Quick Thoughts on the Name of Jesus
Common Usage
Something has been getting at me the past few... months? Most people, especially in America, know the name of Jesus. His name is often used for advertising, music titles, movies, TV, and even swearing. Many know that they are not to take the name of God in vain, as in, speak it as common, yet that doesn't stop them from doing it. The taking of the name of God is actually normal speech, even on so-called "Teenage comedy". It is normal for most of this world, which actually, only confirms the fact that they are taking His name in vain.
But there is another aspect to this sin, and one many people don't know or ignore. Many people may say "My Lord" and think it is perfectly fine. In fact, many people (mainly the professing church) take His name in vain every day, as it seems. When something happens, they say "Thank God" and "Praise God", or "Praise Jesus", thinking that it is perfectly fine, so long as they through the word "Praise" in there, or something similar. The names of God (Christ, Lord, Savior, etc.) are used all the time as typical words, and no body even takes a second thought about it. In fact, I'd be inclined to say the professing church does this sin more than the average person. As a sign of their self-proclaimed "holiness", they say these things instead of normal phrases, so as they can feel clean and "good". People all the time throw out the names of God into normal conversation as though it is a nice little thing to add, making the conversation seem a bit more "Christian". But have they forgotten what "vain" means? Something good happens, "Praise God!" and then they go on into something else. And not only these things, but the name of Jesus is often used in some sort of "cutsie" way, making Him sound like some all-around, loving everybody, guy. Jesus is often pictured as a kid's thing. "Beginner's Bibles" always picture Him as a guy who never did anything against anyone, never being angry, and of course, loving anyone and everyone. But alas, such an idea may be fine for the kids who only drink the milk (but even they must learn of the anger of God), but for adults? Nay.
Thanks be to... Jesus?
There is another issue which many people don't seem to realize. Many people know about the ending to prayer, as they might refer to it as. "In Jesus' name" they say. In fact, as I've mentioned in a previous note, most professing churches simply end each long boring "prayer" with "InJesus'nameamen." Nobody seems to care about the usage of His name. And yet, some people have taken this too far, in that they think we actually pray to Jesus. We thank Jesus. Jesus was the One who sent Himself down to die for me. Jesus loves everybody. But, have they forgotten what Christ Himself said? Have people forgotten how the apostles spoke of Christ? Have they forgotten Who it was that sent the Son?
Christ Himself looked to... the Father, not Himself. Jesus prayed to the Father, and even said something most people look over, and never even hear of: "And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone" (Luke 18:19). In fact, Paul seems to only make mention of the Son (when He is praising the I Am) as the way to praise the Father. When people say "Thank you Jesus!" they are going against the very thing the Gospel is about. Jesus was the Sacrifice, yes. But why was there a sacrifice needed? Why did Christ come? Did He say He needed to come down because He needed the perfect Sacrifice? Nay, He said "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work" (John 4:34). Then some might say "So Christ was just some righteous guy God sent down?" No. As Christ also said "I have come in My Father's name" (John 5:43) and "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30). This suddenly becomes so confusing to so many people! "If I don't pray to Jesus, who do I pray to? Jesus is God, right?" Alas, who did Christ pray to? The Father. Who is also God. Many people forget that the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, are all One. The Godhead is something plenty know about, and most forget about. So in following the example of Christ, Paul himself knew who the thanks went to. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3). "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Rom 7:25.) "but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1. Cor. 15:57). In fact, when reading through the New Testament, it should be quite clear, if we pay true attention, that God the Father is the focus. Jesus is God, and will be the One who comes again to earth. He is above all, and all will bow to Him, and face His righteous judgement or mercy. But alas, the Father is also God, and though it may puzzle many, the Son submits to the Father. Why? It doesn't matter why. We are never told why there seems to be a "rank" as it were, in the Godhead. But we are told that all Three are God. They are all One, yet Three. And we are told to obey the Father, and we are saved through the Son, by the working of the Holy Spirit in us. Prayer to Jesus is based nowhere in Scripture, but submission to the Father is everywhere.
