The Name of Jesus

If we could only grasp the power and anointing that is on the name of Jesus, then we would believe in it, and nothing would be impossible for us.

Yet many today use His name as a byword or a swear word.  And even among those who believe in Him, many are ashamed of His name.

Let's look at what the Scriptures say about His marvelous Name.

The Father and Jesus Have the Same Name
It may come as a surprise to you that the Father and Jesus have the same name, so let me prove it to you. Jude referred to God the Father as the only God our Savior.

He said, "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen." (Jud 1:24-25)

The object of this sentence is "the only God our Savior," whom Jude refers to as "Him."  When Jude gives glory to "Him," the only God, he is referring to the Father in heaven. We know this for certain, because Jude says that we give this glory to God "through Jesus Christ our Lord."

This is consistent with the Scriptures written before Christ, in which God was referred to as Savior (2Sa. 22:3; Psa. 17:7; 106:21; Isa. 19:20; 43:3,11; 45:15,21; 49:26; 60:16; 63:8; Jer. 14:8; Hos. 13:4).

Likewise, in Revelation, we read about the great multitude around the throne, declaring that salvation belongs to our God and to the Lamb. "After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." (Rev 7:9-10)

And Jesus was named after His Father, for the name "Jesus" in Hebrew is "Yeshua," which means "Yehova [the Lord] is Salvation."  The angel of the Lord told Joseph, "...You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." (Mat 1:21) Likewise, before the child was conceived, the angel told Mary to give Him this name. "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end."  (Luk 1:31-33; cf., 2:21-22)

Jesus said, "I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him." (Joh 5:43)

Jesus prayed to the Father, saying, "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. (Joh 17:6).  What name did Jesus manifest?  He manifested or displayed the name of the Father, which is the same as His name, Jesus.

Again in His prayer to the Father, Jesus said, "I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are." (Joh 17:11).  Jesus said that the Holy Father had given Him His own name. That's key!

Once more He prayed to the Father, "I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them." (Joh 17:26)

Isaiah prophesied, "For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace." (Isa 9:6)

Jesus also equated Himself with the "I AM" title God gave Himself in Exodus 3:14, when "Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM.'" (Joh 8:58). (I expand on this more in my post Jesus is Yehova). In Hebrew, this name that we translate "I AM" in English is "YHVH," the tetragrammaton for Yehova, meaning approximately "he causes to be" or "he creates".  The Hebrews understood the holiness of this name, and did not write it out in full, preferring to use only the four consonants.  Rather than pronounce it, they preferred to say instead, "the Lord."

We know that Jesus is our Redeemer, "who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds." (Tit 2:14).  But did you know the Father is also called our Redeemer? The prophet Isaiah prayed saying, "For You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us And Israel does not recognize us. You, O LORD, are our Father, Our Redeemer from of old is Your Name." (Isa 63:16)

These passages and others make it clear that the Father and Jesus have the same name.  It is part of the ancient Hebrew culture for a son to be named after his father, which is why it was so surprising to everyone when Zechariah named his son John (Lk 1:59-63).  We still do the same thing today, naming sons after their father.  The son always carries the father's family name, or surname.  For example, I have the same "Lacroix" name as my father, which is French for "The Cross." And sometimes a son also carries the father's given name.  For example, a father named "Charles" may name his son, "Charles." 

The heavenly Father did this when He named His Son, Yeshua (Yehova is Salvation, or Jesus).  However, having the same name does not mean they are the same Person.

The Holy Spirit Shares the Lord's Names
I would also like to mention that the Holy Spirit also shares the Lord's names.  For example, Jesus said the Holy Spirit is another Counselor or Advocate:

"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to help you and be with you forever--" (Jn 14:16 NIV).  The Holman Christian Standard Bible refers to the Holy Spirit here as the Counselor.  The original word "parakletos" means counselor, advocate, or comforter.  And this is the Holy Spirit's role in the life of the believer.

This is the same name used for Jesus in the prophecy of Isaiah quoted earlier, where it states: "For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace." (Isa 9:6)

The Father sends the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ Name.  Jesus said, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. (Joh 14:26)  Just as Jesus came in the name of the Lord, the Holy Spirit comes in the same name.

He is also the Spirit of Truth (Jn 14:17; 15:26; 16:13).  In fact, the apostle John said, “the Spirit is the Truth.” (1 Jn 5:6), and Jesus said He is the Truth (Jn 14:6).  One more example will suffice to prove my point.  In Acts 16:7 and Phil 1:19, He is referred to as "the Spirit of Jesus."  So we could say that in one sense, the Holy Spirit shares the Lord's Name just as Jesus does.

Jesus Performed Miracles in His Father’s Name
Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father's name, these testify of Me. (Joh 10:25)

We Anoint the Sick in Jesus' Name
"Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;" (Jas 5:14)

We Perform Miracles in Jesus’ Name
But Jesus said, "Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. (Mar 9:39)

But Peter said, "I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene--walk!" (Act 3:6)

"And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.” (Act 3:16)

“Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead--by this name this man stands here before you in good health.” (Act 4:10)

“While You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus." (Act 4:30)

We Cast Out Demons in Jesus’ Name
 Paul "said to the spirit, 'I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!' And it came out at that very moment." (Act 16:18)

The psalmist said, "Through You we will push back our adversaries; Through Your Name we will trample down those who rise up against us." (Psa 44:5)

"These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." (Mar 16:17-18)

But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, "I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches." (Act 19:13)

