HIS NAME IS JESUS

(Guest Post by: Colton)

Sometimes I think that as Believers in Jesus Christ, we often forget the name Jesus. More often than not we refer to Him as “God” or “Lord”, which are both great titles, don’t get me wrong.

However, there’s such power in that simple name: Jesus.

The name Jesus, in the time in which Jesus Himself lived, was actually a very common name. It would have been used like today’s “Bill”, or “Tim”, or “Smith”. The point is, Jesus turned something common into a name that will be known forever, a name that will be glorified forever. However, it is also a name that will be persecuted.

Mathew 16:25 “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.”

All throughout Scripture, Jesus tells us that if we are persecuted for His name we will be blessed abundantly. Now, I’m not saying to go seek persecution. I don’t think that’s what He is telling us.

There is a book titled, Jesus Freaks (1999), a fantastic book about many great martyrs. Every story is based on true accounts of the persecution some have faced for believing in the name of Jesus.

I highly recommend this book, as these stories paint a picture for us of what these martyrs had to face for the name of Jesus. I read one story in particular some time ago, that will stay with me forever.

The event took place in England in 1555, and it is the story of a guy named Thomas Hauker and his friend.

The book tells the story like this… “The friend said to Thomas, “I have to ask you this favor. I need to know if what the others say about the grace of God is true. Tomorrow, when they burn you at the stake, if the pain is tolerable and your mind is still at peace, lift your hands above your head. Do it right before you die. Thomas, I have to know (dc Talk, 1999).”

Thomas is about to be burned at the stake and his friend is asking him to do what? That was my first thought. You would think he’d tell him, “We’ll miss you” or “You shouldn’t feel a thing”. No! Instead, he tells his friend that he needs to know if this Jesus thing is real. He needs to know if this grace given to us in the NAME of Jesus Christ is true.

So, Thomas said, “I will (dc Talk, 1999).”

The story doesn’t end there. “The next morning, Hauker was bound to the stake and the fire was lit. The fire burned a long time, but Hauker remained motionless. His skin was burnt to a crisp and his fingers were gone. Everyone watching supposed he was dead. Suddenly, miraculously, Hauker lifted his hands, still on fire, over his head. He reached them up to the living God, and then, with great rejoicing, clapped them together three times (dc Talk, 1999).”

This is just one example out of thousands about people trusting that simple, common name. In the name of Jesus, the man didn’t just throw his hands up. He clapped three times. How? What could possibly make that happen?

Some might say, “Oh, he twitched, and it happened”. In that time period, people were burnt at the stake almost daily, but I’m confident they never saw any man burn for several minutes, his body slowly turning into nothing, fingers gone, and yet he throws his hands up and claps three times!

I believe in that moment he felt peace. The pain was non-existent because he knew that by the grace of God, and the power of the name Jesus, his next breath was going to be in Heaven.

We have choices, daily choices to make to either seek Jesus’ name or run from it. Your choice might not be to burn for Jesus at the stake and throw your hands up to witness to someone else of the truthfulness of the Gospel.

Instead, your choices might be how you treat your waitress on Sunday after church when she is having a bad day, because her car broke down, or her kid is sick, and you are her last table of the day, and she’s barely received enough tips to buy her family food. The choice to truly be like Jesus and speak in His name could very well be something that blesses her beyond measure.

So, what’s Jesus’ name mean to you? Because to some, it’s worth burning at the stake and clapping about it in order to show people that the One who has changed them completely, His name is Jesus.

References

dc Talk. (1999). Jesus Freaks. Albury Publishing.

SO, WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE?

= How did this post impact you?

= What are you going to do differently?