Childishness
Many also make the error of taking the name of Jesus in vain simply by using it as something to give an idea to little kids. Instead of teaching them the saving work of Christ, they teach them that "Oh, Jesus loves you" and... that's it. Jesus is just another household name, be it as a swearword or a children's book. But the Bible says "For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:9-11). Huh... Doesn't seem like a kid's story to me. Yet so many treat it as such. In fact, many even have degraded it to being evil indoctrination, teaching kids that they can't "express who they are" and makes them biased against "people being who they are". Yet, God Himself is against the world (James 4:4). The name of Jesus is no mere idea, or encouraging speech every Sunday, but the reality that God not only has a perfect wrath, but a perfect love. God isn't just some old angry guy who likes to be mean to everybody, and Christ was the all loving guy who just so happened to come along. Christ is God, yet He submits to God, and said that God sent Him to die for those who would believe in Him. And perhaps the degradation of the name of Jesus in modern society is because of the degradation of sin. If sin isn't all that bad, then Jesus was simply a nice add on to our working towards salvation. He's a nice little thing to tell kids before they go into life, so that they can hold out until "reality" kicks in and takes the place of Jesus. "Jesus is a crutch" is most likely what most people believe. In fact, even in the professing church, the name of Jesus is either replacing the Father or some add on. Some say "Jesus, speak to me" forgetting entirely thew work of the Holy Spirit- the Word of God, already written down in a book called "The Bible". And then there are those who think that Jesus is simply a name to throw into their little "healing" gatherings. Some groups of singers throw His name into a song to make it "Christian". They figure that, if they say "I love you Jesus" five times over for a chorus, then the rest of the song (which is most likely about how life is tough) can go on and be "good". Oh how this world has twisted the Truth. Jesus is our hope and Salvation, and to the world, a condemning Truth. "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels" (Mark 8:38). Not the words a person wants to hear when they claim Jesus is but a mere bedtime story.
The Name Above All Names
The name of Christ- Jesus- is far higher than the majority of the world believes. As one of the above passages states, in the future, at the very mention of His name, every knee will bow, and the utmost respect will be shown to Him. Jesus is not the One to whom we pray, nor is He the One who sent Himself to die for us, but He is still the One who died for us. He is still the One who was God, made into flesh. He is still the One who came onto this earth, and will do so again to judge the world righteously. One day, all the world will know His name as it is. Even those who sin against Him will be glorifying Him, even if it is not their intention. God the Father, whom Christ Himself prayed to, says "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased" (Matt. 3:17). "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am" Christ says of Himself in John 8:58. Jesus even takes authority, saying the Kingdom is His own, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm" (John 18:36). Jesus is no mere man, but God. The Son. Our Savior. Our Lord. He is the One who will open the Book of Life (Rev. 5), and the One who will bring utter judgement upon this earth. "and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus" (2 Thess. 1:7-8). To the world, He will (and is, in many ways) be the One whom they fear most, as they know they have sinned, and will face the righteous judgement which they deserve. They will stand before the judgement seat guilty of every charge against the Most High, and will be eternally tormented forever, being deprived of the goodness of God. Yet, for us, His name is a glorious one. When we stand before the judgement seat, having fallen as dead men in the sight of God (Rev. 1:17), feeling more than unworthy to even be in His presence, knowing of our sin, Jesus Christ Himself will place His hand on us, and say "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades" (17-18). Those who aren't His will not hear these words, and will hate Him. But alas, how can we fear anything, if the God of all things, Christ the Lord, who holds the keys to death, and controls all things, even the very results of sin, tells us to be unafraid. How can we degrade His name? How can we lower His name to the level of children's stories? Only ignorance can lead to such a sin. Thus, the taking of His name in vain is not just an offense to us, but to God. To the One with whom He is well pleased. So the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, is no mere name, but the Name which is above all names. And we remember that He did come to earth, and set the perfect example for us, which none can be better than, and that He Himself, in all His perfection, submitted to the Father, and gave His life for all those who believe in Him. He prayed to the Father, and submitted to Him, so why should we ever be excused from this?
"When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. But Jesus was saying, 'Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing'.... And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, 'Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.' Having said this, He breathed His last.” - Luke 23:33-34;46.
