“WHAT’S IN A NAME? DO NAMES REALLY HAVE ANY MEANING THAT CAN BE APPLIED TO THE PERSON WHO HAS IT? THE ANSWER IS YES, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE NAMES OF JESUS, GOD SHARES WITH US HIS WORD, THE BIBLE.”

 I’m Dennis Finnan, host and speaker on the World, the Word & You! Broadcast and in a moment we’ll talk about the wonderful names God identifies Jesus with in the Bible…

…In the world of Christianity, scholars often study what is called Christology, which is literally the study of the “doctrine of Christ.” Blessed of course is he who knows Him as Lord and Savior. However in studying about Jesus Christ, we first come to realize that this holy One, Jesus of Nazareth, is described for us in the Bible with many names and titles. Someone has observed that almost 700 different names and titles can be found in the Bible that are given to Jesus Christ. Indeed, Jesus Christ is so great in His person and work, that it surely does take at least hundreds of names and titles to fully and accurately describe this unique person. Thus, the better we understand who He is and what He did and continues to do for us, the better we can relate to Him. So after another musical pause, I want to take the time to talk about some of the most beautiful and wonderful names given to Jesus in the Bible for our edification and comfort. But first let’s listen to this…

…To begin, I must state the foundational basis of our study today of the names of Jesus Christ, is based on the verbal, plenary, and fully inspired acceptance of the 66 Books of the Bible as pure divine revelation from God. This means, that  in the original languages every single word is a direct word chosen by God with which to convey His mind and will to us. Believing thusly, we attach much importance to the names and titles God has chosen to reveal Himself, particularly Jesus Christ. So let’s look at a few of the wonderful names of Jesus found in the Bible.

Now the first and foremost name connected to Jesus Christ is his first name – “JESUS.” I just came back from a trip. In the airport, the ticket clerk’s name was “Jesus.” I’m positive his mother gave him that name out a reverence and respect for who it represents, hoping I’m sure that her little baby boy would live up to all it represents. But usually, not many in English speaking countries ever use that name. The reason is, the Person it represents to us is so unique and special and far above anything we can imagine in human terms, that none of us truly qualify to have it.

However, the name Jesus is found in the four Gospels 612 times, and in the balance of the New Testament 71 times. The name “Jesus” of course is a personal name, particularly in reference to the man who was born to Joseph and Mary in Bethlehem long ago. “Jesus” therefore is God the Son’s personal and earthly name given to Him by God Himself. Now as a human name, it represents for His followers in the Church, the name of His humiliation, His suffering, and sorrow. When Mary named her first born son, born miraculously without a human father, it was a name God chose for him, not Mary or Joseph his stepfather. We read,

Mat 1:18-21 (NIV)  This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

 So the very first name given to the virgin born son of Mary, was chosen by God. As Mary gave birth to this baby boy, Joseph obediently name the child, Jesus. “Jesus” is the Greek form of “Joshua.” The name means “the Lord saves.” Jesus’ name identified him as the one who would bring God’s promised salvation. The baby Jesus would be born to save His people from their sins. So from the very start, the Bible explains first to its Jewish audience, that Jesus would not save the people from the political oppression of Rome or from any other tyranny, nor would he set up an earthly kingdom for himself. Instead, “Jesus” would as His name reveals, save people from the penalty of their sins, which God reveals is death. So the name Jesus reveals for us all that this miracle child, which is God Himself, came in human flesh. We further know Jesus of Nazareth had a real human body, a human soul and spirit, and he grew up as all of us do with normal human development, and had all the characteristics of a real human being.

So in addition to His first and foremost human name, Jesus, we discover other names that reveal God’s desire to become what He created, a human being Himself. Jesus is also called, the Son of Man, and the son of David. So this first name of God the Son, JESUS, reveals that mankind needs saving from sin that carries an eternal penalty of death that is separation from all that God is and does for us. When Jesus was born, God fulfilled His promise to the ages of lost humanity to send us a Savior, to take our place in death and grant us forgiveness and life everlasting.

Now dwelling upon Jesus’ human aspect causes us to consider His divine side too.  Jesus, unlike any other human being ever to be born, was no mere man. The Bible clearly tells us He was and is none other than the Creator God Himself. How do we know that? Listen to His other great name which is THE WORD OF GOD! Imagine that. Indeed this is Jesus’ divine name for we read in,

John 1:1-4,14 (NIV)  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men… 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Without a doubt, the Bible gives us no alternative in considering who Jesus of Nazareth really is. He is the Creator God! Later on the great apostle Paul states by divine inspiration.