The Name of Jesus is Magnified by Signs and Wonders
When the seven sons of Sceva tried to cast out demons using Jesus' name, it didn't work and they were severely injured.  This happened because they did not know Jesus personally or have faith in Him. “This became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived in Ephesus; and fear fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified.”  (Act 19:17)

The Name of Jesus is Feared
For You have heard my vows, O God; You have given me the inheritance of those who fear Your Name. (Psa 61:5)

Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your Name.  (Psa 86:11)

The voice of the LORD will call to the city-- And it is sound wisdom to fear Your Name: "Hear, O tribe. Who has appointed its time? (Mic 6:9)

"Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For all the nations will come and worship before You, for your righteous acts have been revealed." (Rev 15:4)

Also see Deut 28:58; Neh 1:11; and 1 Ki 8:43; cf., 2Ch 6:33.

His Name is Great and Awesome
The psalmist said, "Let them praise Your great and awesome Name; Holy is He." (Psa 99:3)

"There is none like You, O LORD; You are great, and great is Your Name in might." (Jer 10:6)

"He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever; Holy and awesome is His name." (Ps 111:9) 

The Name of the Lord is Holy
All throughout Scripture, we see that the name of the Lord is holy.

The psalmist said, "For our heart rejoices in Him, Because we trust in His holy name." (Ps 33:21)

Referring to the Father in Heaven, Mary said, "For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name." (Luk 1:49)  Jesus also taught us to pray, "Father, hallowed be Your name." (Luk 11:2b)

Also see Lev. 20:3; 22:2,32; 1Ch. 16:10,35; 29:16; Psa. 30:4; 33:21; 97:12; 103:1; 105:3; 106:47; 145:21; Eze. 20:39; 36:20,21,22; 39:7,25; 43:7,8; and Amos 2:7.

Every Knee Will Bow at the Name of Jesus
It is the name above all names!  Paul said, "For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name," (Php 2:9)

‘So that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,” (Php 2:10)

Baptized in the Name of Jesus
Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Act 2:38)

"For He [the Holy Spirit] had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus." (Act 8:16)

“And [Peter] ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days. (Act 10:48)

Jesus commanded His disciples to, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit..." (Mat 28:19)

Clearly Jesus commanded that we must be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Is this one single baptism or not? Is it in one name or three names?  All the other Scriptures above refer to water baptism as baptism in Jesus' name. But they must be understood based on the command that Jesus gave, since He is the foundation of the Church.

When Paul met the men in Ephesus, he discovered that they had only been baptized with John's baptism.  But once they believed on Jesus, they were baptized with water in Jesus' name.  “When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.”  (Act 19:5)

It was after they were water baptized that the Holy Spirit came on them.  "And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying." (Act 19:6).  John the Baptist referred to this experience as the baptism with the Holy Spirit, when he prophesied, "As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." (Mat 3:11).  John the Baptist also testified, "I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, 'He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.'" (Joh 1:33)

Peter referred to it as receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, when he said, Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Act 2:38)

Therefore, believers must be baptized in water in the name of the Father, the Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.  For He is one triune God in three Persons, who share the same names.  Perhaps this is why Jesus said "baptizing them in the name (singular) of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit" and not "baptizing them in the names (plural) of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."

Then in addition to water baptism, there is a definite second experience, which may occur before or after water baptism, known as the baptism with the Holy Spirit.

Moreover, there is yet another experience known as the baptism with fire that may occur in conjunction with or separately the baptism with the Holy Spirit.  All three experiences are distinct aspects of one baptism, and often happen separately.  Yet all three experiences are necessary to live a holy life for Jesus, separated from the world, and to be a powerful witness for Him.

Jesus Came and Will Come Again in the Name of the Lord
At the beginning of the week when Jesus was crucified, as He entered Jerusalem on a donkey, the people shouted prophetically that He had come in the name of the Lord. "The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, 'Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest!'" (Mat 21:9)

Only days before He was crucified, Jesus spoke prophetically over Jerusalem of Himself these words: "For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'" (Mat 23:39; cf., Lk 13:35).

The Apostles Preached and Taught in Jesus' Name
"For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles." (3Jn 1:7)

“And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.” (Act 4:18; cf., 5:40)

“But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.” (Act 8:12)

“But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus.” (Act 9:27)

“Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (1Co 1:10)

“Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us.” (2Th 3:6)

The Enemy is Hostile to the Name of Jesus
Jesus told His disciples, "You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved." (Mar 13:13; cf., Lk 21:17)

The apostle Paul said of himself, before he knew the Lord, "So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.” (Act 26:9; cf., 5:40)

John wrote of the coming beast, "And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven." (Rev 13:6)

For they speak against You wickedly, And Your enemies take Your Name in vain. (Psa 139:20)

The Apostles Suffered and Risked Their Lives for Jesus’ Name
Ananias was afraid to go lay hands upon Saul of Tarsus, since he was persecuting Christians, "But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake."  (Act 9:15-16)

“…men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Act 15:26)

“Then Paul answered, ‘What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’" (Act 21:13)

Saints Call on Jesus’ Name
“To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:” (1Co 1:2)

We Must Receive Children in Jesus' Name
"And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me;” (Mat 18:5; cf., Mar 9:37; Luk 9:48)

False Christs and False Prophets May Come in Jesus’ Name
"For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many.
(Mat 24:5)

"Many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He!' and will mislead many.
(Mar 13:6; cf., Luk 21:8)

We Pray and Ask the Father in Jesus’ Name
"Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (Joh 14:13)

"If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”  (Joh 14:14)

"You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.” (Joh 15:16)

"In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.” (Joh 16:23)

"Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.” (Joh 16:24)

"In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf;” (Joh 16:26)

We Assemble in Jesus’ Name
Jesus said, "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst." (Mat 18:20)

In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, (1Co 5:4)

We Are a People for His Name
God concerned Himself about taking a people for His Name.  James said, "Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name." (Act 15:14)

James continued to quote Amos 9:12, when he said, "so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by My Name," (Act 15:17).  We who believe in Jesus are among the nations called by His Name.

