We are saved by grace through this media called faith. We receive it and then are able to believe in or on the name of Jesus Christ. The word “in” or “on” doesn’t appear in the Greek text. It is supplied by the translators to make for better English. “We should believe the name of the Son of Him Jesus Christ.” Of course, the name Jesus Christ, to the Aramaic or Hebrew mind would bring up the meaning of Jesus’ name. Yeshua means “Yah saves or delivers.” The word “Christ” is not a part of His birth day. It is a title. The Hebrew form is “ha Mashiach” which means “the Anointed One.”
A Jewish name had much more importance and meaning in the Hebrew language than we place on our English names. Names often referred to the nature of things, especially when the names were placed in the Biblical record. It is difficult for Western democratic people who value their voice in government, equal rights, majority rule, etc., to understand what the absolute sovereignty of a ruler is really like. Our judicial system perhaps comes closest to it, but still falls short.
A man in a uniform with a badge on his or her shirt aims a gun at you and says, “Stop in the name of the law!” You probably would immediately freeze and do exactly what he tells you. In our society, this man has been given a authority, a uniform, and a power which you recognize as something which you must obey or face serious consequences. The gun, which the law-makers authorized the uniformed man to carry and use makes it quite clear we are dealing with a life and death situation regarding how we respond to his command.
The term Christ, Christos in Greek, and ha Mashiach in the Hebrew, had a meaning to that culture which we modern Westerners do not usually attach to the word “Christ.” What did it mean to be called the Anointed One? The Anointed One was to sit on David’s throne and rule all of Israel. David was a king, anointed by a prophet of God, not elected by the people. How do we respond to Jesus’ sovereignty and power as king? Have we really come to grips with Jesus’ right to absolute rulership in our lives?
His Hebrew name is “Yeshua” (Yah saves or delivers). Do we really grasp the reality found in this name? Jesus is called the Savior. Yet Jesus’ name means “Yah saves.” Yah, short for Yahweh was Jesus’ Father. “And He who sent me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him” (John 8:29). “For the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from the Father” (John 16:27). “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:19). “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). We often forget that Jesus’ purpose was to reveal our Father in all His fullness. The fullness of God was in the Anointed One bodily. Jesus said, “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father (John 10:30). “He that has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). I will not list all the Scripture references but Jesus came to declare, manifest, and fulfill the Word, Work, and Will of the Father. They were one in purpose. Jesus did not sin (miss the mark) in this regard. I mention all this merely to say that too few Christians really know their Father. They do not know the nature, the power, nor the purpose in His name/nature. Many Christians have no problem loving Jesus, but they have a hard time relating to their Father. This was one of the main purposes of Jesus, that is, through Himself to draw them to the Father. Here, again, the traditions of men have intervened producing doctrines which have crippled Christians from being able to truly come to know the Creator of the Universe as their Father.
In summary, there is a great chasm between the first pillar of the New Testament as taught by Jesus Christ (and John the apostle) and what has been traditionally taught by much of the Church. The faith and belief which Jesus and John spoke of is quite removed from the systems of belief created by many organized Christian denominations.