Word of Salvation – Vol. 45 No.20 – May 2000

 

The Name Jesus

 

Sermon by Rev MP Geluk

on Lord’s Day 11 (Heidelberg Catechism)

Scripture Readings: Zechariah 3; 1 John 5:1-12

Suggested Hymns: BOW 190; 409; 208 & 209; 397

 

Beloved in the Lord.

We are looking at the article in the Apostles’ Creed that says: I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord.  This is followed by a number of other statements that sum up the Person and Work of Christ.

Yes, the Lord Jesus Christ! What we believe concerning Christ is a most important part of the Christian faith.  Who is He really?  What does the name Jesus mean to people?  If a young person today were to start reading all what has been written about Jesus, then such a person will be old and grey when finished.  Some have written very radical things about Jesus.  Some of it is even blasphemous.  Some of it is untrue.  But some of it also faithfully reflects the truth of Scripture.

Since the invention of the camera, films have been made about Jesus with actors playing the part of Jesus.  What did they think?  Were they just trying to step into the shoes of some remarkable man?  Did any of these actors ever realise that it is impossible for anyone but Jesus to be God in human form?  Actors might say that they were just acting out the human part of Jesus.

But there is not just a human part of Jesus.  He is also and always will remain God.  Moreover, does it really honour God for an actor to play Jesus and then having to rely on special effects to do miracles?  And can an actor hang on a cross, pretend to suffer the pains of hell – for pretend is all he can do – and think that the meaning of God sacrificing His Son for the sins of guilty man is truly being passed on?  What must God think of all this pretend stuff?

So what are we trying to do in this sermon?  Well, we have to humbly listen to God’s Word about Jesus and come to confess Him again as the Saviour we need in order to be right with God.  We want to rejoice at the hearing of His Name.  We want to sing thankfully and worshipfully, “How sweet the Name of Jesus sounds in a believer’s ear.  It soothes our sorrows, heals our wounds, and drives away our fear.”

We will proceed under the following sub-headings:
            firstly, Jesus is the Saviour from sin;
            secondly, Jesus is the only Saviour from sin; and
            thirdly, Jesus is the complete Saviour from sin.

1.  Jesus is the Saviour from sin

Most people like their name to be associated with honour and respect.  If a bad reputation threatens their name, then some will go to great lengths to clear their names.  The achievements and character of a person are associated with his or her name.  And if people won’t give their name then their anonymous letters are usually not taken seriously.  We hold to a common belief that if a person does not want to give his name then he is not worthy of a hearing.  An accusation or confession of guilt in an anonymous letter has no value.

In the Bible a person’s name often gave the key to that person’s origin or function in life.  To give a few examples: Adam – of the earth; Eve – mother of all living; Abraham – father of all believers; Moses – drawn from the water; Samuel – asked of God; Solomon – king of peace; Peter – rock  …and so on.

Some had their names changed because they had changed.  Jacob, meaning, ‘he grasps the heel’, became Israel, meaning, the struggled with God’; Naomi, meaning, ‘pleasant’ became Mara, meaning ‘bitter’.  But many a person has not lived up to the meaning of their name.  John means ‘the Lord has been gracious’, but there have been many Johns who completely ignored the grace of God.

However, with Jesus, His name is completely identical to His Person.  The name Jesus shows precisely who He is, why He came into this world, and what He has done for His people.  When the meaning of His name is truly proclaimed, there you hear the message about sinful men needing a perfect Saviour.  Yes, Jesus means ‘Saviour’.

The Catechism asks, “Why is the Son of God called ‘Jesus’, meaning ‘Saviour’?” And the answers follows, “Because He saves us from our sin.”

God Himself gave His Son the name Jesus.  The angel of God told Mary, “…you are to give him the name Jesus” (Lk.1:31).  God repeated this message to Joseph and told him that Mary will give birth to a son, conceived from the Holy Spirit, “and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sin” (Mat.1:21).

Among the Israelites the name Jesus, in its Hebrew form, was not an uncommon name.  Today, among Latin and South American people, some are called Jesus – it is a personal name, like John or Harry.  That the Son of God was given a human name shows how He really became “like his brothers.”  He, the only Son of God, who took upon Himself human nature was also given a human name.  But only in Jesus did the meaning of His name reach perfect fulfilment.  All other people with the name Jesus have fallen far short of the full meaning of that name.

Jesus, in the Hebrew language, is Joshua, and of those who had that name only two are significant.  The first Joshua was the successor to Moses.  The second Joshua was the high priest mentioned in the prophecy of Zechariah.  Both these Joshuas were types of Christ.  By that we mean that their life and work foreshadowed and pointed to the life and work of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

The first Joshua led Israel into the Promised Land and delivered God’s Old Testament covenant people from enemies all around.  When the fighting was over there was peace in the land.  In all this Joshua was a type of Christ because Christ will lead all His people to the promised new earth, the heavenly Canaan.  And on the way He delivers them from enemies, sin and the devil.  He also gives us rest and peace when we follow Him.

