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| Romeo and Juliet by Dicksee |
As Romeo asked Juliet in the famed Shakespeare tragedy about
star-crossed lovers from families warring against each other, “What’s in a
name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”
But in reality, names do matter. They indicate the
authority of the one giving the name, and often the characteristics of the one
being named. Our parents had the right to name each of us, for they brought us
into the world and had authority over us as they raised us.
The name given may reflect the parents’ hopes for spiritual
attributes the child will one day demonstrate, such as “Faith,” “Grace,” or “Charity.”
Children may be named after a relative, a popular celebrity, historical figure,
or Bible hero, such as “Mary,” “John,” or even “Jesus.” Conversely, very few
children are named “Adolph” or “Judas!”
God gave Adam the task of naming all the animals,
indicating his dominion over the animal kingdom, as well as his intelligence
and creativity in selecting appropriate names for each species (Genesis 1:26,
28; 2:19-20). Men and women of Scripture sometimes changed their
name when their life circumstances shifted. After the death of her sons, Naomi
renamed herself “Mara,” meaning “bitter,” as her joy gave way to sorrow (Ruth
1:20).
Speaking through angels, God Himself gave names to those
playing pivotal roles in His master plan, including John the Baptist (Luke
1:13), and Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew, meaning “Yahweh saves”), for He
would save the people from their sins (Luke 1:31). God sometimes changed
the name of people to indicate a dramatic shift in their mindset as they
accepted the new destiny He had in mind for them since before the beginning of
time (Jeremiah 29:11).
Abram became Abraham as he took the first step of faith
toward the Promised Land to become the father of a great nation (Genesis
17:5). His wife Sarai became Sarah as she learned that she would give
birth in her old age, making her a mother of nations and ancestor of the
promised Messiah (Genesis 17:15).
Jesus renamed His apostle Simon to become Peter (Mark
3:16), yet He reverted to calling him Simon when he showed a false
self-confidence instead of relying on faith in Christ (Luke 22:31).
Saul, a legalistic Pharisee who thought he was doing God a favor by persecuting
and killing Christians, became the apostle Paul (Acts 13:9),
evangelist, church planter, and author of much of the New Testament.
Nicknames and titles that we use for one another often portray
our relationship to that person. My husband may call me “Baby,” and my patients
used to call me “Doctor,” but I would find it very strange if it were the other
way! As an infant grows and a child matures, their parents or classmates may
give them a nickname suitable for their attributes. A strawberry blonde may be
called “Red,” or an academic overachiever “Braniac.”
When it comes to Jesus Himself, His many appellations each
show us different facets of His character and attributes. He is our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 11:17; 15:11), for we should willingly yield
to His complete dominion over our lives; He is our Savior; and He is the
Christ, the anointed One and promised Messiah. His is the only Name by which we
must be saved (Acts 4:12), by trusting in His death, burial and resurrection as the only Way to Heaven.
He is Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting
Father and Prince of Peace! (Isaiah 9:6). His beauty and heavenly fragrance make Him the Rose of Sharon and Lily of the Valleys (Song of
Solomon 2:1). He is the Righteous Branch (Jeremiah 23:5) and
True Vine from Whom we can bloom and bear fruit if we remain in Him (John
15:1-5).
As lost sheep prone to go astray, we must follow Him as the
Good, Great, and Chief Shepherd (John 10:11-18; Hebrews 13:20;
1 Peter 5:4; Psalm 23). When we are in danger He is our solid
Rock (Matthew 16:18), sure Foundation and Cornerstone (Isaiah
28:16), strong Tower (Proverbs 18:10), and Refuge (Psalm
62:8).
Jesus Christ is not only the Word Who created us and all
things (John 1:1-3, but our Sustainer (Psalm 55:22)
and Redeemer (Job 19:25). He gives us physical and spiritual nourishment
as the Bread of Life (John 6:35) and Living Water (John 4:10).
He is the Door (John 10:7) and the Way, Truth and Life (John 14:6)
through which we enter Heaven to live forever, as He is also the Resurrection
and the Life (John 11:25). One day He will return as the
Righteous Judge (2 Timothy 4:8), King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
(Revelation 17:14).
But mere names are insufficient to encompass His glory that
we will only fully appreciate when we see our Lord Jesus Christ face to face!
Praise God that He will then give each of us a new name (Revelation 2:17),
symbolizing our new mission He has given us to enjoy throughout all eternity!
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