering and the related drama usual in those circumstance. Mary, like Zaharias, was given a name and she stuck with it, however she might have handled Joseph and his own patriarchal sense of posterity and heritage through names.

Just like John was later called John-the-Baptist. Jesus was given other names. Those other names give us insight into who He is and what He came to do. The names of Jesus told of His heritage, especially as the Jewish mind understood. The names of Jesus spoke to the need of people present at the time. And the names of Jesus speak to us today. And the names of Jesus speak prophetically to us for the times to come.

As we noted when we started out this set of devotionals, music is a big part of the season. I might add now, for both good and bad. Maybe we could leave today’s conversation about Jesus’ names with this portion of a seasonal favourite.

For unto us a child is born
For unto us a child is born
Unto us, a son is given
Unto us, a son is given

And his name shall be called
Wonderful, Counselor
The mighty God, the everlasting Father
The prince of peace

Wonderful, Counselor
The mighty God, the everlasting Father
The prince of peace

Think on these things: 

1. If you have children, reflect on how you gave them the names that they have?
2. If you are planning to have children, how do you plan to settle on their names?
3. If you are planning to have children, how do you plan to settle on their names?

Prayer focus:
Let us pray today that as we reflect on the different names given to Jesus, we would better appreciate His person and work and effectively share this with others.

In His Grace
Pastor Alex