There Is Something About That Name

My name is JOE. It's a common name. I have heard it often used, even misused, and sometimes abused, to describe plain, old, run-of-the-mill ordinary people, as in "Joe Blow," "Joe Cool," and "Sloppy Joe." (In fact, it wasn't too many years ago that I had two little boys running around the house yelling "G. I. JOE!").

Actually, the name JOE is just about as common in our day as the name JESUS was on that first Christmas day 20-centuries ago. And yet, according to the Word of God, that was THE name that was to be given to the Son of God on the day He entered the world of man, and was laid to rest by His mother, Mary, in a feeding trough in a Bethlehem stable. The angel said to Joseph, "You are to give him the name Jesus" (Matthew 1:21).

But make no mistake about it, names are important. The 18th-century European poet John Wolfgang von Goethe wrote, "A man's name is not like a mantle which merely hangs about him, and which one per chance may safely twitch and pull, but (it is like) a perfectly fitting garment, which like the skin, has grown over him, at which one cannot rake and scrape without injuring the man himself."

Those words ring especially true with respect to the Name of our Lord. In fact, in the words to the title of a well-known Gaither song, "There's Something About That Name."

His Name is WHO He is and His Name is WHAT He does. His Name is His NATURE and His Nature is His NAME. His Name reveals His WORTH and His WAYS.

For example, this name "Jesus" reminds us of our Lord's HUMANITY, and His personal identification with the human race. It reminds us that He participated in the human experience. As a man He hiked difficult mountain trails and walked along the Galilean shore. The tongue that called forth the dead was a human tongue; the hand that touched a leper had dirt under its nails; the feet upon which the woman wept were calloused and dusty. And the tears that He shed at the grave of His dear friend Lazarus flowed freely from a heart that could be just as tender and broken as mine or yours.

As JESUS, the Bible says, He was made "like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God. . . . Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those (of us) who are being tempted" (Hebrews 2:17-18). Yes, "There's Something About That Name." His Name JESUS reminds us of His HUMANITY.

Secondly, this name "Jesus" clearly speaks to us of His life MINISTRY. For "Iesous" (JESUS) is the Greek equivalent of the Old Testament Hebrew name "Yeshua" (or, Joshua), which literally means "The LORD Saves." And so the angel went on to say in Matthew 1:21 that "He will save his people from their sins." That is His divine MINISTRY - to be a Savior!

In these most familiar words of John 3:16-17, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, what whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son (JESUS) into the world to condemn the world, but to SAVE the world through him." In fact, later in His life, JESUS testified of Himself that He came into this world "to seek and to SAVE what was lost" (Luke 19:10). Yes, "There's Something About That Name." His Name JESUS not only reminds us of His HUMANITY, but it also speaks to us of His MINISTRY.

And, finally, it also reveals to us His divine DESTINY. The angel Gabriel said to Mary, in Luke 1:31-33, "You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name JESUS. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

JESUS - "There's Something About That Name!" It reminds us of His HUMANITY. It speaks to us of His MINISTRY. It reveals to us His DESTINY.

So, how should we respond to this revelation of our Lord?

First of all, everyone needs to ACCEPT the gracious Name of Jesus. It's the only way to be saved! The Bible says in Acts 4:12, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

Now, obviously, when I talk about accepting His Name, I mean that we, in reality, accept Him - who He is and what He has done (that is, we accept His person and His work on our behalf). The Bible says in John 1:12, that "to all who (receive) him, to those who (believe) in his NAME (you see, there's a sense in which believing in His Name is the same as receiving Him) - (to them) he (gives) the right to become children of God."

Have YOU accepted the gracious name of Jesus? Do you believe in Him and have you received Him as YOUR Savior? I hope so. If not, why not? He is JESUS our SAVIOR. We need to ACCEPT that gracious name.

But secondly, not only must we ACCEPT the gracious Name of Jesus, but we must also RESPECT the glorious Name of Jesus.

In his book titled Growing Deep In The Christian Life, Chuck Swindoll tells the story of “a commercial venture of one of the largest department stores in our nation, (which) proved to be disastrously unsuccessful. It was a doll in the form of the baby Jesus. It was advertised as being unbreakable, washable and cuddly. It was packaged in straw with a satin crib and plastic surroundings, and appropriate biblical texts added here and there to make the scene complete.

“It did not sell. The manager in one of the stores in the department chain panicked. He carried out a last-ditch promotion to get rid of those dolls. He brandished a huge sign outside his store that read: JESUS CHRIST - MARKED DOWN 50% - GET HIM WHILE YOU CAN!”

You know, when I read that story, I couldn't help but think of how it so aptly and accurately illustrates how much of the world today tries to diminish and devalue, underestimate and undermine the worth and work of JESUS our SAVIOR. Like Rodney Dangerfield, His Name gets little if any respect. Too many people today play fast and loose with the Name of JESUS, misusing it to cut some deal; abusing it to lash out in anger. Others incorrectly think that just because salvation is free, His grace is cheap. But nothing could be further from the truth. For it was purchased and paid for in full by the precious blood of JESUS our SAVIOR. It cost Him His life. And the incredible and inestimable value of that personal; sacrifice of JESUS our SAVIOR can never be marked down.

Yes, that gracious Name, which needs to be accepted, is also a glorious Name that must and one day WILL INDEED be respected. For the Bible says that God "exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 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" (Philippians 2:9-11).

So, "what's in a name?" mused Juliet from her balcony window. That IS a good question. For, you see, when it comes to my name, JOE, it seems as though there is nothing really special about that name. But, when it comes to His Name, JESUS - well, "There's Something About That Name." I trust that you have already accepted it, and that during this holiday season you will respect it, for the Bible says in Psalm 138:2 (NIV) that "you have exalted above all things your name and your word."
Exalting His Name and His Word this Christmas, 2007.