His Name Will Be on the Foreheads of His Servants
John wrote: "Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads." (Rev 14:1)

John also wrote: "There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads." (Rev 22:3-4)

We Give Thanks in Jesus’ Name
“Always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;” (Eph 5:20)

In God we have boasted all day long, And we will give thanks to Your Name forever. Selah. (Psa 44:8)

Willingly I will sacrifice to You; I will give thanks to Your Name, O LORD, for it is good.  (Psa 54:6)

Surely the righteous will give thanks to Your Name; The upright will dwell in Your presence. (Psa 140:13)

"Bring my soul out of prison, So that I may give thanks to Your Name; The righteous will surround me, For You will deal bountifully with me." (Psa 142:7)

O LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your Name; For You have worked wonders, Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness. (Isa 25:1)

We Lift Up Our Hands and Bless His Name
It is good to give thanks to the LORD And to sing praises to Your Name, O Most High; (Psa 92:1)

So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your Name. (Psa 63:4)

"All the earth will worship You, And will sing praises to You; They will sing praises to Your Name." Selah. (Psa 66:4)

So I will sing praise to Your Name forever, That I may pay my vows day by day. (Psa 61:8)

I will extol You, my God, O King, And I will bless Your Name forever and ever. (Psa 145:1)

Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your Name forever and ever. (Psa 145:2)

We Glorify His Name
"Glory in His holy name; Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad." (1Ch 16:10; cf., Ps 105:3)

"I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And will glorify Your Name forever." (Psa 86:12)

"All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And they shall glorify Your Name." (Psa 86:9)

Not to us, O LORD, not to us, But to Your Name give glory Because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth. (Psa 115:1)

Paul said that Jesus’ Name will be glorified in His Saints. He wrote: "To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (2Th 1:11-12)

We Must Do Everything in the Name of Jesus
“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” (Col 3:17)

His Name is Everlasting
Your Name, O LORD, is everlasting, Your remembrance, O LORD, throughout all generations. (Psa 135:13)

Eternal Life in the Name of Jesus
The apostle John said: “But these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.” (Joh 20:31)

He also said: "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life." (1Jn 5:13)

We Are Justified in the Name of Jesus
“Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” (1Co 6:11)

Forgiveness of Sins is in His Name
The psalmist said, "For Your Name's sake, O LORD, Pardon my iniquity, for it is great." (Psa 25:11)

Jesus said we must preach "repentance for forgiveness of sins...in His name to all the nations..." (Luk 24:47)

"I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name's sake." (1Jn 2:12)

We Must Believe in the Name of Jesus Christ
“This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.” (1Jn 3:23) 
  
Whoever Calls on the Name of Jesus Will Be Saved
“For whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Rom 10:13)

There is No Other Name by Which We Must Be Saved
In all the Scriptures written before the incarnation of Christ, referring to the name of the Lord, of whom was the Holy Spirit speaking?   Whose name did He mean by "the name of the Lord"?  If not the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, then please tell me what name is meant by "the name of the Lord."

The apostles gave us a very definite the answer. "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."  (Act 4:12)

Putting it All Together
The Father and Jesus have the same Name, as well as the Holy Spirit, and that name is holy.  Jesus performed miracles in His Father’s Name.  He displayed the Father’s Name, Yehova is Salvation, to His disciples.  We have eternal life in the Name of Jesus. We must be baptized in the Name of Jesus, as well as the name of the Father and the Holy Spirit.  There is water baptism, baptism with the Holy Spirit, and baptism with fire.  You could say that all three experiences are distinct aspects of one baptism, and often happen separately.  Yet all three experiences are necessary to live a holy life for Jesus, separated from the world, and to be a powerful witness for Him. The Father sends the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ Name. 

We perform miracles in Jesus’ Name, cast out demons in Jesus’ Name, as well as speak in tongues, and lay hands on the sick and they recover.  The Name of Jesus is magnified by signs and wonders. It is the name above all names. Every knee will bow at the Name of Jesus, for it is great and awesome. His name is feared!

Jesus came in the Name of the Lord, Yehova.  The apostles preached and taught in Jesus' Name. The enemy is hostile to the Name of Jesus. The apostles suffered and risked their lives for Jesus’ Name. Saints call on Jesus’ Name. We must receive children in Jesus' Name.  Even false christs and false prophets may come in Jesus’ Name, so we should beware of this.

We pray and ask the Father in Jesus’ Name. We assemble ourselves together in Jesus’ Name. We are a people for His Name, called by His Name. We must receive children in Jesus' Name.  We give thanks in Jesus’ Name. We lift up our hands and bless His Name. We love His Name and seek it.  We must do everything in the Name of Jesus. Jesus’ Name will be glorified in His saints. We are justified in the Name of Jesus. We must preach repentance and forgiveness of sins in Jesus' Name. We must believe in the Name of Jesus Christ.  Whoever calls on the Name of Jesus will be saved. There is no other name by which we must be saved.

