Remembering Madden
If you are a football fan and you see “Madden,” you are most likely to think video games. An annual, updated version of Madden NFL has been released since 1994, and before that it was called “John Madden Football” (from 1988 to 1994). Many of the earlier game players, those up to 2009, would have heard John Madden’s voice providing commentary for football games on TV and radio. However, if you are old enough, you know that the man for whom the ever-popular video game is named was a successful head football coach for the Oakland Raiders from 1969-1978. After that, he was an NFL broadcaster for 30 years for CBS, Fox, ABC, and NBC. Before that, as diehard Madden people can tell you, he was head coach of Hancock Junior College for two years (1962-1963).
What’s the point? Over time, John Madden went from football coach to broadcaster to namesake of one of the most popular video games of all time. The name “Madden” means one thing to a kid with a Playstation or Xbox and another to his Raiders-loving grandpa.
How many people, ideas, and words appeal to us differently, depending on our age, outlook, or experience?
Of all these, take the name “Jesus.”
To the child, He is the theme of Bible story books, the answer to every Bible class question, the subject of “Pew Packer” songs. To the skeptic or the searcher, He is an enigmatic religious figure who may be seen only as a teacher or a good man. To the nominal Christian, He is a shadowy, mysterious figure, a virtual stranger.
But to one who has walked with Him and continues in an ever-deepening relationship, He is “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named…” (Eph. 1:21). He is the highly exalted one, bestowed with “the name which is above every name” (Phil. 2:9). “He is Lord of all” (Acts 10:36). He is the Christ, the Son of God (John 20:31). He is unchanging, and therefore, “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8).
The longer and better I know Him, my connection to Him grows more intimate.
How well do you know Jesus? I don’t know how far back you go with Him, but each day should mean knowing Him better and seeing Him in a different light. God wants Him to be, “Christ in you, the hope of glory…” so that He can “present every man complete in Christ” (Col. 1:27, 28).
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).