John 17:12 NLT‬
[12] ” During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you gave me. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold.”

What was Jesus saying? To whose name was He referring as the source of protection?

‭John 17:11 NIV‬
[11] “I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.”

‭John 17:11 NLT‬
[11] “Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are.”

The power of your name… the name you gave me. All that God is, is enshrined in His name, so, what was the name the Father gave to Jesus that reflected His own name?

‭Luke 1:26-28 NLT‬
[26]”In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, [27] to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. [28] Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”
[31] You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.”

Luke 2:8-11 NLT‬
[8]”That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. [9] Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, [10] but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. [11] The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!”

Look at the words of Simeon…

‭‭Luke 2:30-32 NLT‬
[30]”I have seen your salvation, [31] which you have prepared for all people. [32] He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!”

Jesus… Yeshua… the name the Father gave to His Son, meaning “Saviour”, the one who would rescue His people from Satan’s clutches and transfer them to His jurisdiction and the authority of His kingdom.

When Jesus called His disciples, one by one, to follow Him, He was giving notice to Satan that He was taking over. No longer would the devil call the shots. Throughout their journey together, He would show His disciples what life in His kingdom would be like and give them opportunity to make the change from death to life.

Enshrined in the name, Yeshua, was the nature of God, the three-in-one. The three Persons of the trinity were united in their purpose to rescue people from the power of the enemy and transform them into sons of God in the image of Jesus.

Sin had broken God’s people, leaving them diseased and vulnerable to the death sin produces.

‭Isaiah 1:5-6 NLT‬
[5] “Why do you continue to invite punishment? Must you rebel forever? Your head is injured, and your heart is sick. [6] You are battered from head to foot— covered with bruises, welts, and infected wounds— without any soothing ointments or bandages.”

God’s heart was broken over the condition of His people. No matter how much He had spoken to them and pleaded with them to return, they insisted on their brokenness as their chosen way of life.

‭Hosea 11:1-2 NLT‬
[1] “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and I called my son out of Egypt. [2] But the more I called to him, the farther he moved from me, offering sacrifices to the images of Baal and burning incense to idols…
[7] For my people are determined to desert me. They call me the Most High, but they don’t truly honor me. [8] “Oh, how can I give you up, Israel? How can I let you go? How can I destroy you like Admah or demolish you like Zeboiim? My heart is torn within me, and my compassion overflows.”

Salvation is essentially wholeness, and the Saviour the one who makes people whole. No human, born in sin, could take on this role. Only one was eligible, one who had no sin of his own, no debt to pay.

God’s solution was outrageous, but the only way to cure the deadly disease of sin. He would step in and send a saviour to rescue people from their predicament. His Yeshua would establish His kingdom in earth again, setting up His reign in the hearts of those who would receive Him by faith.

‭Isaiah 9:6-7 NLT‬
[6] “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. [7] His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!”

‭Luke 1:68-70 NLT‬
[68] “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people. [69] He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David, [70] just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago.
[74] We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear, [75] in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live.

‭John 1:12-13 NLT‬
[12]”But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. [13] They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.”

‭John 3:5-7 NLT‬
[5] “Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. [6] Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. [7] So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ “

From the beginning, Jesus knew the course of His life on earth and its outcome. He followed the plan to the letter, even to His choice of Judas Iscariot, His betrayer.

So, this was the name by which Yeshua had protected eleven of the twelve men to whom He would entrust His mission when He left them. The twelfth man was irrevocably lost to his destiny as traitor, by his own choice.

It was time to put His disciples into the hands of His Father. In His prayer, then, Yeshua entrusted the role of protector to the Father whose name He bore. “God is salvation”, the character that His name carried, would ensure that every detail of the Father’s plan, which Jesus had entrusted to His disciples, would be carried out to completion, even to the one who would hand His Son over to His enemies.