This name is unique in that it is the only name with all these wonderful and amazing attributes!  This is the name of the Lord Himself. The one true God has no other another name higher than this one with any greater attributes than this name.

Jesus said, "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." (Mar 8:38).  Don't be ashamed of Jesus' Name.  Lift it up, seek it, confess it, proclaim it, glorify it, and exalt Him.

Then it will come to pass for you, as recorded in Exodus 20:24, “In every place where I cause My Name to be remembered I will come to you and I will bless you.”

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. 

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, I recommend reading the companion message Jesus is Yehova, as well as The Bodily Form of God the Father, The Holy Trinity,  Baptized with the Spirit and Holy Fire Baptism.

You may also access the Main Directory for this blog, or my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Image: "All Hail King Jesus" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist. 

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Christ's Two Ascensions

In my previous post titled, "Ongoing Earthly Ministry of Jesus" (see here), I wrote about how the ministry of Jesus on earth continued after his resurrection, and continues even now, as we hear testimonies from around the world of His appearances in our own day.  I also spoke about His ascension.  Based on my very thorough research of the matter in the Scriptures, I came to the personal conclusion that there must have been two ascensions.  In other words, Christ must have first ascended privately on resurrection day, without any human audience on earth to witness it.  And then he came back to earth later that day to appear to His disciples, and continued to make many appearances for forty days until he ascended to heaven in full view of them all.  But I didn't want to start teaching something I could not be sure of, so I merely stated it in parentheses as a side note that I found interesting.  Here's what I wrote:

When Jesus appeared to Mary the morning of His resurrection, she wanted to cling to Him.  But He told her not to do so, explaining that He had not yet ascended to the Father.  Jesus said to her, "Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.'" 

This is the only recorded instance where Jesus told anyone not to cling to Him.  Only a few hours later, he specifically told His disciples in the locked room to touch Him.  Luke states: “But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit. And He said to them, ‘Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.’"  (Luk 24:37-39). Some believe that Jesus ascended privately to the Father shortly after he rose on that first day, in order to be glorified, and a change occurred in His body.  This, they believe, was prior to the public ascension seen by his disciples forty days later, and explains why He allowed no one to touch Him until later during the day of His resurrection.

If it were true that Jesus ascended privately on resurrection day, then it would also explain why Jesus said to Mary that first morning that she was to tell His disciples that He was ascending to His Father and God.  If He did not ascend twice, the first time being soon after his resurrection, then we need to explain why He said on resurrection day that He was ascending to the Father.  Was He referring to the public event that would occur forty days hence?  It’s an interesting matter to consider, but certainly not an essential belief for our salvation.

That is an excerpt of the article I posted last December, which was nine months prior to writing this present article. 

He Stripped satan of his authority
The Scripture says of Jesus, "Having stripped rulers and authorities, He made a show of them publicly, triumphing over them in it." (Col 2:15) And this is exactly what happened!  Hallelujah!  Our enemy is a defeated foe, who stands condemned already.

Multiple Descents and Ascents
It may seem radical to talk about two ascensions, since we have always been taught that there was only one ascension of Christ -- that is, of course, the public one recorded in Acts 1:3.  However, it would not surprise me, if Jesus actually ascended to heaven multiple times, during the forty days after his resurrection, following each of His appearances.  Allow me to explain.

He appeared to His disciples on earth alive at least three times before the appearance He made on the day He ascended publicly to heaven (Jn 21:14).  The first was to Mary (Jn 20:10-18), then to Peter and the twelve in the upper room (Jn 20:19; 1 Cor 15:5), then a third time to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias (Jn 21:1).  "After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time...then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles." (1Co 15:6-7).  If you count all of these appearances, there may have been as many as six of them! 

We know that Jesus did not cease to exist each time He disappeared, because He lives (see Jn 14:19), therefore, we know that He continued to live somewhere.  So we need to ask, "Where did He go?" Well, we know that from the time of His resurrection, His home was in heaven, not on earth. For according to His own words to His disciples, they would no longer see Him, because He was going to the Father, although He did assure them that they would see Him again after a little while (see Joh 14:19; Joh 16:10,16).  And according to His own words to Mary, after He spoke with her, He ascended to the Father in heaven.  And He sat down at the right hand of God.  But He must have descended each time He appeared to people on earth, and then ascended back to His home in heaven afterward.  He certainly wasn't camping out by Himself on earth for forty days.  So this means there may have been six ascensions, culminating with the public one that was seen on top of the Mount of Olives by those who returned to the upper room where they were staying; that is, "Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James...along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers." (Act 1:13-14)

And since Jesus continues to appear to people on earth today, He continues to descend to earth each time He does so, and then He ascends back to heaven each time afterward, even though they don't see Him do so.

Putting it All Together
You may not agree with my findings, and you don't have to.  But this was the conclusion I had come to through my own, independent study of God's Word.  I believe there was a private ascension of Jesus Christ on resurrection day, and another one that was seen publicly by His disciples only ten days before Pentecost.  There were also likely several other private ascensions between these two.  Likewise, Christ has descended and ascended many times since then.

Jesus has overcome sin, sickness, disease, and death for us, and has stripped satan of His authority through the cross. Indeed, He has overcome the world.  If you need forgiveness, healing, deliverance or salvation today, it is available for you right now!  God wants you to be forgiven, cleansed of sin, saved, healed, and completely delivered of bondage in your life.  Don't live another minute without having your need met by Jesus.  Call upon Him and cry out to Him in your place of need.  He cares and will answer your cry.

