The Excellent Things Of God Are Accomplished In Jesus Christ – Pt 2

Today’s Word Of Encouragement From Wayne:

"‘Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.’ Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation. And in that day you will say, ‘ Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name. Make known His deeds among the peoples; make them remember that His name is exalted.’ Praise the Lord in song, for He has done excellent things"

Isaiah 12: 2-5

Bless God, as new covenant Christians and priests unto God, we do "praise the Lord in song, for He has done excellent things." As God’s "royal priesthood," we absolutely see and understand the value of being in God’s presence so that, “you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1st Peter 2:9). In "His marvelous light," which we see in His presence, we are able to behold the excellencies of our God and, therefore, we are enlightened and empowered to proclaim the same to this world, the excellencies of our Lord, just as Peter exhorted the body of Christ.

Yesterday we saw the excellencies of Jesus Christ in this verse from Hebrews, "But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises" (8:6) Yes, the new covenant is most definitely a "more excellent ministry," because every single person who has ever experienced salvation has received eternal life through the new covenant of Christ.

Today let us consider this verse, from the first chapter of Hebrews, "Having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels did He ever say, ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You’?’ (Hebrews 1:4). Yes, Jesus is the “Son” of God and this is a most excellent name, more excellent than all others.

Did you know that the name, Jesus, in Hebrew, is "Yehoshua,“ which literally means ”The Lord is salvation." Isn’t this amazing, for our text in Isaiah, which we have been looking at for a few days now, actually begins with the name of Jesus! Look - “God is my salvation” - Jesus, Yehoshua, "The Lord is salvation." Hallelujah! God spoke “Jesus” through Isaiah and has given us “Jesus” as our salvation!

“Jesus” means “God is my salvation” and “Christ” means "The anointed One." This is the most excellent name I have ever heard! God’s anointed One has become our salvation!

In His letter to the Philippians, the apostle Paul wrote of Jesus, "He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death upon a cross. For this reason also, God highly bestowed on Him the name which is above every name" (2:8-9).

Jesus is the most excellent name, the name above all names. Beloved child of God, love the name of your Lord and Savior, Jesus!

Isaiah also prophesied another beautiful name for our Savior, saying "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14). Matthew quoted this verse in the opening chapter of His Gospel, adding this; "‘They shall call His name Immanuel,’ which translated means, ‘God with us’" (Matthew 1:23). Through our Lord Jesus Christ, God has come to be with us, God is our salvation, Jesus is the anointed of God, and His name is a more excellent name than any other.

Praise the name of Jesus today, priest of God. Yes, proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. Sing songs of praise in His presence and to this world, "for He has done excellent things." Hallelujah!