He Wanted A New Name
Stephanie Morrow, in an article on the legalities of changing one's name, relates the following story:
... a Vietnam teen received the right to legally change his name from Mai Phat Sau Nghin Ruoi, which translates to "Fined Six Thousand and Five Hundred." Named after the fine his father had to pay for having a fifth child, Fined Six Thousand and Five Hundred's dad finally agreed to help him change his name to something more traditional after his son continued to be teased in school. Fined Six Thousand and Five Hundred's new name is Mai Hoang Long, which translates to Golden Dragon.
A name, if it is given any meaning, should reflect something positive about the one holding it. Unfortunately, this father chose to give his son a name that reflected his own misgivings about his birth. The name he chose made it clear that it was all about how his son made him feel.
Although we don't use names this way in the West, we do tend to think of others in terms of how they make us feel. This marks one of the biggest differences between the way we love others and the way God loves us. When God calls us His "beloved," it's not because we have done anything to make Him feel that way. It's because He loves us, no matter how we make Him feel.
"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins" (1 John 4:10).
No "Hey you!" Savior
Jesus is no "HEY YOU" Savior. He engages His followers personally. We see an example of this with Mary Magdalene. She failed to recognize Him but Jesus called her by name.
A few weeks ago Betty Williams, who has been here longer than I have, introduced me to her friend, Billie. Ever since that Sunday I have been making the mistake of calling Betty, Billie and Billie, Betty. I am usually pretty good with names. I don't know why that happens. Betty and Billie have both been very gracious, laughing with me about my mistake. I am a little worried today since they are both here and may give me a really hard time.
Sometimes I think nametags would greatly enhancement my ability to know each of you, to remember each one of you, and to call you by name. Jesus doesn't need the help of nametags.
I am so grateful that Jesus never forgets who I am. If you are one of His children, the same is true for you. He knows your name! Even after His death, burial, and resurrection He called Mary by her name.
"Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary" (John 20:11-16).
A God By Any Other Name
If you call me "Pastor Craig," chances are you might know a little about me. You know what I do, maybe you've heard me speak, and maybe you're familiar with some of my favorite topics and my up-front personality. But your use of my title doesn't mean that you know me personally.
You might just call me "Craig," and I'd usually assume that you know me even better. My friends call me Craig. We're close.
Then there are those who possess exclusive rights to a few specialized, far more intimate forms of address. These are the six beautiful, small people, very dear to me, whom I allow to climb up in my lap. They rub their hands on my face and say things like "You need to shave" and "You're the best" and "Can I have some candy?" They call me "Daddy." The name reveals the intimacy.
Many names are attributed to God in the pages of Scripture, with each one pointing to some attribute or facet of God’s character or nature. In the book of Genesis alone there are eight names used of God (five of them are compound words) and each one speaks of a different facet of His character. These names appear in Genesis in an order of progression that parallels the revelation of His person in that book.
This progression is reflective of the spiritual journey of the believer. As we become more mature in our knowledge and experience with God, an evolution takes place in how we know Him. The most intimate of these names is "Jesus." By this name, God visited our humble planet as a man. By this name, God became acquainted with our grief. By this name, God reached out to us as Savior and Friend.
"Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends" (Revelation 3:20).
Pat Sage