THE NAME OF JESUS
Jesus-we use the name all the time but do ever think about the name we're using? Why was he named Jesus? What significance does it have? How did the disciples use it? Let's find out.
1) The name of Jesus.
The name Jesus is used nearly 1,200 times in the bible; all in the NT. Jesus is found in the first verse and the last verse. The name Jesus appears in every book of the NT except for 3rd John. We call him Jesus but he would've been called Yeshua by the Jews and Iesous by the Greeks. Neither the Hebrew nor Greek alphabet contain the letter J. Jesus is the English translation. Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua, which means, the Lord saves.
What's interesting is today, although many boys are named Joshua you don't see anyone named Jesus; except in Mexico where it's pronounced, Hay-zeus. Have you ever wondered why that is?
Keith Rockefeller, who studied History & Political Science at Nebraska Wesleyan University said, "The Bible was written largely in two languages: Hebrew and Greek. Since English, Spanish, German, Russian, etc., are neither of those two languages, transliteration can be a problem. NT Greek also transliterates Hebrew words, so the Hebrew word Yohanan becomes Ioanan in Greek, Johann in German, Ivan in Russian, Juan in Spanish, and John in English. The same is true for the Hebrew word Yeshua. In Greek it's Iesous and that gets turned into Jesus in English and Spanish. Since in English Yeshua is also translated as Joshua, that name gets used more in English. We use Joshua, Spanish speakers use Jesus."
His point is a Spanish boy named Jesus is the equivalent of an American named Joshua.
Be that as it may, for the most part you don't see people naming their kids Jesus. People know there's something sacred about that name; like it's primarily off limits. But it's understood that during the time of Jesus his name was somewhat common. Acts 13 talks about Saul and Barnabus coming across this Jewish sorcerer and false prophet known as Bar-Jesus. Bar means son of so this man's father would've had the name Jesus.
There was another person with the name Jesus in scripture. When you look at the verse that mentions him you see something interesting. In Col. 4, Paul was giving his final greetings. Col. 4:11, "Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me."
Jesus who is called Justus. Why would he be called Justus? Some believe that it was his surname, while others conclude he was called Jesus among the Jews and Justus among the Romans. But bible commentator Matthew Henry suggests a different reason. "It is probable that he changed his name for that of Justus, in honor to the name of the Redeemer."
The name Jesus was becoming a sacred name; honored among those who loved and served him as Savior and Lord. So, this person who had the given name Jesus became better known by Justus, which could've been his last name. But it's probable that the reason he went by Justus was to keep the honor and integrity of the one who truly deserved to be called Jesus-the Lord saves. Jesus is synonymous with the Son of God and it will always be that way. No matter how many Hey-Zeuses there are, there's only one, true Jesus.
When Joseph found out Mary was pregnant he was going to divorce her but the angel appeared to him in a dream and told him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. Then the angel said: Matt. 1:21, "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.”
Names were very significant in biblical times; even prophetic, like in this case. The baby inside of Mary's womb would someday die on the cross to save mankind from their sins. He would be the personification of what this name meant.
There are many times in the bible where his name is written as Jesus Christ. One might think when we say Jesus Christ that Christ is his last name but that's not the case. The proper phrase would be Jesus who is the Christ. That's why you will also find it written as Christ Jesus.
Christ is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word Messiah or Anointed One. The one the Jews had been waiting centuries for was here. Jesus is the one who was to come into the world. He is the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Redeemer, the great deliverer; the Savior. This is the name of Jesus.
2) In the name of Jesus.
In the book of Acts we start seeing the phrase, in the name of Jesus. Jesus had ascended and left his disciples to do his work. When the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, the Apostles went to work. Peter preached the first sermon, after which the people asked what they needed to do.
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." We see Peter following the Great Commission when Jesus said go and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
But wait? Peter is only using the name of Jesus. In the great commission, Jesus was employing an embodiment of the Trinity. Peter isn't going against that here. Being baptized in the name of Jesus means the person's connecting himself with and identifying with Jesus. Paul said in Gal. 3:27 that we who were baptized into Christ have clothed ourselves with Christ. When we're baptized in the name of Jesus we are attaching ourselves to Jesus.
John MacArthur on Matthew 28:19, "He also emphasizes the unity of the Trinity by declaring that baptism should be done in their one name (singular), not in their separate names. As it does in many parts of Scripture the phrase the name here embodies the fullness of a person encompassing all that he is, has, and represents. When they are baptized the believer is identified with everything that God is, has, and represents."
Whether we say, in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, or say, in the name of Jesus, either way, we are signifying our connection to God. Baptism in the name of Jesus is significant.
Acts 19:1-5, "While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied. Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus."
These believers had only received John's baptism because that's all they knew. But now the new covenant had been instituted and a new baptism along with it. John's purpose from the beginning was to prepare the way for Jesus. John's baptism was a precursor that set the stage for what baptism in the name of Jesus was going to accomplish. It's baptism in the name of Jesus that brings forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. It's Jesus who saves. It's also Jesus who heals.
