The Lutheran Hour
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"What’s in a Name?"
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Text: John 17:10-11
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Grace, mercy, and peace be to you in the Name of Jesus, the One Whose Name you can trust in all things. Amen.
What’s in a name? In ancient cultures, naming a child was a very serious task. There were rules to follow, traditions to uphold. Things are a little different today, though, aren’t they? Now some people still take the naming process seriously. But for many it’s nothing more than an opportunity to give their child the name of their favorite movie or TV star. Or, for many it’s just an opportunity to give their child a name that’s popular or merely sounds good to their ears. In Jesus’ day, the naming of a person, though, was much more important. It was vital to who the child was as a person. It was more than a title. It was more than a pleasant sound to family and friends. Names brought identity, rooting a person in a community. Names reflected one’s character or even defined one’s purpose in life. Some cultures even waited to name their children until they saw how that child acted or responded to the challenges of life. Names were, names are, very important.
Jerome Bettis was the star running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2006, leading the team to their first Super Bowl victory since those great Steeler teams of the 1970s. He was a bruising back. He was 5 feet. 11inches tall, 252 pounds of solid muscle and he was fast too. They called him the “Bus” because he was able to carry two or three defenders on his back like a bus offering rides to people on a city street. I actually liked that name because I thought it provided a vivid description of what it must have been like for those who tried to tackle him. I think those defenders felt like they had just gotten run over by a bus. But, what impressed me most about Bettis was not his athletic prowess, it was the appreciation that he had for his name. I saw an interview with him where he was asked, “What made your Super Bowl victory so special?” His answer focused on his family name. He talked about how the victory allowed him to honor his father and to honor his name. He talked about what his dad, what his family had given him. He said that his father reminded him when he was young, later when he went to college, and even when he became a professional football player, that although he couldn’t give him a lot of money, what he did give him was an honest, good name, one that he could be proud of, one that he could count on. Bettis’ Super Bowl victory was an opportunity to honor the legacy of his father’s name.
So, names, even today, are very important things.
But what happens when you don’t live up to the legacy of your own name. What happens if your name is more like an albatross around your neck? What happens when your name reminds you over and over again about unfulfilled expectations, unrealized dreams, or worse, failure in the face of life’s challenges? To those who know that even at their best, their name is full of disappointment, sin, guilt, and struggle, listen up.
In our text for today, we hear about another name. It, too, is a name of notoriety. But, it is more than a good Name; it is a perfect Name, a holy Name. This is the Name of God, the One who became flesh for us all. This Name is above all other names. It is a Name that is full of God’s life, God’s forgiveness, God’s peace, God’s power, God’s blessing, and His eternal protection. God Himself has made that Name available to us all!
That public Name of God’s Grace for a sinful world is Jesus. He is the “One who saves,” He is the “Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the Prince of Peace.” He is the Name given among all the peoples of this world so that we might be saved, invited to be part of His faith family again.
In our lesson today, Jesus incredibly prays for us, and in this prayer He provides resources for our faith. He says, “Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your Name, the Name that You gave Me, so that they may be one, as we are One.”
What’s in a name? Well, In Jesus’ Name there is God’s Holiness! God’s Salvation. Jesus’ prayer to the Holy Father is that His Holy Name, the One Jesus bears, bless all who believe. For in the Name of Jesus, there is God’s very holiness for us.
And that’s exactly what we need. Holiness is not some prudish piety that we muster up so that we can show that we’re religious or spiritual people. No, holiness is the essence of God’s character. His essence is absolute perfection and it motivates and shapes everything He is and does. His love is a holy love, His judgment a holy judgment. And we need His holiness so that we might live the lives that we were created and redeemed to live. Holiness is life, sinfulness is death.
But sinful people’s first inclination is to reject God’s offer of His Holiness and life. We try to muster up our own “holiness,” our own stab at perfection, to build up our own names if you will. But our self-centered motives mitigate true holiness at every turn. Such holiness is not only fake, it’s also a façade which destroys our relationship to God and to others. Jesus once told a disparaging parable about “people who trusted in their own righteousness, their own holiness, and looked down on everybody else?” The story was about the Pharisee and the Tax collector (the ancient IRS agent). Guess which one went home “unforgiven!” False holiness and false righteousness is often as destructive as unbridled sin.