But in His saving work the Lord Jesus actually stood in the place of sinners and took their sin and guilt from them and placed these on Himself.  The first Joshua did not do any of this but it is pointed in the second Joshua from Zechariah chapter 3.  He experienced something similar to what happened to the Lord Jesus later on.  This Joshua was the high priest.  He was made to stand before the angel of the Lord who was Christ before He became man.  Also standing there was Satan and he was accusing this Joshua of being unfit to stand before Christ because he, Joshua, was dressed in filthy clothes, which symbolised sin.  And Satan’s charge was, how can this dirty high priest stand before a pure God?

Satan was right.  God, who is pure, cannot have anything to do with filthy sinners.  But Christ rebuked Satan for trying to prevent God from saving His people.  He commanded that the filthy clothes be taken off Joshua and then had him dressed with completely new clothes.  The new clothes symbolised purity.  Now a clean and pure Joshua stood before God who could now have fellowship with him.  So there’s a double blessing the Lord Jesus gives and the two Joshuas pointed to it.  The first Joshua pointed to deliverance from sin, from its guilt and punishment, its curse and judgment, yes, and its power and tyranny as well.  It’s like leaving an evil realm and entering a new realm; just like Joshua taking the Israelites out of the wilderness and bringing them into the Promised Land.  And the second Joshua typifies the nature of the new realm.  With the taking off the filthy clothes the old nature is removed.  The new clothes the second Joshua received symbolised the new righteousness, its peace with God and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Now only those who understand the Saviour in that way can truly call Him Jesus.  It’s not enough to honour Jesus as a most noble person among men.  It’s not enough to see Him as an example who inspires.  It’s not enough to regard Him as a teacher with a great influence.  It misses the whole point when He is looked upon as a revolutionary leader of the poor who upset the establishment of His day.  For in all those different ways He is not being confessed as Jesus, Saviour!

Whoever accepts the whole Bible as being the Word of God, and then says Jesus, also confesses that He deliverers from sin, removes the guilt, gained our peace with God, shuts the gates of hell, opens to us the door of heaven, and intercedes for us in the presence of the Father.  Yes, Jesus, is the chief Prophet bringing us the Word of the Father, the great High priest shedding His blood for us, and the eternal King always reigning over all things for the church’s sake.  Yes, all that is believed by whoever truly confesses Jesus.

Whoever does not know Jesus in that way is better off not to say His name at all.  Because whoever uses the name of Jesus falsely, and turns it into a swear word, will not go unpunished.  Whoever does not want what the name Jesus stands for will not find Him, because the person of Jesus is inseparable from His name.

Jesus’ name was given to Him at His birth.  He carried it throughout the time He was on earth.  When He was crucified, then His name was put above Him on the cross in the three most common languages of that time (Jn.19:20), so that the whole world would know that it was Jesus who died.  And the Lord shall still have this name when He returns on the clouds of heaven, for at His ascension the angels said to the disciples, “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).

Jesus is a mighty name, for when it is said in faith and trust, there the powers of darkness shrink back in awe and submission.  It is an approachable name for it invites the sinner to come to Him who Himself carries a human name.  It is an all-powerful name for He is able to make the sorrowful jump for joy and fills a sad heart with gladness.  It is a triumphant name, a victorious name, and a royal name.  Yes, a name above every name, “for at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil.2:10-11).  The name of Jesus, then, shows Him to be the Saviour from sin.

2.  The name Jesus also points to Him as the only Saviour

The Word of God says this, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).  There have been certain people who have saved others from various situations but only Jesus can take your sin and guilt away.  We should remember this truth also when we look at our bank balance, or when we begin to think too much of our house, car and our other possessions.  For whilst we often acknowledge what God says about Jesus, we also tend to see a saviour in many other things.

Of course, God can send other people to help us out in difficult situations.  In an economy like ours based on money, the Lord provides loans so that we can buy a house or a car and run a business.  The Lord also allows us to use investments so that at retirement there is some money for us to live on.  There is the benefit of house and contents insurance to replace our possessions when these are stolen or burnt; health insurance to take care of us when our bodies or minds become sick.

These are all saviours of some kind with regard to our earthly wellbeing.  We may see the Lord’s hand in all these helps but you can also see how we often need reminding that Jesus is really the only Saviour.  And you can also understand why some Christians have reservations about loans and insurances.  They feel that these may cause them to depend more on earthly saviours than on the only real Saviour, Jesus Christ.  The danger is real for all Christians that we look to these earthly saviours for our earthly well-being and to Jesus for eternal well-being.

When the apostle Peter confessed that Jesus is the only Saviour, then he and John had just spent a night in prison for healing a cripple.  On the next day they were interrogated by the authorities, who had the power to give them a severe beating and imprison them for a much longer time.  It was in that context that Peter spoke of Jesus as being the only Saviour.  They were not limiting Jesus’ saving power to spiritual and eternal things.  They also trusted Jesus as their Saviour in everyday things.  They knew that Jesus is God who rules over all people and all things for the sake of His church, and therefore they gave the Lord Jesus a place in their heart and mind with regard to all their needs.  Every believer must do the same.

