Jesus

Introduction

“What’s in a name?” We have heard the question asked, possibly in a television commercial by someone promoting a label. I grew up on John Deere tractors back when boys at school often argued about which tractor was best. I listened to debates about trucks, cars, baseball players, football players, and Rocky Marciano, of course.

Today, I would like for us to ask, “What’s in a name?” I would like for us to take a closer look at a name found in the Bible. The most popular preacher of my younger days was R. G. Lee, Who was pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church, Memphis, Tennessee for thirty-three years. I have a copy of his book, The Name Above Every Name, but I can assure you I will not attempt to preach the sermon by that title in his book. In fact, I would never have tried to preach a sermon Dr. Lee preached. R. G. Lee had a gift for words. His vocabulary was incredible.

Clarke Gable, in the movie, Gone With the Wind, used a “four letter word” and the nation was aghast, appalled, shocked, according to some. Others, so we heard, were excited, aroused, approving of the obviously profane word. For the next generation, writers and producers began slipping in more profane or vulgar words that seemed designed to break down barriers. My grandfather once told me about a cousin of his whom he described as a hard-shelled Baptist preacher and drummer. I suppose we would call him a bi-vocational pastor today. According to my grandfather, if someone used a profane or obscene word (a dirty word) “old John P. Cofer would knock them down.”

I was in a health club in Port Arthur, Texas many years ago when I heard a male voice shout out from the shower area some very strong words, which included taking God’s name in vain. I had spoken with the man, a muscle builder, on many occasions, but I had never heard him shout out such profanity as that before. I sat in the dressing area until he joined me and I commented that I thought I heard him mention a familiar name. He wanted to know who it was. I said, “Jimmy, I believe you have known me long enough to know that I am not looking for trouble or a confrontation, but when you used God’s name the way you did it hurt me. If someone used my mother’s name in a negative or profane way it would hurt me, and when someone uses my Lord’s name in vain it hurts me.

Jimmy immediately began apologizing to me. He was genuinely surprised and I believe he was sincere when he apologized. We talked for a while before I left and I believe he regretted using God’s name in vain. There was a time when off color words might cause an unpleasant confrontation. Today, one may turn on a television program, thinking it will be free of bad language, only to hear an actor shout out God’s name in vain.

When we were growing up in the Mississippi Delta we learned that some words were considered “bad words”, whereas others were called “dirty words”. The former were profane words, the latter “obscene” or “off color.” Those words were never to be used in the presence of ladies or children.
Today, if we listen to the media, the bad word one must avoid on TV is the word Jesus. Was it Jerry Clower who used to say, “If I’m lying, I’m dying”? I remember reading that some network had determined that from that time forward they would never used both the name Jesus and the title Christ together. That might offend someone, because to use both words might seem like a commentary on who Jesus is. More recently, one hears that networks may tell people they can pray, but they must not close the prayer with the name of Jesus.

My father in the ministry was M. C. Waldrup. His first name was Major, so he had to be careful in giving his first name on the phone because someone might think he was giving them his rank. He was a chaplain during Word War II and at one point he was asked to have the opening pray for the United States Senate. They demanded that he write out his prayer and read it word for word. The only thing they crossed out was the words “in Jesus name.” He said, “They took them out and I was just mean enough to put them back in.”

Today, the entertainment thinks nothing of using profane, vile, evil, dirty words in a movie or sit com. They even have children using profane and vulgar language. They are, however, very careful not to use the name Jesus in closing a prayer. For years, they have shown church scenes in which the preacher avoids words like Jesus, Christ, Messiah, Savior, Redeemer, Lord. But, those who refuse to use the name Jesus in a movie use words that would have gotten your mouth washed out with soap at one time in our history. I might add, that my father never would have washed my mouth out with soap. The soap taste didn’t last long enough for him.

My father must have swatted me a few time when I was younger, but I do not remember a lot of times when he had to do more than speak to me. I looked up to him and I didn’t not want to cross him. However, when I was twelve year old I made the mistake of mocking my grandfather, my mother’s father. I compounded the error by letting my father see me. I loved my granddaddy and would never have said anything to his face that I thought might hurt him. My daddy happened to see me and told me to go out side. I have never forgotten the sound the end of a belt sounds when it slips through belt loops at a high speed. I am convinced that if my daddy had not actually whipped me with that belt, I would have been sufficiently punished by hearing that end of the belt pop coming through those seven belt loops. Needless to say, he didn’t know that. After that I not only watched what I did, I watched what I said.

Today, we may sing that Jesus is the sweetest name I know, but the world hates that name. You may remember hearing a child tell on someone for using a “bad word.” In some circles today you can use profane or vulgar words without getting a serious reaction. Use the word “Jesus” in some places and you may expect some people to be offended.

In fact, a long time friend at the health club where we often visited once said to me, “We hate the name....” He didn’t finish the sentence, but he had just asked me why people talk about Jesus at funerals. He said that he had gone to his daughter’s home for Christmas, “and they kept talking about Jesus. Why do they have to talk about Jesus all the time?”

