The Dwelling of the Name: The Name in Flesh (Part 8 of 12)
- billspivey
- Dec 14, 2025
- 13 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Jesus — From the Word in Heaven to the Word Made Flesh on Earth
© 2025 William F. Spivey Jr. All Rights Reserved (www.bible-is-history.com)
Introduction
Every mirror reflects what it is pointed toward. Whenever we drive a car or truck, the manufacturer installs mirrors with a certain purpose: a rear-view mirror to look behind us, a side-view mirrors to look left or right and a vanity mirror in the sun visors to look at ourselves.
Scripture teaches that we are mirrors too—called to reflect God to others (2 Corinthians 3:18, 1 Peter 2:12) and created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26–27). But sin cracked the mirror of our lives, each fragment reflecting a slightly distorted version of the original design.
Jesus, however, stands as a mirror unbroken. He existed with the Father before creation (John 17:5), and He entered the world in human flesh (Philippians 2:6–8). His ministry perfectly reflected the One who sent Him (John 5:19).
LET’S EXPLORE: From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible tells one continuous story—God’s desire to be in relationship with His creation, to dwell among His people. The Name that once existed in glory was born into the world as flesh, so that in Him the unseen God could finally be seen.
And if Jesus held up the mirror of our lives, He would not only be able to restore what is broken—He would tilt the mirror upward. And what we would see shining back is the Father, because the Father is seen in the Son.
In the last blog, we learned that Israel was meant to bear the Name and reflect God’s character among the nations. Even in exile, a faithful remnant carried the Name with honor—showing that God’s presence, not a place, ultimately marks His people.
But within a generation, the second group of exiles returning to Jerusalem with Ezra found this faithfulness short-lived, continuing the pattern of rebellion that is common to sinful humanity:
“... The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices ... mingled the holy race with the peoples around them. And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness.” — Ezra 9:1-2
In this next post in The Dwelling of the Name series, we will explore how Jesus reveals, carries, and embodies the divine Name in a way no one else ever has—so that in Him we see true faithfulness and the fullness of God made visible.
1 · YHWH and Yeshua — One Name, One Identity
Before we can understand why Jesus is the Name in flesh, we must understand the Name YHWH—the divine Name revealed in the Old Testament (see Blog 2)—and how it connects to the Name Yeshua (Jesus).
Many people assume “YHWH” refers only to God the Father. But Scripture reveals something deeper:
YHWH is the covenant Name of the one true God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
YHWH is not the title of one Person. It is the divine identity shared by all three Persons of the Godhead. We see this woven throughout Scripture.
A. YHWH Is the Name of the Triune God
The Father is identified as YHWH - (Isaiah 63:16; Malachi 2:10)
The Son is identified as YHWH - How do we know? Because the New Testament applies Old Testament YHWH passages directly to Jesus:
“Prepare the way of YHWH” (Isaiah 40:3) applied to Jesus in Mark 1:3
“Everyone who calls on the Name of YHWH” (Joel 2:32) applied to Jesus in Romans 10:13
The Creator who “laid the foundations of the earth” (Psalm 102:25–27) applied to Jesus in Hebrews 1:10–12
The divine Name “I AM” (Exodus 3:14) spoken by Jesus in John 8:58
His claim to equality with God met with accusations of blasphemy (John 8:59)
The Spirit is identified as YHWH - (Acts 5:3–4; 2 Corinthians 3:17)
Put simply: YHWH is the eternal, self-existent identity of the Triune God—not the title of the Father alone.
B. The Name Yeshua Carries the Name YHWH
The Hebrew name Yeshua (English: Jesus) is formed from two parts:
"Yeho-" a shortened form of YHWH
"-shua" from yasha, meaning “to save”
Together they mean: “YHWH saves.”
This is why the angel told Joseph:
“You shall call His Name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” — Matthew 1:21
The Name itself teaches us that:
Jesus bears the divine Name
Jesus performs the saving work of YHWH
Jesus reveals the saving heart of YHWH
His Name is not symbolic.
It is theological.
It is prophetic.
It is divine.
The Name Jesus is the Name of YHWH entering human history.