So, God judges false holiness because He loves us. He holds us accountable to our own names, the lives that we live before Him. Because of our sin, our names can only bring us final reproach before God. Why? Because humanity’s legacy, our legacy, is intertwined with that of a greater human family name, Adam and Eve. You remember their rebellion in the Garden of Eden. Well, their rebellion is our rebellion. Their false piety is our false piety. Their family tradition is really our family tradition. And no matter what we do, we can’t escape the power of that human name. Names can do that to us, can’t they?
In Fontana, California there was a man whose name was Richard M. Nixon. Having that name brought him no end of trouble though! For those of you who might not know, Richard Millhouse Nixon was the President of the United States who had to resign due to the Watergate scandal of the 1970s. He, the ex-president, spent the rest of his life trying to redeem his reputation, to reclaim his good name.
But the Richard M. Nixon of Fontana was a person who had nothing to do with such things. He was a person who just happened to bear a similar name. And, even though his middle name was Mark not Milhouse, that he was a Democrat at the time and He was considerably younger than his name’s sake, no matter. He was often teased mercilessly. At work they would often greet him with a “Good morning, Mr. President. How are things at the White House?” And when he charged things at the store, people would say, “I’m sorry Mr. Nixon, your credit is no good here!” There was almost nowhere to run, nowhere to get away from this name, his name.
He said, “It used to be funny, but now it’s getting quite irritating!” Once he was stopped by a policeman for speeding. He didn’t have his license or his registration with him and when he told the officer his name, the officer said, “Okay, you smart punk out of the car.” After the officer ran a check on the license plate and found out that Mr. Nixon was indeed telling the truth, the office burst out laughing and sent him on his way.
What’s in a name? At our best, it brings only temporary “notoriety,” or fickle public acclaim. At our worst, it can bring crushing reproach. Do you remember when your parents called you by your full name? Gregory Paul Seltz, come here! I knew I was in trouble. Can you imagine, though, God, at the Final Judgment, calling your full name as a son or daughter of Adam? No human name can measure up to the Holy Name of God. But that’s why Jesus’ prayer for us is so important. There is a Name that is given by God, among the sons and daughters of Adam. A Name that will save people from their sins, that will save you and me from the sinful legacy that overshadows us all.
God’s Name is Holy and it is Holy for us in Jesus! The Bible says incredible things about the Name of Jesus. Where two or three are gathered in His Name, there He is to bless.
His Name literally means “Yahweh Saves”. He is God’s salvation in action for us. For the One Named Jesus literally took our place before God’s judgment throne paying the penalty for the legacy and personal responsibility for our sin. As the Bible says in Acts 4, “There is a Name in this world that exists for our blessing.” Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name by which we must be saved! To those who trust in Christ, that’s the full name that will be called out before God’s judgment throne on our behalf.The Good News in this text is that the Name of Jesus brings God’s eternal promise of blessing and salvation to fruition for all. Jesus’ Name is no afterthought either. God made His saving Name available from the very beginning. He came to save in the Garden. He came to save all people through the promises given to Abraham. He came to save through Moses’ leadership of the promised people out of Egypt. There he tells Moses, tell Egypt itself, even the world, that “Yahweh Saves.” Jesus’ Name literally means, “Yahweh Saves.”
God’s Name, Yahweh, Yeshua, Jesus is God’s Provision of blessing for all those would trust in Him for their very lives. There is Salvation in this Name.So when people ask me today, “Pastor, is the ‘Name of Jesus’ relevant anymore?” I tell them, just look around, that’s not even a question. For, we live in a world where the best and brightest names are inadequate to so many basic things in life, that relevancy of Jesus’ Name is obvious.
The real question, though, for us today, is what are we going to do with this Name? Do you see that this Name, which is rooted in human history like no other, which is full of forgiveness and life, do you see it as God’s Provision for you? In a world that seems to be in the business of identity theft, what an incredible message that God is in the business of “identity gift.” In a world that dehumanizes people at every turn, I think that a Name that makes us truly human again is worth a listen.
Trust in His Name. Receive that Name through the washing of Holy Baptism, where God literally wants to gift you with its power as He splashes it allover you. That Name brings holiness, life, and salvation for you as a gracious Gift, received by faith alone. There is salvation in this Name. There is also power and protection in this Name.
