What Does Jesus Mean, Yeshua (Joshua), Savior, Christ, Lord, and Immanuel (Matthew 1 and Luke 2)

When we ask, what does Jesus mean, we’re not just chasing a word origin, we’re listening to how God tied a Name to a mission. Matthew 1:21 doesn’t treat “Jesus” like a random label, it reads like Heaven signing the birth certificate with purpose: “you shall call His name,” because “He will save.”

In this article, we’ll slow down and let the original languages speak, the Hebrew and Aramaic world behind the history, and the Greek words Matthew and Luke actually wrote. We’ll see why “Jesus” is the English form of Yeshua, how Yeshua is a shortened form of Yehoshua (Joshua), and why calling Him “Jesus” can feel a bit like calling a man named Joshua “Josh,” familiar, but missing the full weight.

We’ll also walk through the other Joshuas in Scripture, leaders, helpers, and fighters who carry shadows of Jesus’ character, yet still fall short. Then we’ll look at how Jesus wins where every earlier Joshua couldn’t.

Finally, we’ll connect Luke 2:11 (Savior, Christ, Lord) with Matthew 1:22-23 (Immanuel), and trace how “God with us” doesn’t stop at Bethlehem, it reaches all the way to Revelation. Along the way, we’ll look at the angel of the Lord in Matthew 1:20, and why that messenger language matters when we read the last book of the Bible (including how it fits the bigger pattern of Biblical foreshadowing of Jesus as the Son of God).

Matthew 1:21, why the angel links His name to saving

When we ask what does Jesus mean, Matthew 1:21 is one of the clearest places to start, because Heaven itself explains the Name. The angel does not just hand Joseph a name to put on a form. He hands him a sentence that ties identity to mission, like a key that fits one lock and one lock only.

If we read the verse in its setting, we feel the pressure Joseph is under, the shock of Mary’s pregnancy, and the mercy of God stepping in before Joseph makes a move that would shape everything. Right there, in that tense moment, the angel anchors Joseph with a Name and a purpose.

What Matthew 1:21 actually says and why the wording matters

In plain English, Matthew 1:21 says something like: Mary will have a Son, Joseph must name Him Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins. That “because” is the heartbeat. The angel gives a reason, not just an instruction.

Matthew wrote his Gospel in Greek, so the name appears as Iēsous (Ἰησοῦς), the Greek way of writing the name. Still, the history is soaked in Jewish life. Joseph, Mary, Bethlehem, David, the law, the shame risk, the dreams, all of it sits inside a Jewish world. That means the name the family would say at home, at the table, and in the street would have sounded like Yeshua (an Aramaic and Hebrew form used in that era), not “Jesus” with an English J sound.

This is one reason what does Jesus mean is not a side question. Matthew is doing something intentional. The angel connects the Name to the mission with the line:

• “For He will save”: not “He might,” not “He could,” but He will.
• “His people”: not a random rescue, but covenant language. God is keeping promises.
• “From their sins”: not mainly from Rome, taxes, or politics, but from the guilt and grip of sin.

That last phrase is where many of us need the reset. We naturally want a rescue that looks like a headline: a new ruler, a new army, a new system. But Matthew aims the spotlight at something deeper. The angel says the crisis is sin, the kind that stains us, trains us, and chains us. Jesus comes to break that chain.

If we want a simple way to hold it, we can say it like this: Matthew 1:21 tells us Jesus is not only a Savior from trouble, He is a Savior from sin and its power. That is why what does Jesus mean cannot be separated from what Jesus came to do.

For a quick overview of how Christians have commonly summarized the meaning of the name, see Got Questions on the meaning of the name Jesus.

What does Jesus mean, Yeshua, Yehoshua, and the saving wordplay

So, what does Jesus mean when we trace it back behind the Greek letters? The everyday Jewish form behind Iēsous is Yeshua, which is connected to the older Hebrew form Yehoshua (Joshua). Both forms are tied to the Hebrew “save” word family, often connected with the root יָשַׁע (yashaʿ), meaning to save, rescue, deliver.

That root shows up all over the Old Testament, in prayers, songs, and cries for help. It is the language of people who know they cannot fix themselves.

This is where Matthew’s wordplay becomes beautiful and sharp at the same time. The angel basically says: Name Him “Yeshua,” because He is the One who saves. Name and mission match.

We can say it simply:

• Name: Yeshua (connected to “the LORD saves,” or “the LORD is salvation”)
• Mission: “He will save His people from their sins”

Matthew is not treating Jesus like a sticker we slap on a story. He is showing that the child’s identity and purpose are welded together. The name is like a window. When we look through it, we see what God is doing.

And this does not shrink Jesus into a label. It does the opposite. It tells us His saving work is not a side project. Saving is not just something He does. It is bound up with who He is. That is why what does Jesus mean lands as a personal question, not just a vocabulary question.

If you want a helpful discussion that compares Yeshua and Yehoshua in Scripture, this overview is useful: FIRM Israel on understanding the names Yeshua and Yehoshua.

How Yeshua is a shortened form, and why English ends up with Joshua and Jesus

We also need to explain, in a down-to-earth way, why this name looks different across languages, and why what does Jesus mean sometimes turns into a spelling debate.