So on what or on whom do you depend most?  Who is of most comfort to you?  Many people seek their salvation, for both this life and in the hereafter in Mary, Buddha, Muhammed, Confucius, Khrisna, or some other god.  But the teachings founded by these people are very different, not only from each other, but from also from what the Lord Jesus teaches.  So who has the truth?  Some must be right and others wrong.

Closer to home we are familiar with people depending on social status, money, a prestigious name, power, careers and possessions.  Our religious gurus have become the banks, insurance companies, telecommunications companies, computers and software giants.  Their advertisements speak a language strangely similar to the way the Lord Jesus speaks to us.  Put your trust in the Commonwealth Bank, or is it the National?  You can depend on Telstra, or should that be Optus?  Let AMP care for you, or did National Mutual say that?  Apple Macintosh will save you every time, or could it be Microsoft?  Believe in Medibank, or should that be HBF?  Just as well we don’t take all this religious talk too seriously.

Humanity consists of many people and among them are great differences in cultures, religions and traditions.  Generations come and generations go.  Yet for all humanity there is only one true Saviour, the Lord Jesus.  He makes a difference to how people live and He can save people from being eternally lost.  The name of Jesus makes sinners whole and they become honest, pure, kind and decent.  When they respond to the love the Lord Jesus has for them, then they become a better people to live and do business with.  When their earthly sojourn comes to an end, the Lord receives them into the glory and splendour of heaven.

There is not one saviour for the Australians, another for the Asians, and another for Europeans and Americans.  There is not one saviour for one political party and another for another party.  Not a saviour for companies and another for the unions.  There is not a special saviour who looks after the elderly and another after the youth.  There is only Jesus Christ and whoever believes in Him should be able to worship and pray together.  Jesus can be proclaimed in all languages – people with different tongues can pour out their hearts before Him.  He is the same to the wise old philosopher, as He is to a small child.  Jesus is the Saviour needed by that person in the pew listening, or not listening, to the sermon as well as by the minister in the pulpit who is preaching the sermon.  He is able to save that little boy or girl, smart as a button as well as that elderly lady or man with memory loss.

The Lord Jesus has only one people.  They are found all over the world in Bible believing churches who have some differences between them, but there is really only one holy, universal church.  Christians also have different characteristics, interests and ideas, but all this comes a distinct second to their Christian faith, which is most important in their lives.  Together they have one Saviour, Jesus Christ.  And they all know that without this Saviour they would be as lost as the rest of mankind.  Hence they love to tell the gospel to all who are prepared to listen and they rejoice together with the angels in heaven over every sinner that repents and is saved.

3.  Jesus is the complete Saviour from sin

We may quietly and confidently trust in Jesus’ name, for there is nothing that He has not attended to with regard to our salvation.  He has fulfilled all.  Of course, you must “…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil.2:12).  So continue in striving to please Jesus, continue to be busy in the Father’s kingdom, continue to put the Spirit’s gifts to good use, and continue to obey the Lord as if your life depended on it.  But we will honour Jesus’ name when we say with thanks and confidence: He has fulfilled all.  Jesus has not just given us the possibility to be saved, He has earned full and complete salvation for us.

Jesus does not merely show us the way.  He is the way.  He does not merely point us to our destination, He brings us there.  He does not merely hint at the truth.  He is the Truth.  He does not merely give the chance to have life, He is Life.  In Jesus we have all we need for full and complete salvation.  And whoever adds to, or takes away from what He has already provided, will end up losing Him because He will not share His honour and glory with someone or something beside Him.

When we confess, repent and believe, then Jesus does not merely forgive the sins we do now.  He also forgives the sins we did in the past, as well as the sins we, in weakness and disobedience, might do in the future.  Sins in the present are those foolish actions we do now, and for which we have to say to our Saviour, Jesus, “Lord, I did wrong things today and I have grieved you and brought hurt and pain to my neighbour.”  And we have to ask forgiveness also from those we did wrong.  Sins in the present can also be those sins that keep on recurring because we don’t fight them hard enough.  Every day they are there again.  But the Lord Jesus will forgive us our present sins for He is the complete Saviour.  His suffering, death, and resurrection have taken care of all our sins.

Sins of the past sometimes come back to haunt us.  They may lie in the background for years, almost forgotten.  Then something happens and their pain and shame are with us again.  And we can’t undo the past.  But the Lord Jesus has also forgiven us our past sins for He is the complete Saviour.  His suffering, death, and resurrection have taken care of all our sins.

And what of the future?  What if we fall back into some weakness we thought we had overcome?  What if we do something terrible we have never done before?  We fear that it may tear us away from God, perhaps for good.  But the Lord Jesus has also forgiven us our future sins.  The comfort is not in saying that this future sin, whatever it may be, is not so bad after all, for it won’t separate us from Jesus the Saviour.  No, the comfort is in the fact that our Saviour Jesus will continue to hold on to us, notwithstanding the terribleness of future sins.  He is the complete Saviour.  His suffering, death, and resurrection have taken care of all our sins.

Jesus, then, is God come in the flesh and He is the Saviour from sin; the only Saviour from sin; and the complete Saviour from sin.  May you and I praise His name forever.

Amen.