"Be it
known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the Name of Jesus
Christ of Nazareth, Whom ye crucified, Whom God raised from the dead, even by
Him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the Stone which was set
at nought of you builders, which is become the Head of the corner. Neither is
there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under Heaven given
among men, whereby we must be saved." - Acts 4:10-12
"For whosoever shall call upon the Name
of the LORD shall be saved." - Romans 10:13
A name means
a lot. During Biblical times, when a name was given unto a child, or to a
place, there was a meaning behind that name. For instance, Jacob was given the
name "Jacob", which means 'supplanter' or 'seizing by the heel',
because he literally seized his twin brother's heel as he followed him out of
their mother's womb during birth (Genesis 25:23-26); later on, his name would
be changed to "Israel", which means 'triumphant with God' or 'who
prevailed with God', after he wrestled with the Lord (Genesis 32:24-29). Then,
we have "Isaac", which means 'laughter', the name given to Abraham
and Sarah's son, because Sarah laughed when the Lord said she would bare a son
in her old age (Genesis 18:10-15; 21:1-7). One more example is the name
"Moses". His name was given to him by Pharaoh's daughter, after she
pulled him out of the river. "Moses" means 'to draw out of the water'
(Exodus 2:10). So, you see, a name had a meaning behind it back then, just as
most names do today.
However, I
want to talk about a Name that is above all other names. A Name that salvation
can only be found in. A Name that, when mentioned, will change the very atmosphere
in which you are in. I'm talking about the Name of JESUS. An angel of the Lord
appeared unto Joseph in a dream, and also unto Mary. He instructed them, of the
Lord, to call the young child JESUS, for He shall save His people from their
sins (Matthew 1:21), and He shall be great and shall be called Son of the
Highest (Luke 1:31-32). JESUS is the Greek form of the Hebrew word "Yeshua" (Joshua), meaning 'the Lord is salvation'.
Fast
forwarding a bit, Jesus goes on later to instruct us to use His Name when
gathering together with other believers; He said when we do, He'll be right
there in the midst (Matthew 18:20). He goes on to say that when we ask for
anything, to do so in His Name, and it shall be given of our Father which is in
Heaven (John 15:16; 16:23-24). When we need Jesus to do something, He said to
ask in His Name and He will do it (John 14:13-14). So now, we understand the
importance of closing our prayers, ending our petitions, in the Name of
JESUS--for Him to do it, and for our Father to give it. We can bind and loose
things on earth, and they will be bound and loosed in Heaven; and, when any two
agree, touching anything on earth it shall be done of our Father in Heaven
(Matthew 18:18-19). But, we can do so, as we have learned, only in the precious
Name of JESUS. Something I found interesting in John 15:7, is that we must also
abide in Him and His Words abide in us. By doing so, I believe that our desires
will match His Will for us; so, that makes Him eager to grant our requests.
Reading and
understanding the four Gospels and how each author's account differs in
perspective, also shows the importance of all of them put together- it is
impossible to have one without the other. Each of the Gospels may have separate
names, but collectively it's the Gospel of Jesus Christ- full of instructions
on how to live as a victorious Christian in these end times.
Until next
time, may the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the
communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
-Jason Johnson
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