Today, I would like for you to think with me about Jesus as He portrays Himself in John, Chapter 14. We will look at other passages, but basically, we are going to be looking at John 14.

I. JESUS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PART OF GOD’S PLAN, JOHN 14:1-6.

A. Jesus Has Always Been God’s Answer.

1. In Creation, Jesus was the Father’s answer, John 1:1-3 (Gen. 1:1ff).

The father of the modern creation movement in America, the late Dr. Henry Morris, was a dedicated Christian, a biblicist who challenged seminary trained preachers of the Gospel to study God’s Creation, and to defend the Biblical account of Creation. In one of his devotions for the Institute for Creation Research Dr. Morris began with this verse from the Bible: “And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God." (Revelation 3:14) He then commented on that verse:

“This salutation in the last of the seven church epistles in Revelation contains the last of four occurrences of the distinctive phrase, "the beginning of the creation." The glorified Christ here assumes this as one of His divine names. Note that even God's work of creation, long since completed (Genesis 2:1-3), had a beginning, and that beginning was Christ. "In the beginning was the Word, . . . All things were made by him" (John 1:1, 3).

“The first two occurrences of this phrase also come from the lips of Christ. "From the beginning of the creation God made them male and female" (Mark 10:6). This assertion by the Creator, Jesus Christ (quoting Genesis 1:27), makes it unambiguously certain that Adam and Eve were created at the beginning of creation, not after the earth had already existed for 4.5 billion years. God also wrote this plainly on the tables of the law (Exodus 20:8-11). Those evangelicals who accept the geological ages evidently reject this clear statement of the creation's Creator!

“Then Christ also referred to the end-times in the context of the beginning-times. "In those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be" (Mark 13:19) (Days of Praise, daily devotions, Dr. Henry Morris).

2. In Redemption, Jesus was God’s answer, Gen. 3:15f.

Job, even in despair, pain, and frustration, uttered the words, “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth” (Job 19:25, KJV). The HCSB has, “But I know my living Redeemer, and He will stand on the dust at last”(Job 19:25). Paul wrote, “ He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for Himself a special people, eager to do good works” (Titus 2:14).

3. In the wilderness, Jesus was the protector and the provider (water and light).

Paul was inspired to write, “They all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ” (1 Cor 10:3-4).

B. Throughout the Old Testament, Jesus Is the Central Theme.

1. The Story of Noah Reminds Us that We Are Only Safe in Jesus, Gen. 6.

The Bible is very clear in stating that it was God who led those animals into the ark. It is also clear that God was the One who closed the door to the ark and sealed it. All those inside the ark were saved )2 Peter 2:4f), but all those outside the ark were destroyed. If you have received Jesus Christ as your Savior you are in Him forever. He said, “I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:28). If you are in Christ Jesus you are saved for ever and no one can take you away from Him. Furthermore, you cannot lose that relationship with Him, accidentally, incidentally, or intentionally.

2. Jesus is the central character in the covenant with Abraham, Gen. 12.

It is through one particular Descendant of Abraham that all the nations of the world are, and shall be forever blessed. Isaac may have been a man of God, but that didn’t make a difference to other nations. Jacob met God and learned to walk with him, but the descendants of Jacob and Esau hated each other with a passion.

David was God’s choice for king over Israel and let us not forget that David captured all the land from the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates River. Yet, the Philistines never honored him. The Lord promised David that one of his descendants would sit on an eternal thrown. Solomon never realized that hope, but then the Lord did not have Solomon in mind. His plan was to send His only begotten Son into the world with the message that all who believed in Him would receive everlasting life.

May I give you a brief definition of history? History is His story. Plain and simple. The historians may miss it, the kings of the earth may disregard it, and the great generals of history may not consider it, but history is basically His story. Masses may laugh at the very thought, but my friends, Jesus is coming again and when He comes He will complete all the prophesies that have not been fulfilled to date. I am aware of how naive that may sound to a lost person, whether a lost church member or simply one who is lost in sin with no thought of Jesus Christ.

3. To Moses, God promised two Joshuas (the son of Nun and the Son of Joseph).

As Moses approached the end of his life he asked God to appoint someone to take his place and lead the Children of Israel into the Promised Land. God had someone in mind:

“The Lord replied to Moses, ‘Take Joshua son of Nun, a man who has the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him. Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole community, and commission him in their sight. Confer some of your authority on him so that the entire Israelite community will obey ⌊him⌋” (Num 27:18-20).

When the time came for Joshua lead the Israelites across the Jordan the same mighty hand that parted the waters of the Red Sea parted the waters of the Jordan River. Joshua wrote that everything God told Moses to write in the Book, that is exactly what he led the Israelites to do. The Scripture tells us that God blessed him with the full authority of Moses.

There were things prophesied by Moses that the earthly Joshua (Yeshua) could not do. Those prophecies could only be fulled by another Yeshua. We know Him as Jesus, but His Hebrew name is the same as that of the first great general in Israel’s history: Yeshua, Yahweh is my salvation.

