hopes expressed and realized (Luke 2:15-21)

"On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived." (Luke 2:21)

In biblical culture, the naming of a child expresses hopes for the child's future. The kind of character he will have, the kind of things she will accomplish, what kind of road he will travel. And, what kind of world she will live in. The name "Jesus," which means "God saves," was easily in the top five ranking of popular baby names at the time. That's how much the people of God awaited the day of salvation. At first, only Mary and Joseph and the shepherds knew that the salvation of the world had appeared in Jesus of Nazareth. But from them, eventually this good news would spread to the whole world.