1. Jesus was born – with a mission and a purpose
2. Jesus was named – following an order from heaven obedience was exhibited on earth
3. Jesus was baptized by John
4. Jesus received the Spirit in the form of a dove
5. Jesus was led by the Spirit
6. Jesus was tempted by Satan
7. Jesus went about preachign and teaching. He spoke in a wide variety of contexts, on a wide range of subjects, to differing audiences. He taught both publicly and privately. He taught plainly and He taught in parables. He taught with an authority that was totally unlike other teachers of His day impressing the neutral and the hostile as well as His friends and followers.
8. Jesus went about doing good – and this including healing the sick, cleansing the leper and freeing those struggling under demonic oppression/possession. He made the blind to see, the lame to walk, and the deaf to hear. He even raised to life some who had died!
9. Jesus was actively sought out by those in need.
10. Jesus challenged people over their thoughts and attitudes and not just over outward behaviour.
11. Jesus called upon people to focus upon Himself and to follow Him as His disciple.
12. Jesus accepted invitations.
13. Jesus issued stern warnings and rebukes when complacency or wilful sinfulness was in danger of destroying lives.
14. Jesus performed nature miracles – He calmed stormy seas and strong winds.
15. Jesus expressed compassion for the needy feeding and satisfying multitudes as He multiplied bread and fish so there was enough to eat.
16. Jesus knew why He had come. He knew what His mission would entail for Him and taught this clearly to His disciples. He did not turn from accomplishing this mission even though the cost was enormous for Him.
17. Jesus suffered, died, was buried and rose again from thedead on the third day!
18. Jesus accepted the worship of His followers.
19. Jesus ascended into heaven after declaring to His disciples that all authority had been given to Him.
20. Jesus said He would come again in glory.
And all of that is found just in the Gospel of Matthew! What a remarkable person Jesus was and is!!
The third word in the NT is the name "Jesus" and in the Book of Revelation there are just three words used after the last mention of the name Jesus.
What's in a name?
Names are important – far more so in the culture of the Bible than they are in our own culture in the UK in the 21st century and we don't like it when someone forgets our name or mispronounces it. In the Bible a name spoke of the reputation of a person whether that person was a success or a failure.
When we first encounter the name Jesus in Matthew's Gospel we are immediately given some significant information:
1. He is descended from Abraham through the royal line of King David.
2. His name was divinely given.
3. His name has meaning – it is no mere label.
Now it is true that other names are given from heaven: Abraham was told to names his sons Ishmael and Isaac. Isaiah had to name his son,Maher–shalal–hashbaz, and Hosea had to name his three children Jezreel, Lo-Ruhama and Lo-Ammi. In the NT Zechariah was told to name his son John. There may well be some other examples too.
Yet when we think about Jesus the divine naming is repeated: in Matthew's Gospel we're told that an angel appeared to Joseph telling him what he must call the son his fiancée was carrying (– interestingly the immediate context refers to a prophecy in the OT referring to Immanuel – a further name revealed from heaven). Joseph must name the boy to be born Jesus!
When we turn to Luke's Gospel we find that an angel announced to Mary that she would have a baby boy through the intervention of the Holy Spirit and she was to name her baby Jesus!
Both gospel accounts record the ensuing obedience as the name Jesus was indeed given to the new born baby boy!
But this name too has meaning! It is the same name in the OT that we know as Joshua. It has meaning – it means "God saves" or "Jehovah/Yahweh saves".
While in the case of Joshua (and others with a similar name) the name points away from the individual to the fact that it is God who saves in Jesus' case we are not to imagine that the name points away from Himself but to Himself as "Jehovah Jesus who saves". Now why is this? Well just consider the context once more of the revelation of the name in Matthew's gospel – there the name Jesus is closely associated with Immanuel – "God with us". In short the God who saves is the God who is with us who is called Jesus!
Indeed everything is in that name Jesus who is the Saviour of the World: His name is the source of our salvation, the hope of our hearts. His name can break sin's bondage. His name can lift the greatest burdens. His name can comfort the broken heart. His name is a name worth knowing, because it speaks of a Saviour worth loving. His name is everything. His name unlocks the door of heaven and closes the gates of hell. His name saves the vilest sinner, redeems the blackest soul; and secures the saints.
Let's look for a while at some of this in a little more detail:
Jesus was the subject matter of the earliest Christians
When Philip was preaching in Samaria the message he proclaimed was summed up in this way:
Acts 8:12 "he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ"
The apostle John tells us that the commandment they had received was to:
1Jn.3:23 "believe in the name of (God's) Son Jesus Christ"
The reason for this is easy to find in the NT. Salvation and life were bound up with this name of Jesus and in no-one else:
Jn.20:30-31 "Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."
Peter preaching on the Day of Pentecost declared to the congregation that listened to him:
Acts 2:38 "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."
Paul wrote later to the Corinthian Christians reminding them of the transformation Jesus had wrought in their lives:
1Cor.6:11 "But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."
We are not to imagine that the name of Jesus was some kind of magical abracadabra – no, the name stands for all the person is and has done!
Responses to the name of Jesus
1. Baptism
When men and women understood what was being told to them – that salvation and life was to be found in Him – they responded and were baptised.
Acts 19:5 "On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus."
2. They called on His name – this was a distinguishing mark of the believer:
1Cor.1:2 "To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:"
3. They assembled together in His name:
1Cor.5:4 "When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus" – Paul is addressing a particular issue that was troubling the congregation in Corinth but can write assuming that the congregation does in fact meet together!
4. They prayed God the Father in the name of Jesus:
Eph.5:20 "giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,"
5. They acted on His authority and were thoroughly motivated by His name:
2Thess.3:6 "Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…"
Acts 21:13 "For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."
1Cor.1:10 "I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment."
Col.3:17 "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
6. They spoke about Him:
Acts 8:4 "Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word." Or to paraphrase this we might read"Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where gossiping the gospel."
Barnabas gave a report to the church in Jerusalem confirming the conversion of that arch-persecutor turned Christian missionary – Saul of Tarsus: he said
Acts 9:27 "he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus."
7. But others opposed this name!
The apostles, for example, were told to keep quiet:
Acts 4:18 "So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus." Cf.5:40.
Paul in giving his testimony spoke with regret of his earlier life as an unbeliever:
Acts 26:9 "I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth." He went on to explain just what this opposition had been like.
What will you do?
Jesus' name demands a response. What will yours be? Will it be positive or will you reject Him?
There is no middle ground, there is no neutrality, no 'sitting on the fence'. Jesus Himself taught:
Mt 12:30 "Whoever is not with me is against me,"
It is stated that God's intended purpose is that the name of Jesus be honoured by all (Phil.2:9-11) either men and women will do so willingly and joyfully or they will be obliged to having no delight in it at all.
To which group will you belong? Do not go on rejecting the name of Jesus which is above every name, surely you do not want to be found opposing God! Cease opposing God lest He destroy you and believe in the name of His Son, Jesus!
Amen.
