This can be summed up in the meaning of His name, Jesus, which is found in Matthew 1:21, “Ye shall call His name JESUS, for He shall save His people from their sin.” The name “Jesus” means “Jehovah is salvation”; thus, Jesus Christ is the Savior of His people. Just how did Jesus “save His people from their sin”, and who are His people? In Matthew 20:28 we read, “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” How did He do that, you might ask? John 10:11 says, “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life [soul] for the sheep.” Well, we have to understand that Jesus is not talking about giving His physical life (which of course He did); but rather to pay the penalty of sin (which is eternal damnation in Hell) for the “many”, or “the sheep”, or His “chosen ones”. All of these are references to those who are true Christians. We must remember that by nature and by conception all men are sinful; and, as a result, we deserve to go to Hell, or the “lake of fire”, where we have to pay for our sins forever. The only alternative is that the Savior Jesus Christ acted as our substitute and paid this incomprehensible ransom on behalf of every true believer.