All those prophecies that Joshua and David could never fulfilled have been, or will ultimately be fulfilled by Jesus. Jesus died for you and me. Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day, just as God promised, and He appeared to His disciples some eleven time over a period of 40 days. With the promise that He would send the Counselor (Comforter), the Holy Spirit, to indwell and fill believers, He ascended back to heaven to take His rightful place at the right hand of the Father. He ascended with an open and clear promise to return for His church, a promise that at the end of all things He would destroy all enemies. All those who believe in Him will spend eternity with Him in heaven. The Light of the world will be the Light of Heaven. Forever.

4. To David, He is the Suffering Servant (Ps. 22).

The Holy Spirit gave David an amazing prophecy of the sacrificial death of Jesus on the Cross. Remember, we have in Psalm 22 a picture of a crucifixion centuries before any nation on earth ever used crucifixion as a means of execution. As Jesus clearly taught, no one could take His life from Him; He gave it willingly.

5. To Isaiah He is “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace”
(Is 9:6).

II. JESUS AND THE FATHER ARE ONE, JOHN 14:7-11.

A. John Tells Us the Father and the Son Are One, John 1:1-3.

“In the beginning was the Word; and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men” (John 1:1-4).

B. Jesus Tells Us the Father and the Son Are One, John 14:10-11.

“Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words I speak to you I do not speak on My own. The Father who lives in Me does His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me. Otherwise, believe because of the works themselves” (John 14:10-11).

III. JESUS IS THE WAY TO KNOW THE FATHER, 14: 7-11.

A. He Is the Only Way to a Know with the Father, John 14:7.

1. He is the only way to see the Father, John 14:7b.

His disciples were confused and no doubt Philip expressed their limited understanding of Jesus’ teachings about His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. Philip was confused.

“Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been among you all this time without your knowing Me, Philip? The one who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words I speak to you I do not speak on My own. The Father who lives in Me does His works” (John 14:9-10).

2. He is the only way to be saved, Acts 12:4.

Jesus is not a way to be saved: He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. You cannot be saved by doing good works (Eph. 2:9). You cannot be saved by any combination of good works and faith in Jesus (Rom. ll:6). You cannot be saved by faith in anyone other than Jesus: “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

3. The Father sent the Son to provide for our eternal salvation, John 3:16.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16, NKJV).

B. Jesus Reveals the Father, John 14:7-11; 14:12-14; 14:21.

“If you know Me, you will also know My Father. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.” (8) “Lord,” said Philip, “show us the Father, and that’s enough for us.” ( 9) Jesus said to him, “Have I been among you all this time without your knowing Me, Philip? The one who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? (10) Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words I speak to you I do not speak on My own. The Father who lives in Me does His works. (11) Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me. Otherwise, believe because of the works themselves” (John 14:7-11).

1. Jesus is in the Father and the Father is in the Son, John 14:11a.

2. His works prove He is in the Father, John 14:11b.

3. The one who keeps His commandments loves Him, John 14:21a.

4. The one who loves the Son is loved by the Father, John 14:21b.

5. Jesus reveals Himself to those who love Him, John 14:21c.

C. We Are Invited to Pray to the Father through the Son, John 14:12-14.

“The one who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. And the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father. I also will love him and will reveal Myself to him” (John 14:21).

1. We must obey Him, John 14:21.

2. We must love Him, John 14:21.

3. We must ask in His name, John 14:14.

Jesus said, “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:14). We must understand what Jesus was saying when he invited us to ask in His name. We must never assume that the words “in Jesus name” is some kind of magic formula. In the Bible, one’s name denotes the person. When Jesus invites us to pray in His name, He is teaching us that we must pray in, or through Him. We go to the Father in the Person of the Son, in the Power of the Holy Spirit. Paul wrote to the Roman church:

“ In the same way the Spirit also joins to help in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with unspoken groanings. 27 And He who searches the hearts knows the Spirit’s mind-set, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27).

CONCLUSION

John tells us clearly that Jesus is in the Father and the Father is in the Son. If we know the Son we know the Father. If we obey the Son we please the Father. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus is the only way, the only truth, and the only life.

This past week the Louisiana Baptist Message carried a very interesting article, The New Calvinism. For some time, we have seen the Calvinist numbers among us growing. We were aware of them, we tolerated them, and we served with them. Finally, Dr. Jimmy Draper, Dr. David Hankins (LBC Executive Director), and many others prepared a document of salvation and signed it. They believe, and stated clearly that God takes the initiation in reaching us. He offers us His salvation. At the same time, the Bible teaches that when the Lord offers us His salvation it is with the understanding that we must exercise the faith the God gives us to enable us to believer in Him.

What does all of that mean to you and me? It means that we stay with the Bible:

“For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world that He might judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. Anyone who believes in Him is not judged, but anyone who does not believe is already judged, because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God.” (John 3:16-18).

“For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are His creation—created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them” (Eph 2:8-10).

Is it any wonder that Christians sing, “Jesus is the sweetest Name I know”? Is it any wonder that we sing “His Name is wonderful”? Jesus really is the Name above all Names.