“And you shall call his name…” announced the angel Gabriel, “Jesus.”
Was that the original pronunciation — the way the angel said it?
An interesting query, because, one quickly learns, the Name Jesus (so powerful!) comes from “Yeshua” (while in Hebrew “Gabriel” was pronounced “Gav-ree-el”).
How did ‘Yeshua,’ the actual Hebrew name for our Lord and Messiah, turn into Jesus?” asks a website, One For Israel. “It sounds nothing like Yeshua! The Name ‘Jesus’ comes from the Greek way of expressing His Name: Ἰησοῦς, which is pronounced ‘Yay-soos.'”
“Yeshua” was known and used through Jewish history (see 1 Chronicles 24:11, 2 Chronicles 31:15, Ezra 2:2,6,36). It’s a version of Joshua, and it means “salvation.”
A critical definition there: One Who Saves. It was of course Jesus’s mission.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church adds, “Jesus means in Hebrew: ‘God saves.’ At the annunciation, the angel Gabriel gave Him the name Jesus as his proper name, which expresses both his identity and his mission.”
Crucial is that the Name “Jesus” is coupled with “Christ.” It is pointed out that many people had been named “Jesus” before and many since Jesus. But only this “Jesus” is referred to as Jesus Christ or Christ Jesus. The title “Christ” further signifies His unique identity and mission.
“God was now opening up the way to all the peoples of the earth to come to Him,” notes the Jewish site. “If you relate to Him by His Name Jesus, then don’t let it be a burden to you to change to Yeshua if you don’t feel the need to. He knows His sheep, and His sheep know His voice. His Name has gone out to the nations in various versions of the Greek ‘Yay-soos.'”
“The Name Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua, which was originally ‘Hoshea’ (Numbers 13:8, Numbers 13:16),” explains Christianity.com. “Moses changed this version into ‘Jehoshua’ (Numbers 13:16, 1 Chronicles 7:27 ), or Joshua. Then, after Israel’s exile to Babylon, it assumed the form Jeshua.”
Says a third site, Got Questions: “In every way, Jesus lives up to His name. The Name Jesus reminds us of the power, presence, and purpose of the risen Christ. It assures us that God’s gracious intention is to save us.”
Bottom line: No Name in history is as well known, and none is remotely as powerful. No one else is Savior. No one else is The Son of God.
[Footnote from the book of alleged locutions, Jesus Calling: “Whenever you feel distant from Me, whisper My Name in loving trust. This simple prayer can restore your awareness of My Presence. My Name is constantly abused in the world, where people use it as a curse word. This verbal assault reaches all the way to Heaven; every word is heard and recorded. When you trustingly whisper My Name, My aching ears are soothed. The grating rancor of the world’s blasphemies cannot compete with a trusting child’s utterance: ‘Jesus.’ The power of My Name to bless both you and Me is beyond your understanding.”]