The Only Name

Jesus, A Sign!

Isaiah 7:14 ESV

14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Unto Us

Isaiah 9:6 ESV

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

He Will Save Us From Our Sins!

Matthew 1:21 ESV

21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Jesus literally means “Jehovah-Savior,” “Jehovah our Savior,” or “Jehovah is Salvation.”

Christ fulfilled its meaning as no other man could, for He was God manifested in flesh in order to redeem us.

The prophetic message of Isaiah 7:14 said that the name of the Messiah would be called Immanuel, which means “God with us,” and the name of Jesus literally fulfills that meaning (Matthew 1:21-23).

When we look at the two components of the name Jesus, we find that “Jehovah” corresponds to “God,” and “Savior” corresponds to “with us” (for the purpose of salvation).

Yawheh was the unique, personal name by which the one true God identified Himself to His people in the Old Testament and distinguished Himself from false gods. “I am the LORD [Jehovah]: that is my name” (Isaiah 42:8).

In Hebrew, that name is derived from the verb “to be,” meaning “He is,” 2 or “He will be.”

As such, it is the third-person equivalent of the first-person name that God used to reveal Himself to Moses—“I AM” (Exodus 3:14). The connotation of this name—Jehovah or I Am—is the Self-Existing One, the Eternal One, the One who is and who always will be.

For this reason, the apostles understood Christ’s command to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (that is, in the name of God) to be a reference to the supreme, singular name that reveals God in redemption—the name of Jesus.

The Book of Acts records that water baptism was always performed in the name of Jesus Christ. Consequently, the saints have the name of Jesus invoked over them and are called by His name (Acts 15:17; James 2:7).

Not only is this name invoked upon them during the initial act of water baptism, but it remains with them to give power and authority that comes from the presence of Jesus Christ, who abides and actively works in their daily lives.

Praying in the name of Jesus expresses faith in His divine character (love, compassion, and desire to help), power (ability to help), authority (right to help), and presence (immediate attention and availability to help).

But the name of Jesus is not a magical formula; prayer is effective only if we have faith in, and truly know, the One whom the name represents (Acts 3:16; 10:43). As the sons of Sceva learned, the devil flees from Jesus and from those who belong to Jesus, but not from those who merely profess Jesus verbally (Acts 19:13-17).

At That Name!

John 20:31 ESV

31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Salvation is in His Name!

We Have Seen Him!

1 John 1 ESV

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. 5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Ephesians 1:21 ESV

21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

Requirements For Communion

1 Corinthians 11:23–30 ESV

23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.

Examine Yourselves!

Repent!

Taking Communion

Luke 22:14–20 ESV

14 And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.