Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
Names and Titles are interesting things, aren’t they? Do you have both a name and some official ‘title’? Your NAME was probably given to you by your parents near the time of your birth. Do you know WHY your parents chose the name they gave you? Are there some expectations others have of you because of your NAME? And what about any TITLES you have had in your lifetime? Have you felt the weight of responsibility or expectations of people because you had a TITLE placed upon you?
Yesterday I left you in a large crowd of people in Jerusalem during the Shavuot/Pentecost festival. The crowd had gathered because they heard the sound of a mighty wind but saw no damage. (Acts 2:2,6) Then they heard the disciples, and other friends of Jesus, speaking languages they did not know but languages spoken in the far regions of the Roman empire. (Acts 2:9-11)
Those pilgrims, who had come to Jerusalem from those regions for the Pentecost festival, were shocked to recognize their native dialects being spoken by these Galileans! (Acts 2:7,8) But how could it be?
In the middle of the frenzy which resulted, the most recognizable of all the disciples stood up and shouted to the huge crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you…” (Acts 2:14-16) And then Peter the disciple spoke a Holy Spirit anointed message explaining that this miraculous arrival of the Holy Spirit of God into Jerusalem was in the fulfillment of a 500 year old prophecy given by the Jewish prophet Joel. (Acts 2:16-21)
But ‘Peter’ was not his original NAME, remember? “Peter” was his Jesus given name, and Jesus gave Simon that name “Peter” challenging him to be strong and reliable as a rock, and a courageous person who pointed others to Jesus, the ultimate source of all Truth! (Matt. 16:13-18)
So Simon Peter, in the boldest words he had ever spoken, explained how God’s great redemption plan for our world had been accomplished in the man JESUS... through His incarnation; His sinless life on earth; His atonement death; His victorious resurrection; His ascension back to heaven and finally His sending the Holy Spirit to Jerusalem to anoint and empower those who were followers of Jesus! (Acts 2:22-35)
My friends, if you have not read that very powerful speech of the disciple Peter, I urge you to do it, even right now. Peter amazingly summarizes the Gospel in only about 10 short verses!
I have no doubt as Peter looked out at the crowd, they appeared stunned, as though they were experiencing something traumatic and tremendous that they knew would shape the remainder of their lifetimes!
The people knew that while Peter did not have any official title, other than ‘disciple of Jesus’, Peter was a disciple who had a very special relationship with Jesus and Peter was speaking life changing, miraculous words, the people assumed were given to him by Jesus! By the way, Jesus never gave Peter any official title other than ‘apostle’, as Jesus gave the other disciples whom He sent out to represent Him and share His Gospel with the world. (Luke 6:13; Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8)
But as Peter neared the conclusion of this historic message on Pentecost day, Peter said these remarkable words which shook everyone who heard them to their very core. Peter shouted for all to hear: “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” (Acts 2:36) Had we been present that day we would have felt the shockwave ripple through the crowd like a tsunami. In fact Dr. Luke reports the scene this way: “When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart, and cried out to Peter and the other apostles, ‘brothers, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37) Have you ever been in a scene like that when people are shaken to the core by what they are experiencing?
It was that way in the quiet Hawaiian town of Pearl Harbor on a sleepy Sunday morning December 7, 1941! It was that way in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963, as thousands watched a presidential motorcade, when suddenly shots rang out and President Kennedy was dead! It was that way on a cloudless Tuesday morning in New York City as busy people looked up and saw passenger airplanes fly into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. It was that way in the recent past at the attempted assassination of President Trump and more recently the accomplished killing of Charlie Kirk.
And maybe you’ve experienced similar shock in some significant event. But why were the people of Jerusalem so powerfully stunned by Peter’s words: “…God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”?
Peter could not have been clearer. The man named JESUS, known to them as Jesus of Nazareth, had the name JESUS because God-sent angels had given those instructions from God to his mother Mary (Luke 1:30-33) and later Joseph. (Matt. 1:20,21) But why? Because the name “Jesus” means “Savior” or “Deliverer” and this Jesus would become the Savior of our world! Saving us from what? From our sin bondage and sin condemnation and eternity in hell!
Oh my, how do we thank God for the intentional, earthly name of God the Son… JESUS and His earthly mission to save us?! Has Jesus delivered you from something my friend? What would life be like for you if Jesus’ delivering power was NOT at work in your life?
Let’s pause right here and tomorrow we’ll consider the two TITLES Peter pronounced that day, “Lord” and “Messiah”. What do they mean? Why are they UNIQUELY applied to this unique man name Jesus and what is the significance that GOD Himself bestowed those titles upon this Jesus?
For today may I urge you to give serious consideration to what the NAME Jesus means in your life journey? I’ve chosen a very special Charity Gayle song to help us consider the power of the name of Jesus. When you speak that name, JESUS, what do you feel? What power emanates from you when you speak in the name of Jesus?
When someone asks you about the Biblical person who had that name, what do you say? How do you describe WHO Biblical Jesus is and what is the relationship you think you have with Jesus? And if we asked Jesus to explain the relationship, He thinks you have with Him, what words would Jesus use? What happens in the dark kingdom world when YOU and I speak the name JESUS???
The “lessons learned” notes below will be very helpful as you wrestle with the significance in your life and your world of the Name JESUS! And I’ll be here ready to dig into those two TITLES Jesus was given, tomorrow.
Today’s Scripture: Acts 2:22-35.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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