Author's note:  I also encouraged you to read "Understanding the Gaps in Scripture" and "Ongoing Earthly Ministry of Jesus."  You may also access the Main Directory for this blog, or my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.  

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. "Ascension" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Supremacy of Christ

Many people believe intellectually that Jesus is God and that He is the Light of the World, as I've written about in previous posts on this blog. But for some people, that belief may not go beyond a simple ascent to the truth. And that's very unfortunate, because when you truly know Christ, it makes a real, practical difference in your life. Today I'd like to address the supremacy of Christ, and hopefully show how His supremacy affects our lives.

First of all, let's look at what the apostle Paul wrote to the Colossian church. My focus will be primarily on chapter one, verses 15-20.

He is the Firstborn
As I've addressed in my previous posts, Jesus is the image of the invisible God. And in this passage, the apostle Paul refers to Jesus as the "firstborn of all creation." Paul wrote: "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation." (Col 1:15).

Some people have been confused by this term unnecessarily, and taught that Jesus is a created being. This erroneous belief, known as Arianism, has been around since the fourth century AD. In my opinion, it lowers Jesus to the same level as the so-called gods of ancient, Greek mythology. Arianism is named after Arius (c. 250 - c. 336), a priest in Alexandria, who was a Greek theologian. He thought of Jesus Christ as a special creation made by God for man's salvation. While there were many damaging heresies throughout Church history, this is considered to be the most serious one of all.

As Gil Rugh explains in "The Supremacy of Christ in Creation", Paul is using the term firstborn here to express the place of highest honor given to Jesus throughout the universe. In Scripture, we find that the firstborn son of a family has the place of highest honor, and holds the most responsibility to care for his brothers and sisters. Likewise, the Heavenly Father has given this same honor to Jesus Christ, His Son. But this does not mean Jesus is a created being. This is evident in the immediate context of this passage and throughout the rest of Scripture.

In the very next section, I will show how the immediate context does not allow for any other understanding of the term "firstborn" than the one I just explained above. But first let's look at just a couple other passages of Scripture that clarify this matter.

In the book of Hebrews, the writer refers to Melchizedek as a type of Christ found in Scripture. He states: "For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually." (Heb 7:1-3). In this passage, we find an analogy between a priest, known as Melchizedek, and Jesus Christ, the Son of God. One of the similarities is that Melchizedek had "neither beginning of days nor end of life." This makes it clear that Jesus shares the same attributes and is without beginning or end.

In Revelation, Jesus says, "I am the Alpha and the Omega." (Rev 1:8) These are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet and this would be the same as calling someone "the A and the Z," using the English alphabet. Jesus further clarified this later, when He referred to Himself as "the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end." (Rev 21:6). Then once more, He said, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." (Rev 22:13). When He said this, He was referring to His eternal nature.

Some believe that when Jesus said, "I am the Beginning," that it means He "had a beginning." Yet it does not mean this at all. He said, "I am the Beginning," not "I had a beginning." Those who take this to mean that Jesus had a beginning must also use the same approach to understanding Jesus' words when He said that He is the End. This would lead to the incorrect conclusion that Jesus has an end. Therefore, this teaching is seriously in error.

Jesus said He is the Bread of Life, and those who eat this Bread will live forever, just as He does. (John 6:51,58). Jesus later referred to Himself as "the Life." (John 14:6). The apostle John also referred to Jesus as "the Eternal Life." He wrote: "And the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the Eternal Life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us-- what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ." (1Jo 1:2-3). He also says, "And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and Eternal Life." (1Jo 5:20). One meaning of the word "eternal" (Greek, aionios) is that it goes on forever in both directions without beginning or end. And I think it's appropriate to apply that meaning here. Jesus Christ, the Eternal Life, has no beginning or end.

He is the Creator of All
In his letter to the Colossians, immediately after Paul referred to Christ as the firstborn of all creation, he wrote: "For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him." (Col 1:16). Jesus is the Creator of all, and a created being could never fulfill this role.

We are all familiar with the Creation story in Genesis chapters 1-2. The Lord said, “Let their be…” and in this way He created everything. Then God decided to make man in His own image. Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." (Gen 1:26). Notice that the Lord said, "let us make". God is one Being in three divine Persons -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All things were created by Jesus -- both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible.

I want to look more closely at the expressions "by Him," "through Him," and "in Him." Gil Rugh uses some building and real estate terms to explain this. He points out, that when Paul says all things were created "by Him," it means specifically that everything was created "in" Him, which refers to His role as the Divine Designer and Architect. When Paul states that everything was created "through" Him, this refers to the role of Jesus as Builder and Maker of everything. And the expression "for Him" refers to the fact that it was all made for His glory. Using the real estate analogy, Jesus is the land Lord and owner of all creation. It all belongs to Him and exists for Him.

He is Before All Things
The apostle Paul wrote, “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” (Col 1:17). When he says that Jesus is before all things, it means that Jesus precedes all creation. There is nothing that existed before Him. As God, He has no beginning or end.

