Midweek: What's in a Name?

George Foreman was famously known for naming all five of his sons "George". I used to babysit for a family who had generations of "James Paul"s and "Paul James"es; they'd alternate with each generation's firstborn son. Leadership coaches will tell you it is critical to address people by name often throughout a conversation to reinforce a sense of teamwork and personal investment. "Mister John Smith" is not the same --grammatically or otherwise --as "Lord Jesus Christ". 

Now, none of this may come as a surprise to you, but we often do not understand the nuances of language and customs from other cultures. In a western world, names are typically not structured in the same way they are in other civilizations. Likewise, they do not bear the same significance as a name or the naming of a child. The culture in which Jesus was raised and His birth recorded was quite different from modern western cultures. And it's important we keep that in mind when reading Scripture. As Inigo Montoya famously stated, You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

First of all, let me address the name of our incarnate Lord and Savior, the name, "Jesus". According to gotquestions.org, Jesus means “Yahweh saves” or “Yahweh is salvation.” Transliterated from Hebrew and Aramaic, the name is Yeshua. This word is a combination of Ya, an abbreviation for Yahweh, the name of Israel’s God (Exodus 3:14); and the verb yasha, meaning “rescue,” “deliver,” or “save.”

Next, there is "Christ": not a last name --"Jesus Christ," like "John Smith" --but His title. He is the promised Messiah. Again, from gotquestions.org:

Messiah comes from the Hebrew word mashiach and means “anointed one” or “chosen one.” The Greek equivalent is the word Christos or, in English, Christ. The name “Jesus Christ” is the same as “Jesus the Messiah.”

Jesus is the promised Savior, the promised Deliverer.

Lastly, the word "Lord." Also a title, but more of a confession --or, at least, it should be. 

We hear a lot about "manifesting" these days, speaking things into existence. If you want to be successful, you look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself you are successful. No need to throw the baby out with the bathwater, that sort of confession can provide the hype one might need to take a test with confidence (providing you've studied) or conduct a difficult meeting (providing you've prepared); but generally, there's no amount of "speaking things into the universe" that causes things to happen. The verbal confession or declaration of Jesus as Lord does not mean He is. But I've issued something of a challenge to myself: rather than tossing around the name Lord Jesus Christ --whether in my prayers or in songs or among those I teach --rather than using it as thoughtlessly as I use the acknowledgment "mister," pause and ask, Is He my Lord? For He cannot be my Lord truly, unless I am indeed surrendered to Him; unless my life --all of it, every part --is yielded under His authority. If it is not, the word, no matter how often it is used, does not mean what we think it means: I am not acknowledging His lordship over me; I am not declaring His dominion over my will and my way. I am merely using a word no more meaningful than "Mister Jesus Christ."

I challenge you all, with me today to --each time you read the name "Lord Jesus Christ," each time you sing the name "Lord Jesus Christ," each time you speak the name "Lord Jesus Christ" --take that moment to think of the surrender necessary to make that statement true. And give your all to the one whose name is above every other name.