Jesus, there is Something about that Name!
Matthew 1:21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins."
The Irreverence shown to that Name
When people are going to swear today, it is often the name of the Lord Jesus that they use. While there are other ways to take the Lord’s name in vain, certainly this is one way to do it. People don’t say, “Oh, President Trump!” or “Oh, President Obama!” when they want to swear, instead they say “Oh, My God!” or “Jesus!”. I have tried to figure out why people use the name of a person that they say is a myth, that they say is not the Son of God, that they don’t believe in and that they don’t think has any power or authority over them to add emphasis to whatever they are trying to say. Why not use the name of someone whom they think actually existed? I think it is because rebellion against God is inbred in the heart of mankind. Using the name of the Lord irreverently certainly seems to me to be unreasonable and illogical.
A Coming Surprise
Paul tells us in Philippians 2 that Jesus humbled himself but God has exalted Him and someday everyone is going to bow before the name of the Lord Jesus. Philippians 2:8-11 says, “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. I believe that those who figuratively raise their fist in the face of the God in whom they say they don’t believe, will one day get to find out that they should have bowed while they were alive on earth. They will bow after they die. Many will bow during the tribulation period.
The Great Day of His Wrath
We read in Revelation 6:15-17, “And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"
The great day of His wrath is going to come. It is easy to see that many people love war more than peace when they are in power. It is good for the economy. It good for the ego of those who want to be domineering. We are headed for a day of great calamity. We have nuclear toys we have never used but when they are used, the whole world is going to suffer. Most people do not invent things to let them sit idly unused. Whether future wars in our generation will be the culmination of the prophetic plan or whether it will just be the culmination of the stupidity of mankind, war is probably coming. The only way to prepare for it is to be ready for our eternal reward.
To Those Who Believe
Peter says that to those who believe He is precious (1 Peter 2:7). We who believe find it offensive when people use that name irreverently. We wouldn’t want our family name used as a curse word, nor would we want the name of our friends and those we respect and love to be used as a curse word. We certainly don’t want the name of the One who died to save us used as a curse word. I wonder if those who swear using the name of Jesus have really considered what they are doing. It would be so much nicer if those of us who love the Lord could convince those who hate and disdain Him, to love Him as well.
The Gaithers have written and sung a very precious song:
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
There’s just something about that name
Master, Savior, Jesus
Like the fragrance after the rain
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
Let all Heaven and Earth proclaim
Kings and kingdoms
Will all pass away
But there’s something about that Name.
Yes, there is just something about that name!
Bruce Collins
Meditation for the week of October 1, 2017