Yeshua is widely understood as a shorter form of Yehoshua. That shortening makes sense when we think about how we treat names in everyday life. “Joshua” becomes “Josh.” “Jonathan” becomes “Jon.” We do this because it is quicker, familiar, and normal in a living language.

From there, the name takes a long trip through translation:

1. Hebrew/Aramaic: Yeshua (the spoken form in that Jewish setting)
2. Greek: Iēsous (Greek has no “sh” sound, and it often adds endings to fit grammar)
3. Latin: Iesus (carrying the Greek form forward)
4. English: Jesus (later English spelling and pronunciation developments)

So why do we get both Joshua and Jesus in English Bibles? Because English is receiving the same name through two common paths:

• In the Old Testament, translators often bring Yehoshua into English as Joshua.
• In the New Testament, translators bring Iēsous into English as Jesus.

Different route, same destination. That is why, when we ask what does Jesus mean, it is fair to say: “Jesus” is the New Testament form of the same name we often see as “Joshua” in the Old Testament.

Once we see that, Matthew 1:21 gets even louder. The angel is not picking a random sound. He is pointing to a Name that already carries the idea of salvation, then he tells us exactly how that salvation will happen: He will save His people from their sins.

Is “Jesus” His name or His title, what the Bible means by name, identity, and authority

When we ask what does Jesus mean, we’re really asking a deeper Bible question: what does God mean by name? In Scripture, a name is not just a sound we say out loud, it’s often a summary of a person’s identity, their calling, and the authority they carry.

This matters because we don’t just say “Jesus.” We trust Him, follow Him, worship Him, and pray in His name. If we reduce “name” to a label, we end up treating faith like a formula instead of a relationship with the living Christ.

In the Bible, a “name” often means more than a label

In the Bible, a “name” can carry the weight of someone’s story. It can point to their character, their reputation, their authority, and even their mission. That’s why Scripture talks about God’s name being honored, feared, loved, trusted, and praised. Nobody treats a mere label like that.

This is also why Matthew 1:21 hits so hard. When the angel says, “You shall call His name Jesus,” he’s not just picking a nice sounding name. He immediately gives the reason: “for He will save His people from their sins.” The angel is announcing purpose. In other words, what does Jesus mean is tied to what Jesus came to do.

If we want a practical way to think about it, we can hold “name” in four simple layers:

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• Character: A name can point to who someone really is when nobody’s watching.
• Reputation: A name can carry what others have seen and known to be true.
• Authority: A name can function like a signature, it represents the person’s right to act.
• Mission: A name can point to what that person is here to accomplish.

That “authority” part is where our everyday faith gets real. When we pray “in Jesus’ name,” we’re not tagging a magic phrase onto the end of a prayer. We’re praying under His authority, in alignment with His will, and with trust in who He is. We’re basically saying, “Father, we’re coming on the basis of Jesus, not on the basis of us.” For a deep dive into how believers can use His Name and still not be right with God, check out our article here:

This is one reason we shouldn’t treat “in Jesus’ name” like a verbal stamp. A prayer can end with the words “in Jesus’ name” and still be out of step with Jesus’ heart. But when our prayers line up with His character and His mission, that phrase becomes honest and bold.

If you want to see how broad the Biblical idea of “name” is in the New Testament, it helps to look at the Greek word onoma and how it’s used for name, authority, and cause (Strong’s Greek 3686 on Bible Hub).

A related encouragement for us is to remember that Jesus’ authority is not fragile. He isn’t competing with darkness for control. He opens doors no one can shut, and that picture of His authority in Revelation is worth sitting with (see Revelation 3:7‑8: Jesus Holds the Key of David).

Why saying “Jesus” in English is not wrong, but the meaning should not be lost

We don’t have to fear English. God understands languages because He made human beings, and He scattered languages in the first place. The New Testament writers themselves used Greek, and the name appears as Iēsous (Ἰησοῦς), not Hebrew letters. So saying “Jesus” is not careless, it’s normal for Christians reading an English Bible.

Still, what does Jesus mean can fade if we never learn what’s behind the English form. When we hear Yeshua, we hear the saving meaning more clearly. We also hear Matthew’s point in Matthew 1:21 more sharply, the Name fits the mission.

Knowing “Yeshua” also helps us catch something simple but important: translations often carry the same person across different sounds. That’s not corruption, it’s communication. Think about how we handle names in everyday life. “Joshua” can become “Josh.” It’s the same person, just a common form instead of a formal form. Used carefully, that’s a helpful picture for how languages work without turning the subject into a joke.

So yes, we can say:

• Hebrew and Aramaic world: Yeshua
• Greek New Testament: Iēsous
• English Bibles: Jesus

The takeaway is the point we don’t want to miss: the power is not in a pronunciation trick, as if God is waiting for us to say the right syllables. The power is in the Person the name points to, the Son who saves, the Lord who rules, the Christ who redeems. That’s why what does Jesus mean is not trivia, it’s worship with understanding.

