The Wonderful Name of Jesus

“What is in a name?” This question was asked over 400 years ago by the poet William Shakespeare. Names are used to describe and identify one another. We use names to get one another’s attention.

In the Bible, names were used to record some aspect of a person’s birth, to express the parent’s reaction to the birth of their child, or to secure the solidarity of the family ties. Names were often used to communicate God’s message, establish a connection with God, establish authority over another, or indicate a new beginning or direction in a person’s life. 

For many unsaved, the name of Jesus is simply a curse word, but to those who believe, that blessed name is very precious. As the hymn writer put it:

Precious Name! the name of Jesus, Son of God most high,
Who in love to guilty sinners, came to die.

Precious name! the story telling of His humble birth;
Of His lonely pathway, trodden here on earth.

Precious name of Him the Savior, come the lost to save;
In His grace, for ruined sinners all He gave.

Precious name of Him who suffered on the shameful tree,
Gave Himself, the willing victim, Spotless He.

Precious name! enthroned in heaven, Still that name He bears;
On His brow the crown of glory now He wears.

Precious, peerless name of Jesus, none can tell its worth;
Sweetest name there is in heaven, Or on earth.

 

The Preciousness of the Name of Jesus

In the gospel of Luke 1:26-33, we read, “Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

Precious Name – Given from Heaven: 

This name is precious because it was given to Him, not by Mary or Joseph. It was not a family name passed down. The name of Jesus was given to Him from Heaven! The angel first gave the name “Jesus” to Mary, then in Matthew 1:21 to Joseph. Many times, through John’s gospel, we read of the Lord Jesus saying He came down from Heaven (John 3:13, 4:34, 6:41, 51, 58). He came down from heaven from the Father, and so did His precious name, and the Father knows the value of that name!

Precious Name – Great in History: 

Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew word Yeshua. It is the same as the name Joshua in the Old Testament, which means “Jehovah is salvation.” At least two men in the Old Testament with the name Joshua stand out. They stand out because they remind us of the grace that is found in our Lord Jesus Christ. First, Joshua, the son of Nun, led the people of God into the promised land. He followed Moses, the lawgiver. Joshua is a picture in many ways of the grace of God in power. Moses could not enter the land of rest. Likewise, the law cannot provide rest. The Lord Jesus Christ invites each of us, saying, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29). He could do this because He was full of grace and truth (John 1:14), “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).

The second Joshua is found in Zechariah 3. He was a priest. This Joshua fell short of what He should have been and reminds us of our condition. He also reminds us of our Great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14) and who we see at the right hand of the Majesty on High. “We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9).

Precious Name – Glorious in Honor: 

Paul set this out in no uncertain terms declaring:

“Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore, God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:5-11

The name Jesus may have been common in the culture at the time, but because of who He is and what He has accomplished, the name Jesus has never been the same! God the Father has seen fit to exalt, extoll and glorify the name of Jesus!

Precious Name – Gracious Help: 

Blind Bartimaeus found that name to be a gracious help crying out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me” (Mark 10:47)! Today, you and I can cry out to the Lord Jesus Christ, and we find help in the time of need! The same mercy (lovingkindness) that blind Bartimaeus found, we find at the mercy seat of Christ.

“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:15-16

 

Pardon in the Name of Jesus

Going back to Matthew 1:21, the angel informed Joseph about Mary, “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” God the Father chose the name of Jesus for His only begotten Son because He would victoriously deliver us from the power of sin and the kingdom of darkness.

“For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” Luke 9:56

“This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” 1 Timothy 1:15

“And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.” 1 John 4:14

On the cross, they hung an inscription over the head of the Lord Jesus. Someone has said it was the first gospel tract ever written, and if we combine all the gospel accounts, it reads, “This is Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” It was written in Hebrew for the Jews (the religious world), in Greek (the business and cultured world), and in Latin (the political world). Man in derision raised the name of Jesus, but at that very moment, God raised it up as the Savior of the world!

On the day of Pentecost, Peter announced, “That whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21). He went on to boldly proclaim, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36). Paul declared the same message of salvation that Peter did, “For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13).

Jesus is Lord, and pardon is found “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10). Acts 4:12 makes it very clear, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” The name of Jesus is a pardoning name!

 

Power in the Name of Jesus

We have already seen the power unto salvation in that name, but in the first few chapters of the early church history in Acts, we observe the source of this power.

The Undeniable Potency in that Name: 

Acts 3:1-10 we see the incident that occupies chapters 3 and 4. This man had been crippled from birth. He had to resort to begging outside the temple to survive. Seeing Peter and John coming, he asked for some money. Peter had faith in the power of the name of the Lord Jesus and called out on that wonderful resource, the mighty name of Jesus Christ! The man who had been lame from birth received strength in his ankles and leaped up, walked, and praised God!

Peter knew when He said, “in the name of Jesus of Nazareth rise up and walk,” that the name represents the character, power, and authority of the Lord Jesus. This gave him boldness. Boldness is mentioned at least 42 times in the book of Acts. Boldness means to have open confidence. Their faith was courageous, their faith was confident, and their faith was contagious because there is power in the name of Jesus!

The Inevitable Persecution because of the Name of Jesus:

In Acts 4, we see the apostles defending the name of Jesus (4:5-14), the council opposing the name of Jesus (4:15-22), and the assembly calling on the name of Jesus (4:23-31). These men were on a mission to preach the name of Jesus Christ! They would not give in to the persecution from those who demanded their silence. Instead of silence, we see their irrepressible proclamation and invisible dynamic power.

There are many more references to the power of the name of Jesus: Acts 5:40, 9:27, 15:26, 16:18, and 19:17.

Believers have unceasing access to this power through prayer in the name of Jesus.

“And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:13-14).

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14:26).

 “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you” (John 15:16).

“And in that day, you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:23-24).

Praying in Jesus’ name is not simply something we tag on to the end of our prayers. It is the authority and power in which we can access the throne of Grace! It is the character in which we approach, according to His divine purposes! When we pray in His name, we admit our bankruptcy, and we identify with all our Lord is. Praying in His name means that we are willing to submit to His will, represent Him, and wait expectantly for Him to answer in His time.

May our hearts be drawn to the One who bears that precious name, and may we be able to sing with the Hymn writer:

LORD Jesus, we love Thee, and joyfully pour
The praises of worshipping hearts at Thy feet;
Lord Jesus, we love Thee; we love and adore
The name that to God and to us is so sweet.

Thy name, blessed Lord, is as ointment poured forth;
And, e’en as we utter it, fragrance doth rise
To the Father, who only its excellent worth,
Its matchless perfection, in fulness can prize.

Oh, name of sweet savor, a savor of rest,
The name of the Victim, the Lamb that was slain!
Oh, name of God’s loved One in whom we are blest!
Oh, name ever worthy all homage to gain!

Blest Lord, in Thy name would we boast all day long,
And praise till we reach Thee on heaven’s bright shore;
Thou shalt be forever our joy and our song;
Lord Jesus, we love Thee, we love and adore.