His Name Is Jesus!
Matthew 1:21 – “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name “Jesus” because he will save his people from their sins.”
I was listening to songs on the radio, and Cody Johnson’s song caught my attention.
“At the mention of his name, walls crumble, lives are changed, in the midst of life’s temptations, he’s there to see us through, this man of which I speak, is here today for you and me, His name is Jesus.
“But you can call him as you please, they call him Immanuel, the King of all Kings, He’s the son of the Father, the Prince of Peace, they call him Hosanna, the Lighthouse at Sea, the Rock of Ages, He’s a friend to me.”
Do you know why the worship song His Name is Jesus was recorded?
Cody Johnson recorded this song following an interaction with his pastor. At his shows, he would say, “I’d like to thank the Man Upstairs.” One day, Johnson’s minister caught him and said, ‘Hey, man, that’s great and all. But would it kill you to say, ‘I’d like to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?'” The minister’s challenge reminded Johnson of a song that he’d written titled His Name is Jesus.
How often have I heard that statement, I talk to the “man upstairs,” or I hope the “man upstairs” is listening, etc. Why can’t we name His name? His Name is Jesus. Are we embarrassed? Are we afraid to declare ourselves? Perhaps we fear the power of His name?
Philippians 2:9-11 (NLT) says, “Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
I was sitting at Starbucks in Eugene, Oregon, studying and reading my Bible a while ago. Someone at the table next to me asked, “Are you a religious person?” “Well, yes,” I said. He said, “I am too.” We began talking about “religion.” In the middle of a long, interesting conversation, I asked, “Can you give me a one-sentence statement that captures the essence of your faith?” He said, “We are all part of the problem, and we are all part of the solution.” We talked about his sentence, and I felt it was a helpful and insightful dialogue. After a while, he asked me what one sentence would capture the Christian faith. I thought it best to respond using his sentence but with a small adjustment when processing our conversation. So, I said, “We are all part of the problem, but there is only one man who is the solution. His Name is Jesus.”
His Name is Jesus, only and always!
Merry Christmas,
Pastor Steve