What's in a Name?

What’s in a name? How important can it be? To what length do corporations go to protect a name, even the way the name is printed? When the names of Stalin or Hitler are mentioned, an immediate mental response is likely – one that is not positive. However, for some of old enough to remember the disease poliomyelitis and its terrible effects, the name “Joseph Salk” was imprinted in our minds because of the vaccine he invented to prevent the disease.

When David wrote in Psalm 20: 1 (NIV) “May the LORD answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you,” he indicated that the name of the God of Jacob possessed the power necessary to provide protection.

When we think of the ultimate in protection, the possession of eternal life, we are led to the name of the one who provided, provides and will provide that life. That name is the name “Jesus.” Paul, writing to the Philippians, (2:5-11) (NIV) stated “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that 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.”

The “name above every name,” the name “Jesus” is the most wonderful name we can know. Yet it’s interesting how that name causes men both to praise and also to curse. The NIV translation indicates that “every knee should bow” while the NASB translation reads, “EVERY KNEE WILL BOW.” We should and we will all bow to the name.

As a Christian, we are witnesses and representatives of the “name”. What we say and what we do is a reflection on the “name.” We are eager to call on the “name” for protection, but are we willing to become “nothing” and “servant”, humbling ourselves in obedience to what we are called to be? Doing this won’t get our names on the Hollywood walk of fame, but it will get our names in the “Lambs Book of Life.” Where else do we need our name written?