What is the meaning of the name Jesus?

Few names in history carry as much weight as the name Jesus. Scripture itself emphasizes its unique significance, declaring that God gave Him “the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (Philippians 2:9–10). This raises an important question. Why is this name so central, and what does it actually mean?

According to the Gospels, the name Jesus was not chosen by chance. It was given by divine instruction. An angel announced the name to both Joseph and Mary before Jesus was born (Matthew 1:21; Luke 1:31). The meaning of the name is clear and intentional. Jesus means “Yahweh saves” or “the Lord is salvation.”

Linguistically, the name comes from the Hebrew and Aramaic form Yeshua. This name combines Ya, a shortened form of Yahweh, Israel’s covenant name for God revealed in Exodus 3:14, with the verb yasha, meaning “to save,” “to rescue,” or “to deliver.” From its very structure, the name Jesus carries a message. God saves.

When Yeshua was translated into Greek, the language of the New Testament, it became Iēsous. From Greek, the name entered Latin and eventually English as Jesus. The same Hebrew name also appears in English as Joshua. In every form, the meaning remains the same. The Lord is salvation.

In first-century Judea, this name was common. Many Jewish boys were named Yeshua. Because of this, Jesus was often identified by His hometown and referred to as “Jesus of Nazareth” (Matthew 21:11; Mark 1:24; Luke 18:37; John 1:45; John 19:19; Acts 2:22). The phrase was practical, not symbolic. It distinguished Him from others who shared the same name.

Yet the ordinariness of the name only sharpens its deeper meaning. God chose a familiar name for a singular mission. Just as Joshua in the Old Testament led Israel into the Promised Land, Jesus in the New Testament leads His people into deliverance from sin and spiritual bondage. The name points to continuity, but the fulfillment goes far beyond the earlier story.

The apostle Paul explains this timing and purpose clearly. “When the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship” (Galatians 4:4–5). Jesus was sent not merely to teach or inspire, but to save (John 3:17). His name openly declares His mission.

At the same time, the simplicity of the name highlights His humility. The Son of God did not arrive with a title reserved for kings or emperors. He took on a common human name and lived among ordinary people. Scripture tells us that He willingly set aside His glory and took the form of a servant (Philippians 2:6–8). As one theological summary puts it, Jesus was “just another Joshua” in name, yet the only one who fully lived out what that name truly means.

The importance of the name Jesus does not rest in sound or spelling, but in the person it represents. Throughout the New Testament, the name is consistently associated with authority, power, and salvation.

Salvation itself is tied directly to His name. Peter declares, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:11–12; see also John 14:6; John 20:31; Acts 2:21; Joel 2:32; 1 Corinthians 6:11; 1 John 2:12).

Forgiveness of sins is also received through His name. “All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name” (Acts 10:43; see also Acts 22:16).

Baptism in the early church was carried out in the name of Jesus Christ, symbolizing repentance, forgiveness, and new life (Acts 2:38; see also Matthew 28:19; Acts 8:12, 15–16; Acts 10:48; Acts 19:5).

Healing and miraculous acts were likewise performed in His name. When a man was healed, Peter explained, “By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong” (Acts 3:16; see also Acts 3:6–8; Acts 4:30).

Jesus also taught His followers to pray in His name, meaning to pray under His authority and in alignment with His will. “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do,” He said, “that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13–14; see also John 15:16; John 16:23–24).

In every sense, Jesus lives up to His name. It reflects His power, His presence, and His purpose. The name assures believers that God’s intention is not condemnation but salvation. Through Jesus, God came to humanity, and through Him, humanity is brought back to God.

In the New Testament, to act or speak in the name of Jesus meant acting as His representative and under His authority. For believers today, this remains true. Life itself is to be lived in His name. “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Colossians 3:17). The ultimate goal is not the exaltation of the name alone, but the glory of God through the life shaped by it. As Paul writes, “We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him” (2 Thessalonians 1:12).