What's more, everything is held together in Him. This is true at every level, including the atomic or molecular level. Atoms are made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons, and these are all held together by Jesus. We know that all matter is made up of tiny particles, called molecules. These are all held together by an invisible force and energy. Take for example, water vapor, liquid water and ice. They all have the same chemical properties, in that they are made up of hydrogen and oxygen (H2O). But their physical properties are considerably different. The molecules in ice are packed very closely together and cannot be compressed easily, since there is very little space between them. The molecules of water are also in a formation, but they have more space between them than in ice. This is how the molecules are able to easily slip over one another. In the gaseous state of water vapor, the molecules are very loosely arranged, allowing them to disperse from one another. The force that keeps molecules together is found in Christ.

Likewise, our human bodies are held together in Him. In Him we live and move and have our being. Every beat of our heart and every breath we take is given by Him. Then even our solar system, our planet and all the others are rotating around the sun because of Him. Even though our sun is a giant ball of gases, as depicted above, it is held together by the Lord. The same is true of our galaxy -- the Milky Way. Like all the other millions of galaxies, it is being held together in Christ. In Him all things are held together.

He is the Head of the Body
“He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.” (Col 1:18)

As we know, without a head, a body is dead. This is true of humans and animals alike. The same is true in the Body of Christ, which is the Church. Jesus is the Head of the Body. In order to remain alive, all members of the Body must remain connected to the Head.

When Paul says that He is the firstborn from the dead, he means that Jesus is the first one to be resurrected from death and the grave and then to receive His glorified body.

Then we come to the main verse for today's post, in which Paul says that Jesus will come to have the supremacy or precedence in everything. This means He will have first place in all things. He will reign supreme over everything. And right now, He reigns supreme in His Kingdom, which is near. He must have first place in all those who have already entered His kingdom.

Here Christ is all, and is in all
Paul wrote: "Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him-- a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all." (Col 3:9-11).

When he said "Christ is all, and in all," he meant here in the kingdom of God. For those of us who have come to know Him, Christ is our all to us in all things. This is not a religion, but a relationship with our Lord and Creator. It's not a ritual we perform or a meeting we attend once a week, but He is everything to us in every aspect of life. We relate to Him that way in the small things like driving our vehicle or taking an exam, as well as the big things like choosing our marriage partner.

He is Above All
John the Baptist said, "He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all." (Joh 3:31). Since we know that Christ came from heaven above, we learn from this Scripture that He is above all. As the song says, He is above all powers and all created things. He is above all wealth and treasures of the earth. There's no way to measure what He's worth.

Why does Christ’s identity matter to me?
Now that we know who Christ is, let’s see what difference that makes to my life and yours. Paul wrote: "Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him." (Col 2:6).

The Colossians had received Christ as Lord, not just Savior. Many people only receive Jesus as their Savior. So they like the part about being forgiven of their sins and saved from perishing. But many times those same people do not allow Jesus to be the Lord of their lives. There is a figurative throne in each of our hearts. Who is on the throne of your heart? Are you on the throne in control of your own life, or is Jesus Christ? If you are on the throne, then you need to get off of it and ask Jesus to take His rightful place on that throne.

And Paul goes on to say that just as the Colossians had received Jesus as Lord they should continue to live in Christ as Lord. The same is true of us. Just because we asked Him to be the Lord of our life, doesn't mean we have continued to walk that way. To continue to live in Christ as Lord means He continues to be in control of your whole life, the big things and the small things. We must give Him first place in our lives, so that He may have the supremacy in all things.

You are being renewed in the image of your Creator
Paul wrote, “and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him.” You see, the Lord made man in His own image, but the image of God in man has been marred by sin. The wonderful part about receiving Jesus as Lord and living in Him as Lord is that in Him, the image of God in us is being restored. As I've mentioned before, an image is an exact representation of something. So those who live this way are being formed into the likeness and image of Jesus Christ.

Do everything in the name of the Lord
Paul wrote, "Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father." (Col 3:17). When he says, "whatever you do," and "do all," that includes everything we do, whether it's brushing our teeth, driving to work, eating lunch, going to a wedding, or being a parent.

But how do we do everything “In the name” of the Lord. That doesn't mean we go around saying, "I now brush my teeth in the name of Jesus." The expression "in the name of the Lord" means “in His authority”. When a king would authorize a decree or law, he would place his signature on it, which was his name. He did this using a signet ring that was pressed into a wax seal. When a king did this, then the law had the full force of his authority behind it. In the same way, policemen today have the authority to enforce the law, because they act in the name of the legal authorities.

This reminds me of the time when King Xerxes gave his signet ring to Mordecai the Jew, as we read in the book of Esther. "The king took off his signet ring which he had taken away from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman." (Est 8:2). Therefore, the king said to Queen Esther, "Now you write to the Jews as you see fit, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's signet ring; for a decree which is written in the name of the king and sealed with the king's signet ring may not be revoked." (Est 8:8). This is what it means to do something in the name of the Lord. You do it in His authority, so you have the full force of the king's authority in what you do. As disciples of Christ do all things in the name of the Lord, then His authority will be brought to bear in every aspect of their lives.

In the garden, after the Adam & Eve sinned, God cursed the serpent (Satan) and told him about the seed of the woman (Jesus). "So the LORD God said to the serpent, 'Because you have done this, Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.' ” (Gen 3:14-15). In a sense, Satan struck the heel of Jesus Christ, who is the offspring of the woman, Eve. Jesus, who was born of the virgin Mary, died on the cross. In His suffering and sacrificial death we can see how Satan was allowed to bruise His heel. But in His resurrection, ascension, and glorification, we see how Jesus crushed the head of Satan! Paul wrote to the Colossians regarding the cross of Christ saying, "When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him." (Col 2:15). Jesus has crushed Satan's head with his heel.

