“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call his name JESUS.” Luke 1:31
When Jeffrey and I started dating, I practiced writing our names together:
Jeffrey and Natasha
Natasha and Jeffrey
Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Grimes
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Grimes
The deeper we got into our relationship, I added children in the mix. I would come up with names for our future children:
Joseph Andrew
Joseph Alexander
Bethany Grace
Meredith Paige
Then when we got pregnant, we bought this:
We looked up names and looked up names and looked up MORE names. We played around with combination after combination until we came up with the perfect name for each of our three children.
Naming a baby is a workout! As parents, we want our children to have names to be proud of, names that mean something, names that will stand out.
But Mary, the mother of Jesus, she never did this. God did it for her. God knew the perfect name for her baby. In Luke 1:31, she was told that His name would be Jesus.
I have to kind of smile when I say that because I just recently read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever with my fourth graders. The Herdman’s didn’t know anything about the Christmas story, so I can picture Imogene, saying, “What happened, did the angel just show up and say name him Jesus?” and yes, that is what happened, but in Isaiah 9:6 we are told (and reminded by Alice Wendlekin in the story), “And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Imogene’s response, “He’d never get out of first grade if he had to spell all of that! I’d just named him Bill.”
When I hear or speak the name JESUS, I do not take it lightly. His name evokes feeling immediately. It is the holiest of names. It is a name of LOVE. It is a name above all others. Like Beth Moore, His name is the name in which I call out to my Heavenly Father in prayer so many times a day.
I got to thinking about some of my favorite songs, many of which are about the name of JESUS. Just look at these examples:
At the Name of Jesus – At the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow; every tongue shall confess Him King of glory now
All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name – All hail the pow’r of Jesus’ name! Let angels prostate fall
His Name is Wonderful – His name is Wonderful, His name is Wonderful, His name is Wonderful, Jesus my Lord
Glorious is Thy Name – Blessed Savior, we adore Thee, We Thy love and grace proclaim; Thou art mighty, Thou art holy, Glorious is Thy matchless name!
Oh, How I Love Jesus – There is a name I love to hear, I love to sing its worth; It sounds as music in my ear, the sweetest name on earth
He Keeps Me Singing – Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Sweetest name I know, Fills my every longing, keeps me singing as I go
How Majestic is Your Name – Oh, Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth. O Lord we praise Your name. O Lord, we magnify Your name: Prince of Peace, mighty, God; O Lord God Almighty
What other names are there a multitude of songs written about? Kiss sings about Beth, Dolly Parton sings about Jolene, and somebody sings about Ben. But my, Jesus! He is so worthy of all that we sing of Him.
As we begin this journey with Jesus, it is my prayer that we will cherish His name more each day. That we will praise His name, call on His name, and give thanks in His name. So many of us have said that our devotional time and Bible study time isn’t what it should be. So I pray also that we will create daily habits of spending time with the Lord that these habits will just become a way of life so we no longer have to deny Him of the time we should spend with Him.
When Jeffrey and I started dating, I practiced writing our names together:
Jeffrey and Natasha
Natasha and Jeffrey
Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Grimes
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Grimes
Jeffrey and Natasha Grimes
Joseph Andrew
Joseph Alexander
Bethany Grace
Meredith Paige
Then when we got pregnant, we bought this:
Naming a baby is a workout! As parents, we want our children to have names to be proud of, names that mean something, names that will stand out.
But Mary, the mother of Jesus, she never did this. God did it for her. God knew the perfect name for her baby. In Luke 1:31, she was told that His name would be Jesus.
I have to kind of smile when I say that because I just recently read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever with my fourth graders. The Herdman’s didn’t know anything about the Christmas story, so I can picture Imogene, saying, “What happened, did the angel just show up and say name him Jesus?” and yes, that is what happened, but in Isaiah 9:6 we are told (and reminded by Alice Wendlekin in the story), “And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Imogene’s response, “He’d never get out of first grade if he had to spell all of that! I’d just named him Bill.”
When I hear or speak the name JESUS, I do not take it lightly. His name evokes feeling immediately. It is the holiest of names. It is a name of LOVE. It is a name above all others. Like Beth Moore, His name is the name in which I call out to my Heavenly Father in prayer so many times a day.