Col 1:15-17 (NIV)  He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Imagine that! Now I know some religionists try to defuse this by confusing people to believe the Bible doesn’t say that. Some teach Jesus Christ was “a god,” other says he was merely a man whom God anointed to be His spokesman, and it was the church who invented His absolute deity centuries later. But one cannot have this if we are to accept the Bible, and the pure character of Jesus, or the apostle’s teachings, and their beliefs. Remember, they all went to their deaths affirming. Jesus was God. No Jesus’ real name therefore can rightly be JEHOVAH JESUS! In fact there was one instance when Jesus Himself revealed His deity through another important name of God which is -  “I AM.” This of course, is the very name of God Himself. We read in,

Exo 3:14 (NIV)  God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM’ has sent me to you.'"

But in the New Testament Jesus takes this very name of God for Himself. We read again of this in,

John 18:4-6 (NIV)  Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, "Who is it you want?" 5 "Jesus of Nazareth ," they replied. "I am [he]," Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) 6 When Jesus said, "I am [he]," they drew back and fell to the ground.

Now, this is really a strange text, for when Jesus spoke His divine Name  “I AM,” the text tells us every knee fell at His feet. We are told later that this shall happen in eternity when Jesus Christ, the infinite God Man sits upon His throne of the universe and the angels announce His Name, as the great “I AM,”

Rom 14:11 (NIV)  It is written: "'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.'"

So, the name “ THE WORD OF GOD,” reveals Jesus Christ is our God, our very Creator and Sustainer of all things in which we live, move and have our being.

Now there’s a third special Name, given to Jesus Christ, the great I Am, the Word of God, and that is, “THE LORD.” In Scripture, we often read of Jesus referred to as Jesus Christ, the Lord.

In Acts 2:36 when Peter preached his sermon on the Day of Pentecost in which the Church of Jesus Christ was born, he proclaimed,

Acts 2:36-38 (NIV)  “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Notice upon the death, burial and glorious resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, God made Jesus both “Lord and Christ.” Now this name “LORD,” in the first century was not a personal name rather a title. It was only used and applicable to Deity, to God Himself. The ptolemies, and the Roman Emperors would allow this name to be applied to them only when they permitted themselves to be deified. So when the New Testament writers speak of Jesus as “Lord,” there is no question they are referring to the glorified Jesus of Nazareth by resurrection, as the God of Creation to be worshiped and adored. Other Scriptures confirm this too such as,

Rom 10:9 (NIV)  That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Rom 10:13 (NIV)  for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Heb 1:10 (NIV)  He also says, “In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. (ref. Psa. 102:25)

The writer of Hebrews was particularly referring to Jesus Christ’s equality with Jehovah of the Old Testament. It is without doubt that the many names given to the God-man, Jesus of Nazareth, are now glorified in His triune name – THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. This reveals to us all of who He is.

And, in revealing all this to us, the purpose is for us to receive the blessings that can come from Him and His Names. Of course, the greatest blessing is what these names reveal and imply.

God loves this lost and fallen world so much that His goal was to save us from our sins. That is the workable meaning of the name of “JESUS.” God fulfilled this when He sent us His only begotten Son, the eternal Son of God who is God Himself. You see their can be no human savior, for the Bible tells us,

Rom 3:23 (NIV) “ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Rom 6:23 (NIV)  “For the wages of sin is death…”

Ezek 18:4 (NIV)  For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son—both alike belong to me. The soul who sins is the one who will die.

Many do not realize that although we live in a wonderful world and have many good things and blessings, all of us are heading for a terrible judgment and penalty when we die. The Bible warns us all,

Heb 9:27 (NIV)  “… man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,”