For a helpful overview of how the Hebrew form relates to the English form, this article lays out the basic language steps clearly: How Did the Name “Yeshua” Become “Jesus”?. And when we keep Jesus’ identity front and center, we stay grounded in what the church has always confessed, not just that He has authority, but that His authority flows from who He is (see How Pentecost Reveals Jesus is God).

Every “Joshua” in Scripture points forward to Jesus, but each one falls short

When we keep asking what does Jesus mean, Scripture quietly answers by giving us “Joshuas” before Jesus shows up in Bethlehem. Each Joshua carries a hint of the mission in the name (the LORD saves). Each one also hits a limit, like a signpost that points the right way but cannot walk us home.

Joshua son of Nun: the leader who brings Israel into the land, but not into final rest

Joshua steps in after Moses, leads Israel through the Jordan, fights real battles, and divides the inheritance. He gets them into the land, and that matters.

The parallel to Jesus is hard to miss when we sit with what does Jesus mean: Jesus leads us through death into life, defeats our enemies at the root (sin, Satan, and the fear of death), and gives an inheritance that doesn’t wear out.

Still, Joshua’s victories were partial. Cities remained, idols stayed tempting, and the “rest” was not final. Later Scripture even says a rest still remains for God’s people, which tells us Joshua’s work could not finish the history (Hebrews 4 in context). Jesus doesn’t just win territory, He wins hearts.

Yeshua the high priest (Zechariah): the priest who needs cleansing, pointing to the Priest who is clean

In Zechariah’s vision, Joshua (Yeshua) stands in filthy garments while Satan accuses. God rebukes the accuser and gives Joshua clean clothes.

That’s a living picture of what does Jesus mean: Jesus is our High Priest who silences the accuser and clothes us with righteousness. The shortfall is the point, that priest needed cleansing. Jesus is clean, sinless, and His sacrifice makes cleansing real.

Joshua in the return from exile (Ezra and Nehemiah): rebuilding worship, but not rebuilding hearts

Joshua helps rebuild the altar and restart worship. It’s a true return, but it’s fragile. The temple stands again, yet fear and sin still haunt the people.

Jesus restores worship by bringing us back from spiritual exile, and He goes further by making us God’s dwelling place. If we want to think “new covenant” here, the shift is from stone and ritual to Spirit and life (Understanding the New Covenant with Jesus).

Other men named Jesus or Joshua in the Bible: helpful but limited witnesses

Because Iēsous is the Greek form, the same name can refer to others too (and some translations reflect that overlap). That matters because it keeps us honest. The difference is not the letters, it’s the Person.

Many men can carry the name “the LORD saves.” Only Jesus fulfills it completely.

Luke 2:11 and Matthew 1:22-23, Savior, Christ, Lord, and Immanuel

When we keep asking what does Jesus mean, Luke and Matthew don’t let us stay in word studies only. They pull us into a real birth, real fear, and real joy, then they give us titles that fit Jesus like a glove. Luke gives us Savior, Christ, Lord in a single angelic sentence. Matthew gives us Jesus and Immanuel in the same breath. Together, they show us something steady: His name explains what He does, and His titles explain who He is.

Luke 2:11 in context: “Savior” is not a random label, it matches His name

Luke 2 doesn’t open with priests in a temple or scholars in a library. It opens with shepherds outside, working the night shift. That choice matters. God aims the “good news of great joy” straight at ordinary people, the kind who smell like sheep, not incense.

In Luke 2:11, the angel says, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” In Greek, the words come fast and stacked, like three bright banners over one baby: sōtēr (Savior), Christos (Christ), kyrios (Lord). You can see the Greek wording laid out in tools like Luke 2:11 Greek text analysis or Luke 2:11 original Greek.

The scene itself teaches us how God works:

• The message comes in the dark: Not because God hides, but because His light shines best when we know we need it.
• The first invite goes to outsiders: Shepherds were not the power brokers. God still starts where people feel overlooked.
• “Good news” is personal: The angel says…

Join us some time in the future as we tie all this into the Book of Revelation.

Conclusion

What does the Jesus mean? It means Yeshua, the saving Name, the human-said form of the older Yehoshua (Joshua), given by God because He truly saves.

Matthew 1:21 won’t let us treat the Name like a label, the angel ties it to the mission in plain terms, “He will save His people from their sins,” and that’s why “Jesus” functions like a title too, it declares what He came to do. Yeshua is even the shortened, everyday form, and in English we end up with Joshua and Jesus, so calling Him “Jesus” is like calling Joshua “Josh,” familiar, but easy to forget the full weight.

Every Joshua in Scripture carries a shadow, a leader, a priest, a rebuilder, a deliverer, yet each one falls short, needing cleansing, leaving enemies, watching hearts wander. Jesus wins where they couldn’t, He doesn’t just fight battles, He ends the war by crushing sin and silencing the accuser (see Overcoming the Accuser through Christ).

Luke 2:11 stacks it all up, Savior (what His Name means), Christ (the Anointed King), Lord (God’s own authority), and Matthew 1:22-23 takes us deeper, Immanuel, God with us, not for a moment, but to the end, until God dwells with us forever.

What does Jesus mean for us now? We trust His saving work, honor His Lordship, and live in hope that God is with us today, and will be with us forever.