I got to thinking about some of my favorite songs, many of which are about the name of JESUS. Just look at these examples:
At the Name of Jesus – At the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow; every tongue shall confess Him King of glory now
All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name – All hail the pow’r of Jesus’ name! Let angels prostate fall
His Name is Wonderful – His name is Wonderful, His name is Wonderful, His name is Wonderful, Jesus my Lord
Glorious is Thy Name – Blessed Savior, we adore Thee, We Thy love and grace proclaim; Thou art mighty, Thou art holy, Glorious is Thy matchless name!
Oh, How I Love Jesus – There is a name I love to hear, I love to sing its worth; It sounds as music in my ear, the sweetest name on earth
He Keeps Me Singing – Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Sweetest name I know, Fills my every longing, keeps me singing as I go
How Majestic is Your Name – Oh, Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth. O Lord we praise Your name. O Lord, we magnify Your name: Prince of Peace, mighty, God; O Lord God Almighty
What other names are there a multitude of songs written about? Kiss sings about Beth, Dolly Parton sings about Jolene, and somebody sings about Ben. But my, Jesus! He is so worthy of all that we sing of Him.
As we begin this journey with Jesus, it is my prayer that we will cherish His name more each day. That we will praise His name, call on His name, and give thanks in His name. So many of us have said that our devotional time and Bible study time isn’t what it should be. So I pray also that we will create daily habits of spending time with the Lord that these habits will just become a way of life so we no longer have to deny Him of the time we should spend with Him.
There’s Something About That Name
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus; there’s just something about that name!
Master, Savior, Jesus, like the fragrance after the rain;
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Let all the heaven and earth proclaim:
Kings and kingdoms will all pass away, but there’s something about that name!
Wow, is what i think when I read about Mary's encounter. I cannot imagine what must have went through her mind. I remember finding out I was pregnant and all the uncertainties and excitement. I however, was not told by an angel that my child would be the messiah or the name. Picking a name is a serious matter for me. My husband and I poured over many names and debated the ramifications of each. We wanted the perfect name. I like what you said Natasha. A name is a precious thing. It helps define you. I remember checking the meanings of the names because I did not want to pick a name for my child that would be bad. I wanted a good name. In proverbs, it says a good name is to be chosen over great riches. That is about having a good reputation. There are many names that when spoken, bring about reactions whether bad or good. I can say the name, 'Abraham Lincoln' and many good things can be said. I can say the name 'Adolf Hitler' and many negative things come to mind. Shakespeare said, "What is in a name, A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." You can change some names, but the reputation that goes with that name, that meaning still remains. When I was a kid and we would do something that disappointed my dad, he would say, "You are an Ellis, and I expect better of an Ellis.' It meant I was supposed to live up to something. I may have married and changed that last name, but I am still trying to live up to that reputation my dad expected. When I think about the name Jesus, it should invoke the same feeling and meaning. Here I am saved by his amazing sacrifice. His name is what has brought salvation. I am a child of God. I must try to live up to his example. He is our example. His name is more than just a name. It defines him, It calls him, it expectations for us, it carries the greatest power, it is salvation. The name Jesus is more precious than any other. There is no one like him. When we speak the name of Jesus, spiritual things should happen, lives should be changed. Oh how I long to understand more of who He really is to me. I want to fulfill his expectations and live up to the reputation He has.
ReplyDeleteOK, Wow!!! The comments above were wonderful and full of food for thought. I've been blessed today by the book itself and then again by reading the comments! Thank ladies for your comments. I hope to chime in too when the time is right. Right now I'm sitting here soaking in all your wonderful thoughts.
ReplyDeleteAFter thinking about, I thought about how Jesus was born with good name but yet he spent all of his life proving his name. Even then over 2000 years ago people were trying to ruin it just as they are today. Can you imagine having a name that lasts and stands up over 2000 years?
ReplyDeleteHolly, I think you make an excellent point. I'd never thought of it that way. I think it is up to us as Christians to defend the name of JESUS.
ReplyDeleteA name is a precious thing, and it means so much to a person. I always cringe when I have to think twice to come up with a student's name because it is so important to them. I try to make a special effort to get to know the names of all of the kids I interact with because when I forget, I can see the disappointment in their faces. When we were sifting through all the possibilities for names for our boys, I remember writing them out, imagining how each name would look on a graduation card, name plate on a desk, wedding bulletin. . . of course hoping the events would follow that order. :) Naming a child is a huge responsibility. Our poor Sam didn't have a name until a few minutes after he was born. In Hayden's case, we chose his name months in advance but for at least the first year questioned if we had made the right choice. "You will call His name Jesus." Such a simple statement with such an impact on the world.
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