As you do everything in the name or authority of the Lord, you will trample on the serpents as well. As Paul wrote to the Romans, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” (Rom 16:20). Because Jesus lives in you, He will use your foot to crush Satan. Though Satan may strike your heel, Jesus will crush His head under your feet!
 
Do everything for the Lord
Paul wrote: "Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men." (Col 3:23). Similar to his previous instruction to do everything in the name of the Lord, we are to do everything for the Lord. This means that He is the one we are doing it for. So we should work at everything with all of our heart, giving it our best. Whether we are writing a blog, sweeping the streets, or running an international company, we should do it as though we are doing it for the Lord, because that's what we are actually doing.

Complete the work you have received in the Lord
At the end of his letter to the Colossians, Paul had a personal message for a man there named Archippus. He wrote: Say to Archippus, "Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it." (Col 4:17).

The Lord had given Archippus a work to do -- a ministry. And Paul wanted them to encourage that man to complete the work he received from the Lord. Just like Archippus, every disciple of Christ has been given a work to do for the Lord. As Paul wrote to the Ephesians, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." (Eph 2:10). We have been created for good works. The Lord prepared those good works for us to do before we were ever born. You have a unique purpose in life. It may be raising children, showing hospitality, supporting missionaries, prayer and intercession, healing the sick, or teaching the Word of God. Whatever it is, God created you for that purpose. And just as Paul reminded Archippus, let me encourage you to complete the work the Lord gave you to do. Take heed to your ministry. If you have never been equipped or prepared for that work, then get with those in oversight in the Church who can equip you and receive the preparation to do those works that you were created to do.
 
Putting it All Together
Jesus Christ is the Creator of All. He is Before All Things. He is the Head of the Body, and we need to remain connected to Him. For those who know Him, He is all, and is in all.

Be sure that you receive Christ as Lord, not just Savior. We must give Him first place in our lives, so that He may have the supremacy in all things.

You are being renewed in the image of your Creator. The very image of God that was marred by sin is being restored in you.

Do everything in the name of the Lord, which means in His authority. Though Satan may strike your heel, Jesus will crush His head under your feet. Likewise, do everything for the Lord, no matter how great or small.

And be sure to complete the work you have received in the Lord. Your labor in the Lord is not in vain. Don't grow weary, because you will reap a harvest at the proper time.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. 

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, I recommend reading Christ the Beginning, Is Jesus God?, The Sinlessness of Christ, and Jesus is Yehova. You may also access the Main Directory for this blog, or my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.  

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Light of the World

Most people love the sunshine. It’s so beautiful to look at and it warms the air. When the sun is shining, people are in a better mood than on a cold, dark rainy day. The sunshine brightens our world and makes all the colors so pleasant to see – the blue sky, the green grass, the red flowers and the white puffy clouds.

Many people spend a lot of time sunbathing and playing in the sun. When people go several days or weeks without sunshine, in times of bad weather, they often become rather depressed and long for sunshine once again.

Yet in the darkness, when there are no lights on, there’s not much to see. I recall when I was in the Mohave Desert during my days in the Army Infantry. During the day, the sun was shining brightly and blazing hot. But at night, there were no lights from the city or from artificial sources, since we were in lights-out, tactical combat mode. So when the moon was not visible in the sky, it was pitch-blackness. If you put your own hand in front of your face, you could not see it.

Jesus Christ is referred to in Scripture as the Sun of Righteousness. That’s a very interesting name, and it has wonderful implications for your life. I’d like to explore this name with you. Let’s take a look together and find out what this means.

Sun of Righteousness
The prophet Malachi wrote: "For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze," says the LORD of hosts, "so that it will leave them neither root nor branch." "But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall. (Mal 4:1-2).

The word for sun in this passage is the Hebrew word , שׁמשׁ, “shemesh” (sheh'-mesh). It comes from an unused root meaning to be brilliant; the sun. So while the expression “Sun of Righteousness” sounds like the English expression “Son of Righteousness,” this is not the case in the original Hebrew language the Scripture was written in.

This Hebrew word shemesh is the same word used for the actual sun in our sky, which is the closest star to the earth. But the Scripture does not confuse God with the sun, and never does it teach that the sun is God or that we should worship the sun.

For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. (Psa 84:11)

God Created the Sun in Our Sky
The sun is one of God’s creations. It is not God or even “a god” as the sun worshippers believe. In the beginning, when all was dark, God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. (Gen 1:3). And "God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also." (Gen 1:16)

The psalmist wrote: “Give thanks to the Lord of lords, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. To Him who alone does great wonders, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; To Him who made the heavens with skill, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; To Him who spread out the earth above the waters, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; To Him who made the great lights, For His lovingkindness is everlasting: The sun to rule by day, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, The moon and stars to rule by night, For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” (Psa 136:3-9). Clearly we are to give thanks to the one who made the sun. We are to give our thanks and praise to Him alone.