For believers in God’s Name, there is power and protection to live life this side of heaven. Jesus had just earlier explained to His disciples that there would be trouble in this world. But, even then, that they should not fear because He has overcome the world for them. The Name of God is not only a provision for our life of faith; it is also a promise of God’s constant care, His constant protection.
In Psalm 121, Yahweh, the Lord, is described as One Who does not slumber, Who does not sleep. He never grows weary, He protects us from evil and literally watches over a believer’s life.
The early Native Indians had a unique practice of training young men not to fear. On the night of a boy’s thirteenth birthday, after learning hunting, scouting, and fishing skills, he was put to one final test. He was placed in a dense forest to spend the entire night alone. Until then, he had never been away from the security of the family and of the tribe. But on this night, he was blindfolded and taken several miles away. When he took off the blindfold, he was in the middle of a thick woods and he was terrified! Every time a twig snapped, he visualized a wild animal ready to pounce. After what seemed like an eternity, dawn finally broke and the first rays of sunlight entered the interior of the forest. Looking around, the boy saw flowers, and trees, and the outline of a path home. And, then, to his utter astonishment, he beheld the figure of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with a bow and an arrow. It was his father. He had stood guard over him the whole night.
The father on guard, what a glimpse of how God protects us. But God’s protection is so much more. God’s Name guards and protects His people when the battle is beyond men’s might. The Bible reminds us that our battles are with “the principalities and powers in the heavenly realms.” It says in Ephesians 6, “Our enemy the devil lurks around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” But is also says that God has provided His Name through His Son Jesus so that we might live by faith without fear. He is our mighty fortress. That is His Name. He is the one who says, “I will be with you always, even to the end of the age.” When the God of heaven and earth, the God of the cross and resurrection is with you, we have real protection in the Name of Jesus!
Jesus prays, “Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your Name, the Name that You gave Me, so that they may be one, as We are One.”
In Jesus’ Name, there is holiness and salvation, power and protection, and there is God’s unity, His Oneness and peace, at a believer’s disposal. Incredible! And, oh, so needed! In today’s broken world such Oneness is needed more than ever, When you think about the power to create or extend real unity, or intimacy, or oneness, the question is clear, “What can bond sinful, selfish people together? What can hold? What can finally overcome the histories of human hatred?” It won’t be our political will or our military might. Only Jesus’ Name, only Jesus’ work can give sinners a chance to be redeemed human beings in harmony again. Only the righteousness of Christ which calls all of us to repentance, only the mercy of Jesus which gifts all of us with an undeserved grace, only the work of Jesus Christ can make enemies brothers and sisters again. Jesus’ prayer is explicit here. His Name, God’s Name and the Word that flows from that Name in action, that is the only bond that can hold.
Jesus even directs us to the power source of His Unity when He says, “I pray for those who believe in me through their word, that they may be one, Father, as we are one.” The very Word of God in the words of the Bible brings God’s oneness to bear in our lives. The Bible is an extension of the unifying Name of Jesus. It’s His Word. When you have the Bible, you have more than another opinion. You have the Words of Jesus, the Crucified and Risen Lord. In words that you and I can understand and believe. You have the resources of the Unifying Name of Jesus at your disposable. Here you can see and receive His gracious love in action for you. Here you can also see and model God’s love for one another. Here you can hold in common a Word that holds you.So, what’s in a name? Not much in our world. We tend to value names very little even when they tell us so very much. Well, I’d like you to stop that today. Instead, I want you to value, to cherish one Name from now on in your lives; I want you to value Jesus’ Name as your Lord and Savior. Hear how He prays for you today. Hear that He also values you and He wants your name to be a blessing to others as He calls you to be His own. Because in His Name for you there is holiness and salvation, there is power and protection, and in His Name, there is unity and peace for you and for all.
So, call on His Name right now, trust in His Name today, live your life with His power, protection, salvation, His joy, and His peace. In His Name!
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers)
June 5, 2011
Topic: The Name of JesusANNOUNCER: Now, Pastor Gregory Seltz responds to questions from listeners. I’m Mark Eischer and today we’re talking about “the Name of Jesus.”