C. Jesus Shares the Divine Name and Identity
Jesus does not only carry the Name linguistically. He carries it in reality. He prayed to the Father:
“Protect them by the Name You gave Me.” — John 17:11–12
What Name is that? The Name “above every name” (Philippians 2:9)—the divine Name of YHWH Himself. This is why Thomas, seeing the risen Christ, fell before Him and declared:
“My Lord and my God!” — John 20:28
Jesus did not rebuke him. He received the worship owed to YHWH alone.
D. Jesus Is YHWH in Human Flesh
Jesus is not merely a messenger from God. He is not simply a reflection of God. He is God revealed—the divine Name dwelling in a human life.
In Jesus, the invisible God becomes visible. The eternal Word becomes flesh. The Name that once descended in cloud and fire now walks in human form. This truth prepares us to understand: the Father pointed to the Son, the miracle of His birth, the witnesses who testified about Him, and the divine identity He declared openly.
2 · The Father Sends the Son Who Shares His Name
If Yeshua means “YHWH saves,” then we must understand how Scripture describes God’s saving work. The Bible speaks with clarity and simplicity on two concepts 1. God the Father has a Son, and 2. The Father sends, and the Son is sent.
The writer of Proverbs says:
"I have not learned wisdom, nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One ["qadowsh" = God]. Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Whose hands have gathered up the wind? Who has wrapped up the waters in a cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is the name of his son? Surely you know!" — Proverbs 30:3-4
Jesus said:
“I have come… not to do My will but the will of Him who sent Me.” — John 6:38
And the apostle John wrote:
“The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.” — 1 John 4:14
This sending does not imply that Jesus is less divine than the Father. Instead, it reveals the distinct roles within the one true God.
A. The Unity of the Name
The unity between the Father and the Son flows from the ancient confession of Israel:
“Hear, O Israel: YHWH our God, YHWH is one.” — Deuteronomy 6:4
The Shema does not teach that God is one Person. It teaches that God is one Being—the one divine identity shared fully by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Because YHWH is one, the divine Name belongs equally to the Father and the Son.
So when the Father sends the Son, He sends One who already shares His own eternal Name and nature. That name would be announced by the angel to Mary and Joseph.
B. The Son Obeys the Father as True Man
But if the Son shares the Father’s divine Name, why does Jesus speak of obedience and submission? Because when the Word became flesh, He took on a true human nature.
Scripture says:
“Though He was in very nature God… He took on the form of a servant.” — Philippians 2:6–8
This means: As God, Jesus is equal with the Father. As a human, Jesus submits in obedience to the Father’s will. His obedience does not diminish His deity. It reveals His humanity—the perfect human life Adam failed to lived and Israel never fulfilled. He is the Last Adam (Romans 5:12–21, 1 Corinthians 15:21–22, 45–49)
Where humanity’s mirror is cracked, Jesus’ reflection is flawless.
C. Salvation Is the Unified Work of the One God
The Father does not save apart from the Son. (John 3:16–17; 1 John 4:14; Acts 4:12)
The Son does not act apart from the Father. (John 5:19, 30; John 10:30; John 14:10)
The Spirit does not work apart from either. (John 14:26; John 15:26; John 16:13–14, Romans 8:9)
Salvation is the unified work of the one God—the Father sending, the Son accomplishing redemption, and the Spirit applying that salvation to the hearts of God’s people (1 Peter 1:2).
This unity is not a later theological construction but the consistent testimony of Scripture itself. For this reason Paul can declare without qualification:
“In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” — Colossians 2:9
Because the Son shares the divine Name, the saving work of Yeshua is the saving work of YHWH. The Father sends no lesser agent, and the Son accomplishes no independent mission. What unfolds in the ministry of Jesus is not a divided will, but the unified action of the one God making Himself known. Yet this unity raises a necessary question—one that confronted Israel directly: if the Name of YHWH truly dwells in the Son, how was Israel meant to recognize Him?
D. Recognizing the Name-Bearing Son: Why Belief Is Required
When Jesus spoke to Nicodemus (John 3:1-21), He was not introducing a new idea about God or salvation. He was pressing an old one to its unavoidable conclusion—one the Torah itself had already supplied.
