IN THE NAME OF JESUS
A SERIES ON JESUS: PART 1 (HIS NAME)
INTRO: If your parents had to prove that you were their son or daughter, how would they do it (give some time for answers here)? Seriously, what would they say (leaders, probably think about this answer yourself, probably using some story of in your childhood to prove it, maybe some type of birth mark).
TRANSITION: Well, the book of Mark characteristically uses different names for the savior, probably in an attempt to try to describe the Christ, let’s take a look at the names he says and how those names describe the risen Lord.
BIBLE VERSE: Mark 1:1-3
1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 1:2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,
“Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way, 1:3 the voice of one shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make his paths straight.’”
THE FOUR NAMES:
1. JESUS
Picking a Name: My firstborn child is named Victoria, and for a good reason. My name is Tom, my wife’s name is Lori, so her name was Tori, because she is part of my wife and I (the idea of naming her Loom just didn’t work out so well). Youth, does anyone else know why you are named what you are named?
Specifics:
Formal Name: First, Mark uses his formal name, Jesus.
Not Unique: The name is NOT original, others have the same name. In Hebrew it is Joshua, in Greek it is Jesus. Even though the ethnic Mexican race was not around back then, Jesus (Hay-Zeus) is also common.
Literal Meaning: The literal meaning of the name of Jesus is “Yahweh is Salvation.”
BIBLE VERSE: 1:21 She will give birth to a son and you will name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.
New Announcement: This week, Lori and I have learned the gender of Papez Child #6. It is going to be…drumroll…a boy! And we are going to name him Nathan! Besides us really liking the name, in Hebrew it means “God has given.” And boy has He ever given.
Name Stories: “Six Year Old with Weird Name Refused Birth Certificate”
“MOSCOW, February 18 (RIA Novosti) - Moscow authorities have refused to issue a birth certificate to a six-year-old boy, whose parents named him BOCh RVF 26062002, a records chief told RIA Novosti on Wednesday.
Registration officials refused to register the boy’s name, which translates into a Russian acronym for Biological Human Object of the Voronin-Frolov Genus (DoB) June 6, 2002, to "protect the boy’s own interests." The parents have insisted on registering the name.
"This case has been reviewed by several judicial agencies; however, the parents have been denied the right to register the child with that name," Tatyana Ushakova said. "This was done to protect the interests of the boy. His parents need to think about the boy and how he can live with a name like that and not think about their own ambitions."
Ushakova said that there is no legislation in Russia against giving children odd names. She also said that the parents referred their case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg; however, the complaint was turned down.
In 2008, a number of other odd names were registered in Russia, including the English equivalent of North, Dolphin, Wind, and Moon. However, in 2005 the names Leaf Salad, Aviation Dispatcher, Russia, Privatization, Cool, Viagra and Simply a Hero were registered.
However, the Russian names are somewhat tame compared to New Zealand, where last year a family court judge made a nine-year-old girl a ward of the court in order to change her name from Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii.
The judge Rob Murfitt said at the time, "The court is profoundly concerned about the very poor judgment which this child’s parents have shown in choosing this name. It makes a fool of the child and sets her up with a social disability and handicap, unnecessarily."
Murfitt gave a list of names that registrars had refused to register, including Sex Fruit, Keenan Got Lucy and Fish and Chips. However the names Number 16 Bus Shelter and Violence somehow got through.”
2. CHRIST
Specifics:
What It Means: The Greek word Christ, or the Hebrew word Messiah, which means “The Anointed One.”
Who Received Anointings? Three people received them: prophets, priests, & kings. Jesus is all three!
Anointings: What are they, and why are they important?
By Definition: “to anoint is to pour or smear with perfumed oil, milk, water, melted, butter, or other substances. People and things are anointed to symbolize the introduction of a sacramental or divine influence, the reception of the holy power of God.
BIBLE VERSE: Mark 14:3-9
14:3 Now while Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, reclining at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of costly aromatic oil from pure nard. After breaking open the jar, she poured it on his head. 14:4 But some who were present indignantly said to one another, “Why this waste of expensive ointment? 14:5 It could have been sold for more than three hundred silver coins and the money given to the poor!” So they spoke angrily to her. 14:6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a good service for me. 14:7 For you will always have the poor with you, and you can do good for them whenever you want. But you will not always have me! 14:8 She did what she could. She anointed my body beforehand for burial. 14:9 I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”
EXPLANATION:
Jesus just announced that he was about to die, if I was going to die, I would want everyone to understand me clearly. Then this woman comes in, stricken by her sin, and douses expensive perfume on the feet of Jesus. 300 denarii—the price of a whole year’s salary, expensive! Even if they weren’t thinking “how stupid,” they could have been thinking in a good way “it could have been given to the poor.” Here, on Jesus’ death night, they spend time scolding her.
