A Rose by Any Other Name…

What is in a name? If you look at an important Old Testament Prophet like Isaiah and his grand picture of Christ, are you surprised to learn that Isaiah may mean Yahweh Saves?

Have you ever watched an old 1940’s movie where a crook is running away and a policeman fires a shot into the air and says, “Stop in the name of the Law.” Clearly the policeman is telling the crook that he should stop because the authority of the law includes enforcement with lethal force.

The word Name is used to describe what is known of a person, so if Jesus is known for arising from the dead, then believing in His name means we believe in what He is known for, which includes rising from the dead.

When we close our prayers with “in the name of Jesus” or “in the name of Christ” what are we saying? I think in order to truthfully add that statement we must believe we are “in Christ” and therefore we have the authority of Christ Jesus to petition God no matter how wretched we may be. We should also believe our petition is consistent with our understanding of God’s will for our life.

If we pray in a manner inconsistent with the commands and teachings of Christ, saying that our prayer is in the name of Christ is merely babble.

The Apostle John recorded this teaching of Jesus: “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. If you love me, you will keep my commandments. (John 14:12-15)

 

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet is a line from a play. The idea is that what is being described in more important than the words used to describe it. Thus a rose would smell sweet even if we called it a "wild English weed." And the "name" of Jesus is more than just the Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek word His mother used when she called to Him. "Name" as used in the Bible also includes the idea of reputation or what is known about someone. So to believe in the name of Jesus is not to believe Christ had a name His mother called Him, but to believe in the whole gospel of Christ. Son of God and Son of Man.

When we pray in His name, does not mean we are just adding some "magic words" to make our prayer effective, we are praying according to what we understand would be the will of God and revealed by Jesus in scripture.