The Law had prepared Israel to recognize a moment when God would act through the One who bore His own authority. In Exodus, the LORD warned Israel concerning the Angel who would go before them into the promised land:
“Pay careful attention to Him and listen to what He says. Do not rebel against Him; He will not forgive your rebellion, since My Name is in Him.” — Exodus 23:21
Scripture carefully distinguishes this Angel from created angels: ordinary angels refuse worship and redirect honor to God alone, but the Angel of the LORD bears the divine Name, forgives sin, and receives worship without correction—revealing Him to be YHWH Himself, not a created being (Genesis 16:7-14, Genesis 22:11–18, Exodus 3:2–6, Judges 13:15–22).
This passage establishes a clear scriptural pattern: the One in whom God’s Name dwells speaks and acts with God’s own authority. Obedience to Him is obedience to God; rebellion against Him is rebellion against the LORD Himself. For a teacher of Israel, this text shaped how divine presence and authority could be revealed without compromising God’s oneness.
Nicodemus came to Jesus convinced that the power of God was at work in Him and that salvation was bound to the Name of YHWH, yet wary of the charge of blasphemy such recognition might imply. He came by night —not in disbelief, but in caution—aware that recognizing what the signs implied would carry consequences he was not yet ready to bear publicly. There he confessed:
“Rabbi, we [the Jewish ruling council] know that You are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs unless God is with him.” — John 3:2
This was not flattery. It was recognition—partial, but genuine. Yet Jesus immediately revealed that Nicodemus’ understanding, though close, was incomplete. What Nicodemus perceived as God being with Jesus, Jesus revealed as something far greater—that the very presence and reign of God now dwelt in Him (John 3:13).
The Scriptures had long taught that salvation was found in the Name of YHWH:
“Save me, O God, by Your Name” (Psalm 54:1)
“The Name of the LORD is a strong tower” (Proverbs 18:10)
“Everyone who calls on the Name of the LORD will be saved” (Joel 2:32)
The question before Nicodemus was not whether the Name saves, but whether he recognized where that Name now dwelt. In that light, Jesus framed the issue in unmistakable terms:
“Whoever believes in him [the one and only Son] is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” — John 3:18
The Law had already warned Israel that obedience to the One bearing the divine Name would not be optional. That One now stood before Nicodemus, declaring that life and deliverance were found in believing in the Son who bears the Name.
Nicodemus had rightly confessed that God was with Jesus, yet Jesus pressed him to see more—to recognize that the saving presence he perceived was not merely alongside Him, but dwelling within Him as the Son sent from the Father. The conversation ends without Nicodemus’ response recorded, leaving the weight of recognition—and responsibility—squarely before the teacher of Israel.
3 · The Name in Flesh Given from Heaven
Here the meaning of the Son’s Name became decisive. The name Yeshua—“YHWH saves”—was not a later interpretation imposed by His followers, but a declaration given from heaven itself. Before Jesus ever taught, healed, or called disciples, the Father revealed who He is by the Name He was commanded to bear.
The story of Jesus does not begin with Mary or Joseph. It begins with a Name spoken in heaven. Before Jesus ever drew breath on earth, the Father revealed His identity through an angelic messenger.
The naming of Jesus did not arise from human imagination, family tradition, or cultural expectation. It came directly from God. When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, he announced:
“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call His name Jesus.” — Luke 1:31
When Joseph struggled with fear and confusion, an angel appeared in a dream and reaffirmed the Name:
“You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” — Matthew 1:21
The Name “Jesus” (Yeshua) was chosen by the Father Himself conveying, “YHWH saves.”
This divine naming fulfills what Isaiah foretold long ago:
"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." - Isaiah 7:14
This is a breakdown of this prophecy:
"the Lord [Adonai] himself" = YHWH (God the Father)
"a sign" = a virgin conceives by the Holy Spirit
"the virgin" = Mary, the mother of Jesus
"a son" = Jesus, whose Name means “YHWH saves”
"Immanuel" = Hebrew word meaning “God with us,” the very Presence of YHWH in human flesh
Heaven’s declaration is clear: Jesus is God with us, the Name made flesh.
4 · The Witnesses to the Messiah
The arrival of Jesus was not hidden or silent. God surrounded His coming with voices and signs, so that the identity of this Child would be unmistakable.
Long before Jesus taught or performed miracles, heaven and earth testified that He bears the divine Name.