Something has been getting at me the past few... months? Most people, especially in America, know the name of Jesus. His name is often used for advertising, music titles, movies, TV, and even swearing. Many know that they are not to take the name of God in vain, as in, speak it as common, yet that doesn't stop them from doing it. The taking of the name of God is actually normal speech, even on so-called "Teenage comedy". It is normal for most of this world, which actually, only confirms the fact that they are taking His name in vain.
But there is another aspect to this sin, and one many people don't know or ignore. Many people may say "My Lord" and think it is perfectly fine. In fact, many people (mainly the professing church) take His name in vain every day, as it seems. When something happens, they say "Thank God" and "Praise God", or "Praise Jesus", thinking that it is perfectly fine, so long as they through the word "Praise" in there, or something similar. The names of God (Christ, Lord, Savior, etc.) are used all the time as typical words, and no body even takes a second thought about it. In fact, I'd be inclined to say the professing church does this sin more than the average person. As a sign of their self-proclaimed "holiness", they say these things instead of normal phrases, so as they can feel clean and "good". People all the time throw out the names of God into normal conversation as though it is a nice little thing to add, making the conversation seem a bit more "Christian". But have they forgotten what "vain" means? Something good happens, "Praise God!" and then they go on into something else. And not only these things, but the name of Jesus is often used in some sort of "cutsie" way, making Him sound like some all-around, loving everybody, guy. Jesus is often pictured as a kid's thing. "Beginner's Bibles" always picture Him as a guy who never did anything against anyone, never being angry, and of course, loving anyone and everyone. But alas, such an idea may be fine for the kids who only drink the milk (but even they must learn of the anger of God), but for adults? Nay.
Thanks be to... Jesus?
There is another issue which many people don't seem to realize. Many people know about the ending to prayer, as they might refer to it as. "In Jesus' name" they say. In fact, as I've mentioned in a previous note, most professing churches simply end each long boring "prayer" with "InJesus'nameamen." Nobody seems to care about the usage of His name. And yet, some people have taken this too far, in that they think we actually pray to Jesus. We thank Jesus. Jesus was the One who sent Himself down to die for me. Jesus loves everybody. But, have they forgotten what Christ Himself said? Have people forgotten how the apostles spoke of Christ? Have they forgotten Who it was that sent the Son?
Christ Himself looked to... the Father, not Himself. Jesus prayed to the Father, and even said something most people look over, and never even hear of: "And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone" (Luke 18:19). In fact, Paul seems to only make mention of the Son (when He is praising the I Am) as the way to praise the Father. When people say "Thank you Jesus!" they are going against the very thing the Gospel is about. Jesus was the Sacrifice, yes. But why was there a sacrifice needed? Why did Christ come? Did He say He needed to come down because He needed the perfect Sacrifice? Nay, He said "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work" (John 4:34). Then some might say "So Christ was just some righteous guy God sent down?" No. As Christ also said "I have come in My Father's name" (John 5:43) and "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30). This suddenly becomes so confusing to so many people! "If I don't pray to Jesus, who do I pray to? Jesus is God, right?" Alas, who did Christ pray to? The Father. Who is also God. Many people forget that the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, are all One. The Godhead is something plenty know about, and most forget about. So in following the example of Christ, Paul himself knew who the thanks went to. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3). "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Rom 7:25.) "but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1. Cor. 15:57). In fact, when reading through the New Testament, it should be quite clear, if we pay true attention, that God the Father is the focus. Jesus is God, and will be the One who comes again to earth. He is above all, and all will bow to Him, and face His righteous judgement or mercy. But alas, the Father is also God, and though it may puzzle many, the Son submits to the Father. Why? It doesn't matter why. We are never told why there seems to be a "rank" as it were, in the Godhead. But we are told that all Three are God. They are all One, yet Three. And we are told to obey the Father, and we are saved through the Son, by the working of the Holy Spirit in us. Prayer to Jesus is based nowhere in Scripture, but submission to the Father is everywhere.
