The grace of Jesus in the name “Jesus of Nazareth” comes from understanding the meaning of this title. Being “Jesus of Nazareth” indicates that Jesus is Savior, Messiah, and Keeper. All three of these names are a reflection of the grace given to us through Jesus.
SAVIOR
Jesus is our Savior. It is through the miracle of His virgin birth, sinless life, blood stained punishment and death, and his glorious resurrection and ascension that we can believe in Him and have eternal life. Praise God!
There is no other name in all the earth or the universe through which we can be rescued and spared from the eternal damnation that awaits all those who do not believe in Jesus. Acts 4:12 (NIV) makes this abundantly clear when it says, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved." John 14:6 (KJV) further affirms this claim when Jesus Himself says, “I am the way, the truth, and the light, no man comes to the father but by me.”
But, where is the grace in salvation? The grace comes through the fact that we have no part in the process. We are saved by grace through faith alone. Ephesians 2:8-10 (NKJ) tells us, “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” We cannot boast in our salvation, since we had no part in it. We accepted the gift of faith that was given to us by God’s grace. That gift was provided by Jesus and we call it salvation.
Paul, in Ephesians 2:8, identifies salvation as “by grace.” It is by the grace of God that we are saved. Ephesians 2:4-5 (KJV) lays the foundation for the for Ephesians 2:8 when Paul writes, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved).” Our salvation and our position as God’s children is as a result of His eternal love and grace.
MESSIAH
It was God’s eternal plan that brought about our justification. The fact that we can have eternal life after death is an act of grace. Jesus was born to die. He is the anointed one. He is the Messiah, the Deliverer. Jesus justifies us through His death
The Bible proclaims that Jesus is Messiah: Matthew 1:16 (NLT) “Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah.”
Prophesy predicts that Jesus is Messiah: Isaiah 53:4-5 (NIV) gives us a vivid prophecy of the coming Messiah when it says, “Surely, he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”
Jesus would be and is the anointed one, the one who paid the price for the people’s sin. Then the Messiah would be the King of His people as He rules over them in His eternal Kingdom.
His death proves that Jesus is Messiah:
The question, Is Jesus the Christ? is plainly of greatest importance, not to Jews only but to all races of mankind. This question is answered affirmatively because Jesus distinctly claimed to be the Messiah, a claim reconcilable with His character only upon the supposition that His claim was valid. The conception of messiahship that Jesus held and promulgated was unspeakably above the prevailing Jewish conception, and yet in reality was that of OT prophecy. The gospel of Matthew gives important revelation concerning the Messiah's kingdom. The phrase "kingdom of heaven," literally, "of the heavens," is peculiar to Matthew and denotes the messianic rule on the earth of Christ as the son of David. The designation is appropriate because it is the rule of the heavens over the earth (Matthew 6:10). The phrase is derived from the OT (Daniel 2:34-36,44; 7:23-27), and it is said that the "God of heaven" will set up this kingdom covenanted to David's posterity (2 Samuel 7:8-16) after the destruction of Gentile world powers by the returning Christ, the stone "cut out without hands." This kingdom was confirmed in regard to the Son of God through the angel Gabriel (Luke 1:31-33).[1]
KEEPER
The fact that God will keep us through Jesus Christ and protect us as His own is certainly the greatest act of grace other than the grace that was shown through His sacrifice on the cross.
Those who trust in God and continue to walk in Him (1 John 1:9) as evidence of their salvation will be kept by Jesus. In 1 Corinthians 1:8-9 (NLT) Paul explains it this way, “He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns.”
We are like sheep. As a result, we need a shepherd. The shepherd is the keeper of the flock. He watches over the flock day and night and is responsible for their care and provision. Jesus is the Good Shepherd (Psalm 23). He is our keeper. Jesus will let nothing separate us from that loving care.
Romans 8:38-39 (NLT) speaks of this loving care and the breadth and depth of our protection, “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
I said earlier that grace is when we do get what we don’t deserve. We don’t deserve a Savior. We don’t deserve eternal life. We don’t deserve the grace of God. However, fortunately for us, Jesus has provided what we don’t deserve and has given it to us as a gift. That’s grace.
[1] [1] The New Unger's Bible Dictionary. Originally published by Moody Press of Chicago, Illinois. Copyright © 1988.
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