A. John the Baptizer (Cousin of Jesus)
John’s testimony began before he could speak. When Mary approached Elizabeth, carrying Jesus in her womb, Scripture says:
“The baby [John] leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.” — Luke 1:41–44
Thirty years later John would declare openly, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29)
John knew the One coming after him bore the Name and the authority of God.
B. Zechariah (Father of John the Baptizer)
When Zechariah’s voice returned after months of silence, he used it to proclaim that God Himself was visiting His people: “He has raised up a horn of salvation" (Luke 1:69); "He has come and has redeemed His people.” (Luke 1:68)
He recognized that the saving presence of YHWH had arrived in a Child, who will be called a prophet of the Most High (Luke 1:76).
C. The Magi (Gentiles)
A star rose in the heavens and led Gentile scholars to Judea. When they arrived, they asked:
“Where is the One who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him.” — Matthew 2:2
Their journey shows that the revelation of the Name was never meant for Israel alone. The nations were being drawn toward the Light.
D. Simeon (Devout and righteous Jew)
Simeon had been promised that he would not die before seeing the Lord’s salvation. Holding the infant Jesus, he declared:
“My eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the sight of all nations.” — Luke 2:30–31
Salvation was not merely something God would do—it was Someone God had sent.
E. Anna — (the faithful Prophetess)
Anna immediately recognized the Child. Her voice joined Simeon’s in proclaiming God’s redeeming presence.
“She ... spoke about the Child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.” — Luke 2:38
She knew the Name had come near.
F. The Father and the Spirit
At Jesus’ baptism, the identity of the Son was declared publicly:
“This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” — Matthew 3:16–17
The Spirit descended. The Father spoke. Heaven itself testified that Jesus bears the divine Name.
5 · Living in Light of the Name
1) What you just learned
You have learned that YHWH took on human flesh because He said He would. The incarnation was not an unexpected turn in God’s plan, nor a reaction to human failure, but the fulfillment of what Scripture had long promised. Through covenant, prophecy, and the witnesses prepared ahead of time, God revealed that He Himself would come to act within history. Jesus did not introduce a new identity for God—He embodied the one already revealed.
The Son entered the world bearing the divine Name not as a symbolic representative, but as YHWH in human form. His life, words, signs, and resurrection confirm that the covenant God did not remain above or outside the human condition. He came because faithfulness to His own word required it.
2) Why this is important
This matters because it reveals the true heart of God. The LORD did not ignore sin, redefine justice, or lower His standard in order to save humanity. He established the penalty for sin, and in perfect consistency with His holiness, He paid that price Himself. The incarnation leads inevitably to the cross—not as tragedy, but as intention.
This is love defined by action, not sentiment. God did not save from a distance; He entered human life, bore human guilt, and absorbed the full cost of redemption. The humility of the incarnation reveals a love that judged sin honestly and redeemed sinners completely—a love that considered humanity worth dying for without compromising holiness.
3) How this applies to sanctification
Jesus not only accomplished salvation; He also walked the path of faithful human obedience. Though sinless, He lived fully as a man under the Father’s will—praying, submitting, trusting, suffering, and obeying. Where Adam failed, and all Jews and Gentiles fall short throughout history, Jesus remained faithful in every circumstance.
Sanctification, then, is not self-improvement or moral striving. It is participation in the life of the obedient Son. Believers are not called to invent holiness, but to be shaped by the pattern Christ already lived—learning dependence, humility, faithfulness, and trust in God amid real human conditions.
4) Reflection and orientation
Confession and belief in Jesus Christ do not remove human weakness. Limitations, struggle, and vulnerability remain part of life in a fallen world. Yet Scripture teaches that Christ’s strength is revealed precisely within that weakness, and the Holy Spirit works not by erasing our humanity, but by directing it to reflect God faithfully.
So consider:
If God chose to reveal Himself through humility, obedience, and suffering love, what does that say about how His Name is honored in our lives? Do we expect strength to precede obedience—or do we trust that God works through weakness? Is there evidence that the Holy Spirit is shaping our thoughts, words, and actions to reflect the character of the One who came down to our level to save us?
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Part 8 of 12 in The Dwelling of the Name Series
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