I hope you have enjoyed the past weeks of looking into the character of Christ. My prayer is that our time spent contemplating Christ will fill us with enthusiasm for our transformation into His very image! With the arrival of a new year, I would like to alter our journey just a bit. Considering the array of names and titles for God in scripture enhances our understanding of the Father, Son and Spirit. Circumstances will take our deepened understanding and allow us to live out that knowledge to the glory of God. Those close encounters with God bring blessing to others and ourselves when we see God’s fingerprints!
The name above all names seems a fitting place to begin such a journey. Our text today gives us a glimpse of the glory of the name of Jesus:
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)
Imagine! One day we will see our incredible Savior fully in all His glory...and as the song says, What a Day of Rejoicing That Will Be!
Seeking to write a devotional on such an awesome title is daunting. In the Biblical times, names embodied the essence of one's character. In-depth study of individual names offers treasures of insight. Many of us are familiar with the ‘common’ names we use of Jesus...Yahweh saves; Christ, Messiah; Immanuel, God with Us. While we may consider some of the more well-known names, I hope to share some lesser-known titles that offer great blessing. Many books exist that list the names of Christ in scripture; savoring them individually offers a joyous time of praise. God is greater than our finite minds; it is a feast for our soul when we feed on thoughts of ‘who He is!’ We can never fully know the Lord--the book of Revelation reveals that Christ has a name written on Himself, which no one else knows.
Before we leave this glimpse of Jesus, we need to consider with awe the power of the name of Christ. Praying in His name, serving in His name--in the essence of Jesus--is victory! Jesus tells us in John 14:13 that whatever we ask in His name, He will do. Astonishing! Faith in the person of Christ gives sight, gives strength, gives healing...gives life: abundant life!
May the sweetness of His name fill your soul with joy today and throughout the New Year.
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