The Name Above All Names

By: Earl Phillips

How nice it would be if children arrived in the world assigned with a name that fit their personality perfectly. The decision of what name to give a child is very important to parents, but it is not always easy. Many times, long lists of possibilities are reviewed in search of the perfect name. In fact, there are books and websites with every popular and rare moniker ever invented, complete with definitions, modern adaptations, and even the name’s origin to assist parents in making the final choice. Sometimes, Grandma and Grandpa, and even Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa, try to help by giving their ideas. I have heard some ideas that scare me! But in the end, when the child arrives and is given a name, it usually fits him or her perfectly.

Mary had it easy. The angel instructed her on the perfect name to give her child—a name that reflected who He would be. Luke 1:30-31 reads, “And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.” In Matthew 1:21, we read that the angel told Joseph, “Thou shall call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” His name was to be the perfect Name above all names. The Messiah had finally arrived on earth, and His name reflected His mission.

Even though the Name of Jesus was not known until the story of His birth was told in the Gospels, references to the Messiah are found throughout the Old Testament. Jesus’ birth in the manger was prophesied long before it ever happened, and His purpose—to give His life on the Cross so that man could live eternally—was well known in the days preceding His birth.

Even those who did not know the Name of Jesus could identify Him. The Book of Daniel tells the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who were captives in a country under the rule of King Nebuchadnezzar. The king built a statue covered in gold that was nine stories tall. He made a decree to the people in his kingdom ordering them to gather at the statue and bow down to it when the music sounded. The punishment for those who disobeyed the king’s decree would be death by being thrown into a fiery furnace. This did not scare Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; they remained firm in their stance and did not bow. They outwardly declared their devotion to God.

What we say, and what we do should be consistent, but our actions will speak louder than our words. These three men could have compromised their beliefs and avoided the furnace by saying, “We will bow to the statue, but we bow only our knees, not our hearts.” That is not the way it happened; they did not bow. Their disobedience infuriated the king. He gave them another chance to obey and bow to the statue, but they said, “We are not careful to answer thee in this matter” (Daniel 3:l6). They did not take a vote. They did not hold a meeting to decide their course of action. They simply stood together believing with all their hearts that their God would deliver them. They told the king, “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace,” and then went on to say that even if God did not deliver them, they would not worship the golden image.
The king was so angry that he ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual. Researchers say the flames were probably about fifty feet high. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into that burning furnace, but that was not the end of the story. After they were thrown in, the king looked into the furnace and saw four figures in the flames. He asked, “Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” His helpers assured him that was true. He said, “I see four men . . . and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” The king recognized Him in the furnace with the three Hebrew men.

There are many victorious stories of people who have learned of Jesus and the power in His name, and turned their lives over to Him. On the island of St. Martin, in the West Indies, my wife and I attended a church service where about 250 people were in the congregation. As we listened to the choir sing a beautiful hymn, a young man, who had never before been to church, entered the sanctuary. He had been walking by the church building and heard the choir singing. He felt something tug at his heart and decided to go in. There, he heard the Name of Jesus for the first time in his life, and at the altar call, he went down to pray and received Jesus in his heart.

In the hills of China, a woman attended a church service where she heard the Name of Jesus for the first time. She went to an altar of prayer and was saved. Jesus changed her life that day. Some time later, she went back to the church and said, “He has saved me. But, please, tell me His name again.” The people in the church told her, “His Name is Jesus, the Name that is above all names.”

Everett Wayne was a drunkard who used to stagger by the Apostolic Faith Church building when it was located at Sixth and Burnside Streets in Portland. Gambling had cursed his life and had caused him to lose his wife and child. Stealing had been his way of living; it had even cost him his citizenship. Then one night, he heard a Voice say to him, “Old feller, except you do something, you’re a goner!” Everett knew so little about Jesus that he did not understand it was the Lord speaking to him, but something compelled him to push his chips away and get up from that gambling table. He said, “I am going to the church that I used to stagger by. I am going inside, and I am going down to pray at those altars.” That night Everett Wayne met Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and his life was transformed.

Many years ago, God talked to the hearts of two young friends: Cliff Copko and I attended a church service together. I did not tell Cliff that God had been talking to me, and he did not tell me that God had been talking to him. After the sermon that day, we stood to leave. A minister walked over to us and said, “I am glad to see you two with us. If you would ever like to pray, you are welcome.” Then he moved on. Another minister walked over and said almost the same words. I turned to Cliff and said, “I do not know what you are going to do, but I am going to pray.” That day, I asked Jesus to come into my heart and He revealed His mercy and glory to me. All my desires were changed. When I woke up the next morning, I did not roll out of bed and immediately smoke a cigarette as I had done before. Instead, I found the little Bible my mom had given me when I was a young boy, got down on my knees, and said, “Thank you, Jesus, for saving my soul.” I realized the power in the Name of Jesus had changed me deep inside.

If only people would believe in the Name of Jesus today! If only they would pray to Him, He would answer their prayers; He has the power. Those who lived in the days of old did not know the Name of Jesus. They could not understand His love for them because He had not yet given His life to save them from their sins. We are so blessed to be able to personally know our wonderful, merciful Savior. We can bring all of life’s problems to Him. If the country would turn to Jesus Christ, larger prisons would not need to be built. If more people would turn to Jesus Christ, we would not hear devastating stories about teenagers dying and facing a lost eternity because of drugs. We would not hear horrendous news about young people shooting their peers in the classrooms and cafeterias of our country’s high schools. As we look at this world, we realize that Jesus is coming again soon. People need now, more than ever, to pray.

Do you know the One whose Name is above above the name of every powerful religious and political figure in world history? His Name is Jesus, and in that Name is the answer to all the world’s problems. We can call upon His holy Name! And when we do, He hears us and answers our prayers.

Earl Phillips is on the ministerial staff at the Apostolic Faith Church in Portland, Oregon.