Because we are born sinners by nature, we sin in thought, words and deed. None of us need to learn to be rebellious, willful, and self-centered. None of us clamor to know God our Creator and to submit and surrender our lives to Him for His rule over us. Why our nation as a whole is rapidly and openly rejecting every vestige of God’s righteous word and rule for life and living among us. Why? Because we are sinners who in effect, hate everything that God wishes for us. We do not want His rulership, rather our own sinful ways. Because of this, no matter what good deeds we may do in life, we all still have a sin account that cannot be overlooked. Friend do you know in eternity there is only one judgment for sin? It is death, the full and final separation from God. Now I know many don’t realize it but right now whether you are a saved one, a Christian or not, you are enjoying the benefits of God’s very nature, grace and love. We live in a borrowed universe, we eat the food God produces, the rain God gives to water our lands and give us the nourishment we need. We have health and life itself because God has given it to us. Everything we do and experience, our lives are filled with the “goodness of God.” And, do you know God has done this for one important reason – to cause fallen sinful humanity to see, feel and experience God’s goodness to lead us to surrender our heart and life to the great God who created us. This is exactly what the Bible says,

Rom 2:4 (paraphrased)  “… why do you show contempt, neglect and indifference for the riches of God’s  kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's gifts, His very kindness extended to you is for the purpose of leading you toward repentance?

Yes those wonderful names of Jesus reveal all His divine attributes and love for this lost world and for you and me. The question is have you responded to Him because of them? You know this is one reason why I sought God in my life. I came as an adult to realize I was not a very good person, and was quite self-centered. Indeed, everything revolved around me and what brought me pleasure and happiness. But one day I came to realize all that I had, a lovely wife, two wonderful small healthy children, a fantastic well paying job, and a gorgeous home among the palm trees of Florida , and of course my perfect health – all of it was really a gift from God. So I began to seek and learn of God’s love for me, and what He did when He became the man Christ Jesus and went to the cross to die for my sins. Well, it broke me, and I wept for being such an ingrate and rebellious man. When I learned that Jesus of Nazareth, was the great “I AM,” the “LORD GOD” of all creation, and that He died for me that I might live in eternity with Him; Well, I surrendered my heart and life to Him and put my trust and faith alone in His Person and work on the cross. Friends, it was at that point something happened within me. A new love for God was born, a deep seated desire to know Jesus and His Word consumed me. All that I learned through studying the Word of God further enthralled me, and fed my hungry soul and new spirit within me. This experience of the New Birth in Christ happened some 31 years ago, but I’ve never lost the wonder of it all, and I joyfully share it with you today. That wonderful Name, that Beautiful Name is Jesus. Do you know Him personally and intimately? You can simply by surrendering your life and heart to him right now wherever you are. Just get alone for a moment and look up into the heavens and pray a prayer like this,

“Dear God, I know that I’m a sinner. I know my sin deserves to be punished. I believe now that Jesus died for me, and rose from the grave. I trust Jesus Christ alone as my Lord and Savior. Thank you for Your forgiveness and gift of everlasting life,
that I now receive by faith. In Jesus’ Name, Amen”

Oh the wonder of it all will unfold for you, as God saves your soul, grants you life everlasting, and a new heart and spirit which will hunger and thirst to love and serve Him. The Beautiful Name that wonderful Name is now and forever  - “J e s u s.”

SONG #3 ____________________________________________________________

Well friends, you’ve been listening to another broadcast edition of the World, the Word & You! Broadcast, with your host this speaker, Dennis Finnan. I trust it has been informative and helpful and most of all opened your heart to better appreciate and to love the Lord Jesus Christ.

If you’ve enjoyed today’s broadcast and would like an audio copy, please visit our website for a free download of an MP3 audio file or printed transcript. Just visit www.wwy.org. Also if you wish write to us at the World, the Word & You! Broadcast Post Office Box 60033 , Grand Junction , CO 81506 USA , and we send you a free CD or printed transcript. Just ask from broadcast # 3104 or the title THAT WONDERFUL NAME.

Today’s local broadcast on KNZZ Newsradio 1100am  is brought you by the Calvary Bible Church of Grand Junction , Colorado . Come visit us for a dynamic worship and praise service plus an in-depth preaching and teaching of the Word of God. Calvary Bible Church is located on 27 ½ Rd, just north of Patterson in Grand Junction , Colorado . We meet each Sunday at 10:00 am and again at 6:00 pm , and on Wednesdays at 6:45 pm .

As this program is heard on the weekends, I invite you to attend a bible believing church of your choice and to

… (Now) be sure to tune us in again next week at the same time and station. Thanks for listening friends, this is Dennis Finnan your host and speaking wishing you God’s very best and trusting you’ll live this week for Jesus Christ. Thanks again for listening, good by for now.