The Spiritual Meanings Contained in the Name of the Lord Jesus
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January 29, 2017 |
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Senior Pastor Dr. Jaerock Lee
"And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
The prophecy of Jesus' birth appeared in several parts of the Old Testament including Genesis, and it was fulfilled around 2,000 years ago.
Human history is divided by His birth. 'B.C.' is the abbreviation of "Before Christ" and refers to the history before Jesus' birth, and A.D. is that of "Anno Domini" denoting time after the Lord.
Then, why did Jesus, who is God's Son, come to the earth? And, what spiritual meanings are contained in His name?
1. The Reason Jesus Came to the Earth
God formed man of dust from the ground in His own image, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being (Genesis 1:27; 2:7). But the first man, Adam, ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. His spirit died. Then, his communication with God was severed and he became a man of flesh (Genesis 3).
Romans 6:16 reads, "Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?" In other words, when a man commits sin, he becomes a slave of Satan. He loses God's image and fails to keep his duty as man who reveres God.
However, to save sinners, the God of love sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, to the earth. Because humans had come to seek after their lusts just like beasts, He was born in a stable intended for animals not for human beings. He was laid in a manger to become true food for them.
Concerning this, John 6:51 says, "I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh." Moreover, He took the way of poverty to redeem men from poverty although He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
Finally, He was crucified and shed His precious blood, and thereby redeemed all mankind from sin. He sent the Holy Spirit to whoever believes and gave them the right to become God's children (John 1:12).
2. The Spiritual Meaning in the Name of Jesus the Lord
In Acts 4:12, Peter and John boldly preached the name of the Lord Jesus before the great priests and elders, saying, "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." They emphasized it is only the name of the Lord Jesus under heaven by which all mankind can be saved.
Now let's delve into the spiritual sense contained in the name of the Lord Jesus who saves us.
1) His Name Connotes Only 'Yes' and 'Amen'
Philippians 2:6-7 says, "Though He [Jesus] existed in the form of God, [He] did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men." A bond-servant follows the master's will regardless of his own opinion, will, and feeling. Jesus obeyed God's will completely with the heart of a bond-servant.
Since He has no sins at all, there was no reason He died on the wooden cross which is the curse of the Law. But by Jesus' obedience and death, God could accomplish the providence of human salvation that God planned before the ages. Then, what did God do for Jesus who obeyed only with 'Yes' and 'Amen'?
Philippians 2:9-11 reads, "For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." That is, because He perfectly fulfilled God's will only with 'Amen', He became the King of kings and the Lord of lords as the Savior.
2) His Name Includes Authority and Power
John 1:3 states, "All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being." Jesus existed in the form of God, and has the authority to control all things as the Creator.
That is why even winds and the sea obeyed. By His Word the winds and sea became calm. When He cursed the fig tree with no fruit, it withered that very moment. The following verses from Matthew 9:2 illustrates Jesus' healing of a paralytic. He said to the paralytic, "Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven." And He also said, "…and so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins."
Jesus who came to the earth to fulfill the duty as the Savior has the authority to forgive sins and save sinners from the punishment of sins. Moreover, He has the power to heal people of all kinds of diseases and infirmities and to bring the dead back to life.
Therefore, anyone who relies on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and asks with faith in Him can be forgiven of their sins and reach salvation. They can receive answers to whatever they ask as well.
3) His Name Contains God's Love
God is love itself, and He confirmed His love for us by giving His Son the Lord Jesus on the cross for us (Romans 5:8). It is as said in Isaiah 53:5 that reads, "But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed."
Jesus took the suffering and the curse of the cross on behalf of us due to our sins and iniquities. Thereby we were forgiven of our sins and came to have true peace and rest. It comes from the love of God. That is, the name of Jesus Christ contains the deep and great love of God.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I urge you to understand the spiritual meaning contained in the Lord Jesus' name, obey God's will, and experience God's authority, power, and love. I pray in the name of the Lord that you will enjoy God-pleasing life and become the Lord's beautiful bride who longs for the Lord's coming.
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