Edward Moore “Ted” Kennedy was the second most senior member
of the Senate of the United States when he died in 2009. He was also the fourth
longest-serving Senator in the history of this country.
In November of 1962 Ted Kennedy was elected in a special election
held to fill the seat his brother vacated to become the 35th
President of the United States. And it was a few months before the beginning of
that Senate run when a famous exchange occurred at the Kennedy compound in Palm
Beach, Florida.
JFK, RFK, and their father, Joe, were sitting around
discussing Teddy’s future. Teddy really didn’t like the odds of running for the
seat against fellow Democrat Edward “Eddie” McCormack, Jr. His main concern was
that his name would be a liability. He felt that the people of Massachusetts
would think he was simply trying to capitalize on his sibling’s glory. And,
according to one source, he felt that he needed to change his name to run a
fair race.
So his brother, the President, asks, “What name are you
going to ask for?” “Well,” Teddy said, “I think I’ll keep my first name. After
all, I’m used to responding to it. But for the last name I think I’d like
Roosevelt.”
This week we are in Matthew, chapter one where the writer,
at the outset, features forty-eight names. Now much has been made of the
significance of this genealogy and the others found in Scripture. Much has been
made of the fact that both Matthew and Luke open with one. But for our purposes
this Sunday, it’s only the last name in this genealogy that matters.
For the last fourteen weeks we’ve been studying Paul’s
letter to the Galatians, and throughout we’ve seen the prominence of Jesus’
name. In fact, the glorious Gospel itself is predicated on the name of Jesus.
But this Sunday we want to examine four particular aspects of Jesus’ name that are
first uttered by the angel who speaks to Joseph in a dream saying, “Joseph, son
of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in
her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name
Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Someone has said that if every annunciation of Christ was
thoroughly examined and understood, the life and mission of Jesus would be far
more easily apprehended. That’s what we are going to seek to do this Sunday.
This is the third Sunday of Advent (which means “coming”) and we will examine
the angel’s announcement to Joseph. Interestingly, it’s a message that is
totally consistent with Advent, for it speaks not only of the reason for Christ’s
first coming, but His second as well.
In preparation for Sunday’s message, “What’s in a Name?” you
may wish to consider the following:
- Read Matthew 1:18-25 and Joshua 1:1-9
- What is the relationship between Joshua and Jesus?
- Why does the angel address Joseph as the son of David?
- What do the names: Joseph, David, Joshua, and Arden mean?
- How is God’s view of Joseph as David’s son, rather than the son of Jacob, consistent with the rest of the angel’s message?
- What are the similarities and the differences between Joshua and Jesus?
- What are the similarities and differences in the deliverance both men offer?
- What does the angel’s message in verse 21 mean?
- How does God’s message to Paul in Acts 18:10 mirror the angel’s message to Joseph in verse 21?
- How does the angel’s message take away the root of all fear?