Childishness
Many also make the error of taking the name of Jesus in vain simply by using it as something to give an idea to little kids. Instead of teaching them the saving work of Christ, they teach them that "Oh, Jesus loves you" and... that's it. Jesus is just another household name, be it as a swearword or a children's book. But the Bible says "For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:9-11). Huh... Doesn't seem like a kid's story to me. Yet so many treat it as such. In fact, many even have degraded it to being evil indoctrination, teaching kids that they can't "express who they are" and makes them biased against "people being who they are". Yet, God Himself is against the world (James 4:4). The name of Jesus is no mere idea, or encouraging speech every Sunday, but the reality that God not only has a perfect wrath, but a perfect love. God isn't just some old angry guy who likes to be mean to everybody, and Christ was the all loving guy who just so happened to come along. Christ is God, yet He submits to God, and said that God sent Him to die for those who would believe in Him. And perhaps the degradation of the name of Jesus in modern society is because of the degradation of sin. If sin isn't all that bad, then Jesus was simply a nice add on to our working towards salvation. He's a nice little thing to tell kids before they go into life, so that they can hold out until "reality" kicks in and takes the place of Jesus. "Jesus is a crutch" is most likely what most people believe. In fact, even in the professing church, the name of Jesus is either replacing the Father or some add on. Some say "Jesus, speak to me" forgetting entirely thew work of the Holy Spirit- the Word of God, already written down in a book called "The Bible". And then there are those who think that Jesus is simply a name to throw into their little "healing" gatherings. Some groups of singers throw His name into a song to make it "Christian". They figure that, if they say "I love you Jesus" five times over for a chorus, then the rest of the song (which is most likely about how life is tough) can go on and be "good". Oh how this world has twisted the Truth. Jesus is our hope and Salvation, and to the world, a condemning Truth. "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels" (Mark 8:38). Not the words a person wants to hear when they claim Jesus is but a mere bedtime story.
The Name Above All Names
The name of Christ- Jesus- is far higher than the majority of the world believes. As one of the above passages states, in the future, at the very mention of His name, every knee will bow, and the utmost respect will be shown to Him. Jesus is not the One to whom we pray, nor is He the One who sent Himself to die for us, but He is still the One who died for us. He is still the One who was God, made into flesh. He is still the One who came onto this earth, and will do so again to judge the world righteously. One day, all the world will know His name as it is. Even those who sin against Him will be glorifying Him, even if it is not their intention. God the Father, whom Christ Himself prayed to, says "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased" (Matt. 3:17). "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am" Christ says of Himself in John 8:58. Jesus even takes authority, saying the Kingdom is His own, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm" (John 18:36). Jesus is no mere man, but God. The Son. Our Savior. Our Lord. He is the One who will open the Book of Life (Rev. 5), and the One who will bring utter judgement upon this earth. "and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus" (2 Thess. 1:7-8). To the world, He will (and is, in many ways) be the One whom they fear most, as they know they have sinned, and will face the righteous judgement which they deserve. They will stand before the judgement seat guilty of every charge against the Most High, and will be eternally tormented forever, being deprived of the goodness of God. Yet, for us, His name is a glorious one. When we stand before the judgement seat, having fallen as dead men in the sight of God (Rev. 1:17), feeling more than unworthy to even be in His presence, knowing of our sin, Jesus Christ Himself will place His hand on us, and say "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades" (17-18). Those who aren't His will not hear these words, and will hate Him. But alas, how can we fear anything, if the God of all things, Christ the Lord, who holds the keys to death, and controls all things, even the very results of sin, tells us to be unafraid. How can we degrade His name? How can we lower His name to the level of children's stories? Only ignorance can lead to such a sin. Thus, the taking of His name in vain is not just an offense to us, but to God. To the One with whom He is well pleased. So the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, is no mere name, but the Name which is above all names. And we remember that He did come to earth, and set the perfect example for us, which none can be better than, and that He Himself, in all His perfection, submitted to the Father, and gave His life for all those who believe in Him. He prayed to the Father, and submitted to Him, so why should we ever be excused from this?
"When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. But Jesus was saying, 'Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing'.... And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, 'Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.' Having said this, He breathed His last.” - Luke 23:33-34;46.
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