Acts 3:1-8, "One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God."
"of Nazareth". Why did Peter add this? In John 1:46, after Philip told Nathanael that the one they had been waiting for had arrived, Jesus of Nazareth, he said, "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" This tells me that Nazareth did not have a very noble reputation. In fact, in Jesus' day Nazarene was virtually synonymous with despised.
With Jesus' hometown being Nazareth, it shows his humility and willingness to be despised. But Peter sought to turn the once despised Jesus into the highly honored and esteemed Jesus he really is.
After the crippled man was healed the people were amazed. When a crowd gathered, Peter spoke to them about faith in the name of Jesus. Acts 3:16, "By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see."
Peter wanted everyone to know that he didn't have any power in and of himself. What he was able to do was only possible through Jesus. He also wanted them to know that faith was needed as well. Although there may have been times when Jesus performed miracles for people who didn't have faith, there were times when he challenged a person's faith before he did the miracle. And Matt. 13:58 states that Jesus didn't do many miracles in his hometown because of their lack of faith. Faith in Jesus is key.
Peter had faith to get out of the boat and make his way to Jesus but shortly after he became afraid when he started to focus on the wind and the waves instead of Jesus. He started to sink and he cried out to Jesus to save him. When Jesus reached down and grabbed him he said to Peter, "you of little faith; why did you doubt?" When our faith is strong we can do amazing things but when it weakens, we start to sink. Doing things in the name of Jesus involves faith in the name of Jesus.
Acts 19:13-16, "Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.”
Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding."
Earlier in chapter 16, Paul drove an evil spirit out of a girl. He said, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her". At that moment the spirit left her. Why did it work for Paul but not the sons of Sceva? They didn't have faith. "Whom Paul preaches". They weren't followers of Jesus; they just wanted to invoke the power associated with Jesus so they could perform miracles. But that's not how it works, and they found that out the hard way.
If you don't have faith, the name of Jesus means nothing and will do nothing for you. But for those of us that do have faith and hold the name of Jesus in high honor it means everything.
Doing things in the name of Jesus means you're doing them in accordance with everything that is associated with Jesus. In the faith, wisdom, power, and holiness of Jesus. When we operate in the name of Jesus it means we are in agreement with everything that Jesus stands for. It means we are recognizing that the power to do anything good, righteous and holy comes from him.
Even though this incident didn't turn out well for the sons of Sceva, it had quite an effect on the townspeople. Vs. 17-20, "When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor.
Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power."
The Sons of Sceva tried to invoke the name of Jesus to drive out demons and it failed miserably. But this caused people who were in the grips of demons to throw away their demonic practices. They saw who the real power belonged to and he was not someone to mess with. The name of Jesus is powerful and effective.
50,000 drachmas. A drachma was a silver coin worth a day's wages. To calculate that in today's money would be roughly $5 million! The name of Jesus caused these people to burn their valuables. I'm sure this was a source of income for most of them so it meant they were willing to give that up and seek new means of income.
Talk about making a serious impact. No wonder the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power. When the Spirit of Jesus is at work you see amazing results. Lives are impacted and changed forever. In the precious name of Jesus.
3) The name above all names.
Outside of Acts the only other place the phrase, "the name of Jesus" appears is in Phil. 2. In vs. 5-8, Paul explains that our humility should be like Jesus'. He left the glory and honor behind, so to speak, when he left heaven to come to earth. He lived a meager life, was ridiculed, betrayed, abandoned and eventually stripped, flogged and crucified. Vs. 9 gives us the therefore.
Phil. 2:9-11, "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Since Jesus humbled himself and subjected himself to taking on humanity and earthly living for roughly 33 years, since he subjected himself to human limitations, since he was treated as an outcast and a heretic, since he was willing to die in the most inhumane way, since he was willing to be spiritually separated from the Father when he became our sin, he will be elevated to the highest place.
Every knee will bow; every tongue confess. Where once the Pharisees despised and looked down on him, now they would bow down to him. Where once they called him a devil, now they would call him Lord. Where now many people use Jesus' name as a curse word, the day will come when they will recognize the name of Jesus is honorable and holy.
In heaven, earth and under the earth. This means every creature, everywhere, that has ever existed will bow down to Jesus. The day will come when every muslim, buddhist, hindu, etc. will realize they were wrong. Every ruler, cult leader, atheist, you name it; everyone from the beginning of time on through to judgment day will come to realize Jesus is the name above every other.
Acts 4:12, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Despite what people believed or who they worshiped, the day will come when they will realize who the real Savior is. There's only one way, only one name...only one Jesus.
For those who willingly bow their knee and confess him as Lord during their time on earth, this day will be a day of rejoicing. But, for those who refused to honor him as Lord during their lives on earth, this day will be one filled with sadness and regret.
That's why we need to be a good witness for Jesus. We need to do all we can to help others to see their need to bow their knee and confess Jesus as Lord. We have the privilege of representing the name of Jesus.
Col. 3:17, "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Our lives are to be about operating in the name of Jesus.
