Christmas brings us back to the name given before Bethlehem’s manger ever saw a cry—Jesus. Matthew 1:21 anchors our focus: “you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” In Scripture, names aren’t labels; they carry identity and purpose. Just as Samuel meant “God has heard,” and Elijah meant “Yahweh is my God,” the name Jesus—Hebrew Joshua—means “Savior,” and announces his mission from the start. That shared name invites us to see Jesus as the “better Joshua”: Joshua led Israel into a land and a season of rest; Jesus leads his people into eternal rest. Joshua fought physical enemies; Jesus conquered sin and death at the cross and empty tomb.

Hebrews tells us Joshua’s rest was incomplete, pointing beyond itself. Christ offers the full Sabbath-rest of God—rest not only from wandering but from the tyranny of guilt, shame, and fear. Through his blood we have redemption and forgiveness (Ephesians 1:7). And he doesn’t just save us from something; he saves us for something: a transformed, abundant life in him (John 10:9–10), with an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade (1 Peter 1:3–4). Joshua’s victories held for a generation; Jesus’ victory is for all who believe, and it outlasts death itself (1 Corinthians 15:54–57).

So how do we respond to the better Joshua? First, with surrender. Joshua called Israel to choose whom they would serve; Jesus calls us to deny ourselves and follow him. Surrender is not perfection, but a posture that lets him lead. Second, with confidence. If God could topple walls under Joshua’s leadership, how much more can we trust the One who conquered the grave to shepherd us through storms and sin’s struggle? Finally, with hope. He will not abandon the work he began in us, and even in the hard places he forms our dependence and deepens our joy. This Christmas we call the baby by the name that tells the whole story: Jesus—Savior—the better Joshua who brings us into the true promise: forgiveness, transformation, and an unfading inheritance.