What's in a name?

     Let’s talk about the Name of Jesus. Its power and importance cannot be overestimated. No other name can elicit such strong emotion as the name of Jesus. You can mention Buddha or Allah, Confucius or any of the thousands of Hindu deities and you may get a level of reaction, but nobody’s temperature will start to rise. However; go someplace crowded and speak out the name of Jesus in a simple, reverent way and watch what happens. Some will smile and nod. They love His name and are not afraid to show it.
     Often there are some who will be uneasy. Because they don’t know much about Him, but what they do know strikes a chord within their spirit. They know that any serious conversation about Him would require some kind of thought, or possible decision on their part.
    There will also be those who look at you with disdain and offense because you have just committed a type of politically incorrect social blunder. How rude of you to share the name of Jesus in such a unmistakably marked day and age of separation of church and state. Their faces clearly say, ‘save it for Sunday’. Some of the self-enamored intelligentsia may even stare at you with a mixture of amused pity and scorn.
   One of the most interesting responses is a kind of atheistic hostility, which is actually an oxymoron; because how can you be upset about something you continually claim not to believe in? I’m just saying, think about it; I don’t believe in the Sasquatch and I rarely get upset about it. Their reaction can often be completely out of proportion to such a gentle name. No one was ever gentler or more loving than Jesus. But no matter what, His name never fails to get a response.
     A required response is in every single one of us that belong to the Human Race. There is a place within each of our souls that His Holy Spirit has set aside to deal with the ultimate issue of Christ, our creator and redeemer. Each person feels it within themselves, down to the very bone and sinew.  They may not be able to name what it is, but they know it just the same. It is a revelation each person faces in their own way and ‘political correctness’ is often just another word for the rejection of those feelings.
    I believe that in certain circles in America it would be less rude, in a social gathering, to spit on the floor or break wind than to speak the name of Jesus, unless you would be casually using it as a curse.
     Of course, we are all too aware of the dangers of speaking His name in certain parts of the world; it is nothing less than a death sentence. Does no one find it strange that it is this name…Jesus? But even behold the responses of the unreached pagan natives when God sends missionaries into their lands and villages to proclaim the name of Jesus. Many listen in awe and wonder, knowing that this is indeed the name that goes with the longing in their hearts. This unidentified God that they have called out to and tried to please as best they knew how finally has a name. Jesus. And since there is no political correctness in the jungle, others will just attack, behead or possibly eat the proclaimers of that powerful name!
     But sadder yet, in these last days, the name of Jesus seems to be what’s missing from the gospel itself. We give such a watered down version of a ‘social gospel ‘because we want people to feel oh so comfortable, and so as not to offend, we only speak of “God” or “the Lord”. How did we Christians become conditioned to be afraid to speak the name of Jesus to strangers in the grocery store, our friends, neighbors or families? The enemy is so sly and subtle.
    The real gospel of Jesus; that is the good news of why He came is this: the Bible says that people sin. Sin is unacceptable to God. He is holy and cannot allow anything in Heaven for all of eternity that is not holy also. Sin must be punished. There must be justice, because He is a just God. There is a real hell of fire and torment which was actually designed for Satan and his demons at the end of days. It is NOT God’s will that any human being should go there (John 3:16) but it is also where those who reject His remedy for the fall of sin will go as well. It is not His choice it is ours. Jesus paid that penalty for us. He was and is sinless, He is the only one, God’s Son, fully God and Fully man, who could be that sacrifice for us. To reject or accept Him is ours alone to choose. This is also an extremely unpopular and politically incorrect thing to speak of. No one wants the doctor to tell them that they have a terminal illness, it is equally unpopular. But, if it is true then it is true. Oh, you can choose to ignore it. You can choose to ignore the remedy too. If you don’t want to take it you certainly don’t have to, but you still will die. It’s the same thing with Jesus. Folks, like it or not, you will be making the choice either way.  
     The devil knows the true power of the name of Jesus when spoken by a true child of God, and he cringes because it sends demons reeling. When spoken in heartfelt prayers of faith, it saves souls, delivers from bondage, heals sickness, restores relationships and sets the captive free.
    It is every Christian’s rightful heritage to use the name of Jesus with joy and authority. And it is every Christian’s shame if we ever mistake fear or cowardice for kindness or diplomacy. We must always remember that we are never excused from proclaiming His name. But we must also never forget the true joy that comes with really doing what we were meant to do; speaking the amazing name of Jesus.

Tonya Willman ©2010