Scolding: The word here for scolding or admonishing is “enebrimwnto,” which literally means…are you ready…”SNORT WITH ANGER.” Do a visual here, making a snort sound or something, like a pig. It gives a good word picture as to what is going.
She Gets It: Now, there have been a million lessons about this woman and how she had to receive a ton of forgiveness. But here is one more strong point…THIS WOMAN GETS IT! Her only chance for salvation is dying tonight! She cannot bear to think about this man dying, why was everyone NOT crying out like her? She recognizes his Kingship…His Name! And a jar of nard is a fitting gift for a king, just like the gifts given to Jesus when he was born.
BIBLE VERSE: Philippians 2:9-11
2:9 As a result God exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name,
2:10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow– in heaven and on earth and under the earth –
2:11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
3. SON OF GOD
Here is a Bible verse that is worthy of taking a look at, it uses the phrase Son of God in a different light:
BIBLE VERSE: Job 1:6
1:6 Now the day came when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD – and Satan also arrived among them.
What? What is that? Are there more than one Sons of God? No. There is only one, but the term has been used to describe more than just Jesus. In this case it is descriptive of the angels. Cool huh?
But that’s not all…
BIBLE VERSE: Hosea 1:10
1:10 However, in the future the number of the people of Israel will be like the sand of the sea which can be neither measured nor numbered. Although it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it will be said to them, “You are children {sons} of the living God!”
In this case, the title is given to people, in this case, the Nation of Israel.
If we were to continue and read over 2 Samuel 7:14, we will see there that the title refers to the Davidic Kings, in other words, the anyone who claims to be descendent of David (i.e. of the House of David) are to be called Sons of the Living God! Wow! And of course, that is where we get our phrase from, as God is our Holy Father.
4. LORD
LORD: The word Lord was a divine title indicating Mark’s point that Jesus IS the Messiah that the O.T. told us about. Whereas somebody could technically be called a “Son of God” or even the name Jesus. The title
Lord, indicated…Jesus is the Savior.
OPINION? No, it wasn’t just Mark’s opinion. And it wasn’t just Mark combing through the scriptures pointing out the obvious. It was because of an incident everyone knew about.
BIBLE VERSE: Mark 1:10-11
1:10 And just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 1:11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my one dear Son; in you I
take great delight.”
THE SCENE: Remember, hundreds saw and heard this, they actually saw the spirit of God! By the way, was it a dove? Is God’s spirit a dove? It is LIKE a dove. Funny, every movie depicts a small white bird landing on Jesus’ shoulder, but in all reality, there was no bird there.
More importantly, check out these two verses:
BIBLE VERSE: Psalm 138:5
138:5 Let them sing about the LORD’s deeds, for the LORD’s splendor is magnificent.
BIBLE VERSE: Psalm 136:3
136:3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his loyal love endures
Why is one verse LORD and the other verse Lord?
The word Lord is general, but LORD is specific for the personal name of God: YHWH.
At this point, go into great detail about the name of God being YHWH, explain how scribes considered the name so holy that they bathed after even writing it (I have a video from Nooma with further explanation).
Sources:
Higgins, Robert. The Annointing at Bethany. Here’s Hope Baptist Church, Ohio, April 2003.
Life Focus: Bible Studies For Life, Leader Guide, Fall 2009. Jesus the God-Man, page 17.
Six Year-Old With Weird Name Refused Birth Certificate. Rianovosti: June 6, 2009.
Wikipedia.org. Key word: Anointing.
NAME: _________________________________
IN THE NAME OF JESUS
A SERIES ON JESUS: PART 1 (HIS NAME)
BIBLE VERSE: Mark 1:1-3
1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 1:2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,
“Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way, 1:3 the voice of one shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the _________________, make his paths straight.’”
THE FOUR NAMES:
1. _______________________________________________
Picking a Name:
Specifics:
Literal Meaning: ___________________ ______ _______________________
BIBLE VERSE: 1:21 She will give birth to a son and you will name him Jesus, because he will __________ his people from their sins.
Weird Name:
2. ________________________________________________
Specifics:
Anointings:
BIBLE VERSE: Mark 14:3-9
Explanation: __________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________
BIBLE VERSE: Job 1:6
1:6 Now the day came when the ________________ ____ ______________ came to present themselves before the LORD – and Satan also arrived among them.
BIBLE VERSE: Hosea 1:10
4. __________________________________________________
BIBLE VERSE: Mark 1:10-11
BIBLE VERSE: Psalm 138:5 & BIBLE VERSE: Psalm 136:3
The Comparison: _______________________________________________________________________