SUNDAY 24th
Reading – John 14
When I was preparing the devotions for last week, at the same time I was also reading through the books of John and Acts, and toward the end of John and into Acts what kept getting my attention were verses that had reference in some way to the ‘name.’ (referring to Jesus)
In the beginning of John’s gospel we have, ‘believing in his name’ (1:12), ‘believed in his name’ (2:23), ‘not believed in the name’ (3:18), Then in particular within the dialogue Jesus is having with his disciples prior to his going to Calvary we have, ‘ask in my name’ (14:13) ‘ask me anything in my name’ (14:14), ‘the Father will send in my name’ (14:26), ‘ask the Father in my name’ (15:16), ‘on account of my name’ (15:21), ‘ask of the Father in my name’ (16:23), ‘you have asked nothing in my name’ (16:24, ‘ask in my name’ (16:26), ‘by believing you may have life in his name’ (20:31).
Now I have only given a highlight from each of the reference, you need to read the surrounding verses to find the context for each of them, but what I want to draw from this short list is the conclusion that they reveal to us that there is and must be something unique and special about ‘his name’. There is little point in me suggesting today that you should believe in my name, or ask anything in my name, nor any point in me suggesting that the Father will send anything in my name. My name is just a normal (or maybe odd, unusual) name that has absolutely nothing significant attached to using it. But when we come to this name it is a uniquely and particularly special and important name because it is the name of Jesus. Now, the name Jesus in itself is not unique, it is still used as a popular Christian name in some parts of the world, but with regard to the Lord Jesus Christ it is uniquely special because it is the name that God has given to his eternal Son. Luke 1:31 ‘And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.’ Luke 2:21 ‘And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.’
The name ‘Jesus’ (Gk Iesous) is the equivalent to the Hebrew ‘Joshua’ (Heb Yehoshua) and means ‘The Lord is salvation’ and this baby born in Bethlehem and given the name Jesus was to be the Saviour, the ONLY Saviour, who would bring redemption for mankind. He would be the only person in the history of the world named either Joshua or Jesus who would literally be what his name declares about him. In Luke 2:11 as the angel came to make the announcement to the shepherds about the birth of Jesus we read ‘For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.’ Most translations have ‘a Saviour’ The NLT puts it this way, ‘The Saviour—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!’ The NET translation, ‘Today your Saviour is born in the city of David, he is Christ the Lord.’ Jesus is ‘THE SAVIOUR’, Christ the Lord.
Now why is this name when given to Jesus different to when it is given to any other? Why does it contain power and authority, why can we ask through it, why should we believe on it etc.? Well, as I’ve already mentioned, because it is the name his Father gave him, but Philippians 2:9-11 enlarges the answer for us, ‘Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (See also Ephesians 1:20-22)
He was given the name Jesus by God the Father at his birth, and because of his obedience in accomplishing what God the Father had sent him to do, that was to live a sinless life, to die a sacrificial death and to be spectacularly raised from the dead, God has exalted him, and bestowed on him a name which is above every name. The name bestowed upon him was Lord. By exalting his name, God is declaring the one born as Jesus, to be Lord. Therefore, we declare that Jesus is Lord. Remember what Joshua means ‘The Lord is salvation’ and in the person of Jesus, in his name as Jesus he truly is Lord. It is a name that has power, it is a name that has authority, and Jesus prior to his ascension, declared to his disciples ‘All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me.’ There is a song made more popular by the Gaither’s which has the line, ‘Mary called him Jesus, but I call him Lord.’ What we can declare is this, Jesus is Lord, or our Lord is Jesus!
Another reason why the name is unique when given to this Jesus is found in Acts 4:12 ‘And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.’ It is only in this one who is called Jesus, the one who has become Lord, that salvation can be found.
There are some lovely songs that are composed around the name of Jesus, and I will mention just a few of them here, I love to sing about Jesus, I love to sing about his blood, I love to sing about his name, for it is the highest name that heaven and earth affords.
We will continue the theme on the name of Jesus tomorrow from the book of Acts.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
There’s just something about that name
Master, Saviour, Jesus
Like the fragrance after the rain
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
Let all Heaven and earth proclaim
Kings and kingdoms will all pass away
But there’s something about that name
Gaithers CCLI788682
Just the mention of Your name
Causes me to fall before You,
Tears flow as I adore You,
At the mention of Your name,
Just the mention of Your name.
Just the mention of Your name,
Reaffirms the love that holds me,
Speaks once more of love that knows me
At the mention of Your name,
Just the mention of Your name.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,
At the mention of your name,
I worship.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,
At the mention of your name,
I worship.
Chris Bowater CCLI788682
Jesus, at your name we bow the knee,
Jesus, at your name we bow the knee,
Jesus, at your name we bow the knee,
and acknowledge you as Lord.
You are the Christ
You are the Lord
Through Your Spirit in our lives
We know who You are
Chris Bowater CCLI788682