Names are important. Modern parents-to-be spend significant time selecting just the right names for their unborn children. There are dozens of “Baby Name” books and Internet sites to help with the selection. Moms and dads can scan through thousands of names to find the perfect one for their son or daughter. Some families carry on longstanding traditions of naming the firstborn after the father; others name a child after a favorite aunt or uncle. Whether they name the child in honor of a beloved relative or after a famous person, they do so in the hope that the child will embody the best qualities of his or her eponymous predecessor.
Our scripture text recounts the naming of Jesus. In previous verses, Matthew offered a detailed genealogy that links Jesus to Israel’s history. In particular, Jesus is called son of Abraham, son of David and Messiah (Christ).1 Abraham was the fountainhead of God’s people. The Lord had called Abraham to serve as the father of a new people through whom all peoples would be blessed.2 The Lord had raised up David to serve as the earthly ruler of God’s kingdom.3 To call a person “Messiah” was tantamount to declaring that the era of the fulfillment of God’s promises was at hand. All of these titles would have resonated deeply with the people of Jesus’ day. They would have raised expectations and re-established hope of a new and dramatic work of God.
Yet our text does not burst forth in a birth announcement complete with trumpet rolls and fireworks. The birth of the Messiah marks the beginning of the most important life in the history of the eternity. But it is not one marked with fanfare. There are no headlines in the newspapers. It does not occur in the center of political and religious power in Jerusalem.
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