In fact, the sun itself is commanded to praise the Lord. “Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all stars of light!” (Psa 148:3)

The Lord gives the sun to light up our day. “Thus says the LORD, ‘Who gives the sun for light by day And the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar? The LORD of hosts is His name.’” (Jer 31:35)

The Sun Will One Day Cease to Shine
In the age to come, we will no longer need the sun. "No longer will you have the sun for light by day, Nor for brightness will the moon give you light; But you will have the LORD for an everlasting light, And your God for your glory.” (Isa 60:19)

“And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.” (Rev 22:5)

Jesus is the Light
We know that God dwells in unapproachable light. The apostle John wrote: “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” (1Jo 1:5) The apostle Paul also wrote, God is the One “who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.” (1Ti 6:16)

Jesus proclaimed that He Himself is our Light. “Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.’" (Joh 8:12). He also said about Himself:

"We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. "While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world."
(Joh 9:4-5)

So Jesus said to them, “‘For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.’ These things Jesus spoke, and He went away and hid Himself from them.” (Joh 12:35-36)

"I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. (Joh 12:46)

The apostle John wrote this about Jesus: “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” (Joh 1:4-5). He also wrote: “There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.” (Joh 1:9)

The apostle Paul put it like this: “For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” (2Co 4:6). Paul meant that the very One who created the light is the One who shone in our hearts. He is the One that gave us the Light in our hearts to know the Lord and see the glory of God in the face of Jesus.

Visible Light
The light of Jesus is sometimes manifested so that men can physically see it with their eyes. This was the case when Jesus took Peter, James, and John with Him up on the mountain and He was transfigured before them.

“Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, ‘This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!’ When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified. (Mat 17:1-6)

The apostle Paul saw the light of Jesus when he was heading to Damascus to persecute Christians. “As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.” (Act 9:3). In fact, Paul said the light was brighter than the sun. “At midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me.” (Act 26:13)

You’re Either Full of Light or Darkness
More important than the light we see outside our bodies is the light that is within us. It can be completely dark outside and yet our whole body can be full of light. On the other hand, it can be as bright as the noon day sun outside and our body can be filled with darkness. Jesus said, "The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Then watch out that the light in you is not darkness. If therefore your whole body is full of light, with no dark part in it, it will be wholly illumined, as when the lamp illumines you with its rays." (Luk 11:34-36).

When we are light and our bodies are full of light, there is a certain fruit in our lives. “For the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth.” (Eph 5:9). The apostle John wrote: “The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.” (1Jo 2:9,10).

Walk in the Light
We need to live in the light once we have it. This lifestyle is compared to walking. Jesus taught about walking in the light rather than the darkness and compared it to how men walk in the natural light as well. "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." (Joh 11:9-10).

The apostle John put it this way: “But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1Jo 1:7). When we walk in the Light, we have fellowship and relationship with the Light and with the sons of the Light. We’re cleansed from all our sin.

And as we continue to walk in the Light, our path grows brighter each day! As the Scripture says, "The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn that shines brighter and brighter until the full day." (Pro 4:18). The Light within the righteous is ever-increasing. The personal revelation of Jesus Christ, as well as the personal knowledge of Him grows daily. This continues until there is no darkness remaining at all.

Let Your Light Shine
When Jesus lives inside of you, you are the Light of the world. That’s exactly what He said, so we need to act like it, too! "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Mat 5:14-16)

"Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it over with a container, or puts it under a bed; but he puts it on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light. (Luk 8:16). Jesus was warning us not to hide our light or keep people from knowing that we have the light within us. We need to let it shine so they can see it.

We also need to tell others about Jesus the Light. This was the apostle Paul’s mission in life once he came to know Jesus. The Lord said that Paul’s purpose was “‘to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.'” (Act 26:18).

People Love Darkness
We know that Satan blinds many, so that they cannot see the Light right now. The apostle Paul wrote that “the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2Co 4:4)

People are living in darkness and actually prefer the darkness. Jesus said, "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.” (Joh 3:19)

"For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.” (Joh 3:20). This is the reason so many reject the gospel. It’s because they know their deeds are evil and they fear their deeds will be exposed.

Why not bring our evil deeds into the light and confess them and turn away from them? “But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.” (Eph 5:13). Why not become accountable to others for the way we live and become transparent?

Called into His Marvelous Light
The people of God have been called to live in His marvelous light. As Peter wrote: “But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1Pe 2:9). Can you hear the Lord Himself right now, calling you into the Light?

Morning Star
The apostle Peter wrote about that time when he was on the mountain with James and John when Jesus was transfigured before them. That was the time when a light shone around Jesus and his clothes became dazzling white, brighter than anyone on earth could bleach them. Peter wrote: “For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, ‘This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased’-- and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.” (2Pe 1:17-18)

You see, Peter and the other two apostles saw the Majestic Glory and heard the Heavenly Father’s voice come from the Majestic glory, which honored Jesus. That’s why Peter could say that all the prophetic words in Scripture about Jesus the Messiah are now confirmed and made more certain by what the apostles have seen and heard. He said, “So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.” (2Pe 1:19). You need to pay attention to the prophetic words about Jesus written in the Holy Scriptures. You should pay attention to them like you would if you were in a dark place and paid close attention to a lamp burning near you. Peter said that if you do this, then eventually the day will dawn for you personally and the Morning Star will arise in your heart. When the day dawns, the morning star that arises is the sun.

Putting it All Together
Jesus is the Morning Star. He's the Sun of Righteousness. He's the Light of the World. When you come to know Him, you never have to walk in darkness again. And even when the sun is not shining, He lights up your world, because you are full of Light.

Those of us who know Him should walk in that Light. Goodness and righteousness and truth are the fruit that should be evident in our lives. Rather than hatred, there should be love. There should be an ever increasing aspect to the righteousness within us.

That should spill over into other people's lives around us, so that we're shining our light. We need to point people to Jesus, and that includes using words, too. Then they too can turn from darkness to light.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. The "Light of the World" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.  

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also access the Main Directory for this blog, or my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.