SELTZ: You know, Mark, for some that can be a controversial topic.
ANNOUNCER: I think that you’re right because it seems that whenever Bible verse regarding “Jesus’ Name” are mentioned, questions come up about how to properly receive and even use His Name.
SELTZ: That’s right, but can you be a bit more specific about some of those questions?
ANNOUNCER: Well here I’m thinking that some people act as if the Name of Jesus is some kind of magical formula. You know, “speak the Name of Jesus” and then claim whatever it is you wanted. Or something like that. Is that how Jesus wants us to use His Name?
SELTZ: Hmmm. I do have to be careful here to answer this clearly, because Jesus does want us to use His Name, to claim things that His Name delivers. For example, we are baptized in His Name and Romans 6 says that being connected to His Name in baptism means that we have died and risen with Him to new life. I think that He wants us to claim that because His Name has already claimed us!
ANNOUNCER: But here it’s not a magical formula, it’s more a relationship that His Name creates and sustains?
SELTZ: Exactly. Exactly. We need to remember that Jesus defines what His Name brings. He defines how we are to receive and to use His Name.
For instance, God gave us His Name so that we could know Him. God located His Name so that people could find Him, receive the blessings that only His Name could provide. All you have to do is look back in the Old Testament at Solomon’s prayer of dedication about the Temple and see what God’s Name provided even there.ANNOUNCER: Jesus talks that same way in the New Testament when He says where two or three are gathered in His Name, He’s also present among them with His grace and blessing. That’s pretty incredible.
SELTZ: Right. And Jesus even goes further by saying, if you know My Name by faith, you know God the Father too. So, that’s why Christians have always asked where can I go to receive and celebrate this Name? To receive His Word and sacraments which bear the Name of Jesus, is to receive His blessings that only His Name can give.
ANNOUNCER: So He wants us to use His Name as a gift.
SELTZ: Right and I think that’s the whole point of the 2nd Commandment.
ANNOUNCER: Which said, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain”?
SELTZ: Exactly.
ANNOUNCER: But most people think that’s just about “not cursing or swearing,” right?
SELTZ: Well, they do, but that means that they miss the real point of the Commandment. Yes, it is a warning not to misuse the Name of God, to “take it in vain.” But that’s because God wants us to use His Name faithfully to bless and to worship, to live life empowered by His name, for others.
ANNOUNCER: So it can never be reduced to just a “magical formula” type of thing.
SELTZ: Right, it’s about being in a grace relationship with God, named and claimed by Him with His words, with His gifts that bear His Name. And then it’s about using that Name to bless others.
ANNOUNCER: So, this Commandment is not just about “not doing something” with God’s Name, it’s about using it faithfully, even correctly.
SELTZ: I think that Luther’s explanation to the 2nd Commandment still says it best. We are to fear and love God that we do not curse, swear, use witchcraft, lie, or deceive by
His Name.ANNOUNCER: In other words, don’t use it as a magical incantation, as a way to coerce God into doing something that we want.
SELTZ: Exactly, that way of using God’s Name is actually very offensive to Him, since
He has provided His Name as a blessing to us, for our forgiveness, life, and salvation. I think that’s why Luther goes on to say “we are to call upon God’s name in trouble, to
pray, to praise, and give thanks.”ANNOUNCER: And in that sense then, we are using God’s Name both for our blessing and for the blessing of our neighbor, for others.
SELTZ: Now you’re talking. Or should I say, now you’re using God’s Name the way that
He wants you to use it, claiming the status that it gives and using that blessing that it
provides in service to others.ANNOUNCER: And really, what a blessing. To know the Name of Jesus and to apply it faithfully in our lives. Thank you Pastor Seltz. That brings us to the end of our broadcast for another week and we thank you, the listener, for making this program part of your
day. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.Music selection for this program:
“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by Chris Bergmann. Used by permission. “Jesus Christ, My Sure Defense” sung by Dan Suelzle. Used by permission.
“Christ Is the World’s Redeemer” From The Concordia Organist (© 2009 Concordia
Publishing House) SESAC“Sing Praise to God, the Highest Good” arr. John Behnke. From For All Seasons, vol. 2 by John Behnke (© 2001 John Behnke) Concordia Publishing House/SESAC