Jesus, "There's Something About That Name"

Bill Gaither's song "Jesus, There's Something About That Name" is a great song on which to meditate. While I was singing along,  it made me think about the origin of the name of Jesus. What does it mean and where did we get it?  Jesus. The Bible says a lot about that name. But the first hint that I could find as to what it means was found in Matthew the first chapter and the twenty-first verse. In Greek:

te√xetai de… uiÔovn, kai… kale√seiß to; o[noma aujtou: =Ihsou:n` aujto;ß ga˝r sw◊sei to;n lao;n aujtou: a˙po; twÇn aÓmartiwÇn aujtwÇn. "And she (Mary) will bear a son and you will call his name Jesus. For he will save his people from their sins." 

So according to this Greek verse "Jesus" means, if you will allow me to cheat a little, "salvation" in the classical Christian meaning. And that is what Jesus does, Jesus saves us from our sins. Jesus saves. Now the angel was probably not talking Greek, but we don't know for sure. Even if he did speak Greek, we still might want to know where the name of Jesus comes from.

The word for Jesus in the Greek is IhsouV. The Greek NT name is taken from the Septuagint (LXX), which as we know is the Greek translation of the OT done by seventy or so rabbis. This existed before the NT and was used by many of the early Christians for OT readings. Many quotes of the OT in the NT are from the LXX. :-)

How did the Septuagint scholars arrive at =Ihsou:V ? Well you can almost see where English got Jesus just from the transliteration from the Greek, Iesous. And this is the problem. Different languages have different alphabets that may or may not have all the same letters. Hebrew does not have the all same letters as Greek and Greek does not have all the same letters as English. For instance Greek does not have a 'J"  and English does not have an eta or h. And both have many letters that do not correspond to the Hebrew. 

Now we were talking about where "Jesus" originally comes from. It is felt almost with certainty that the Angel said Joshua or Ao¢Uvwøh◊y or the more correct term yeshua(h). This second name yeshua(h) is transliterated. The "ah" at the end is the short name for God. It is like when we say hallelujah or more better halleluyah, which means "praise God". The "yah" is short for Yahweh. Yah is God's nick name. :-)   It is the same in Elijah's name. It means "God is Yahweh". Well, Yeshua(h) means "Yahweh is salvation".  Now follow this next part.

Since Greek does not have the Hebraic y or "y" it has to go by the sound that is made. The sound of "y" is sort of the Greek iota eta or Ih. Then the Hebraic v is like "sh" which Greek does not have either, but it does have "s" sound. So so far we have Ihs. The "u" sound is under the  v. It is the 3 little dots. This is the Mesoretic voweling and it means "U". And finally the Ao is the "ah" sound. But you say that Jesus does not have the "ah" sound. That is correct. Oddly enough it was left off. So we have "salvation" and not "Yahweh is  Salvation". Did the early Septuagint scribes mean to leave off the final "ah" on IhsouV? Did they not want to give it a totally Jewish slant? I don't know. The angel said "because he will save his people from their sins?" He did not say " Yahweh is salvation who shall save his people from their sins." 

 I do have one more thought. The Jewish names do not have "us" on the end as far as I can find.  Who does? Greek and Latin names do. For example the mythological god  Αχιλλευς is Greek and the Latin is  Achelous. Here is the jump. Maybe the name was Hellenized or Latinized by the early writers?

However we want to spell it or pronounce it, it is still the name above all names. It is so powerful that to voice it in context of a relationship with our Lord "has power on the lips of the most humble saint that is greater than the most powerful demon"(JRStevens).  

Bill Gaither is right "There is something about that name."

Paul the Jew, or the Christian?

      Paul as we know called himself a Hebrew of Hebrews, a Pharisee as to the law (Phil. 3:5). Paul was a Pharisee. According to Thayer a Pharisee believed among other things that there was a coming Messiah, resurrection of the dead and separation from the world of sin. Not that the Pharisees of the NT days were persons to follow. In fact just the opposite is true,  Jesus was often rebuking them. And indeed we see that Christ rebuked Paul on the road to Damascus (Acts 9.5). He was going to Damascus out of his zeal for God (Phil 3:6, NET). Jesus appeared to Paul out of the blue at noon. Some feel this meeting with the Lord was Paul's call to his ministry, not his conversion. In Pamela Eisenbaum’s book on this matter entitled "Paul Was Not A Christian:The Original Message of a Misunderstood Apostle" argues for this very point.

      I was recently reading a blog from a guy who was a Catholic, we will call him Raul.  He and friends were discussing the question of Paul's conversion. This was in reference to Raul's background. He was Catholic and people were constantly asking him when he converted to Christianity! How rude. But I wonder if it is a similar question for Paul. Did Paul get asks "when did he convert to Christianity?" Did Paul experience a conversion to Christianity?

      Even though I don't agree with everything Pamela E. says, I do think we have placed on Paul a more modern description of what happened to him. Think about it.  The term applied to the early believers was done so in Corinth. The term is only mentioned three times and the sources were outside the movement. For many years the Romans and those outside of the believers thought the movement was an extension of Judaism. Almost all of the New Testament writers were Jewish. Jesus was a Jew. Pilot put on his cross "king of the Jews". Jesus himself told the woman at the well that "salvation comes from the Jews (John 4:22).  

Another interesting snap shot into how the early church thought about themselves is found in Acts 6. Here is listed the seven original "deacons" who were going to serve the tables of the widows. The last server named was Nicholas.  Luke says of him "a convert to Judaism". What I thought these were Christians? Yes they are by todays terminology. Then they were "completed" Jews. The Messiah had come and they were living with a community of believers in Jesus as the Christ, the anointed one, the Messiah. It is this group that Paul belonged to.  Pamela Eisenbaum ask could not Paul be continuing simply on a new path serving God. May be this was Paul's calling. 

         It is common in Christian circles for a minister to have a special moment when he experienced God's call to service. As a youth and son of a Baptist preacher I have heard many young and old ministers alike tell their stories of how they were "called" into the ministry. They already were serving God when the call came. They were just directed into the "perfect" will of God.  Paul uses this terminology in his salutation to the Corinthian church, Pau:loß klhto;ß a˙povstoloß Cristou: =Ihsou: dia˝ qelhvmatoß qeou: -  Paul called an apostle of Jesus Christ through (or by) the will of God.

            When did he receive this call? It was on the Damascus road.  Christ told him he was going to have a ministry to the Gentiles. But what of his Jewish brothers? Are they lost?  After all the insinuation is that Jews were lost and need to be converted. In Romans chapter eleven we find that Paul addresses this question. Read it and see what you think.

From the Beginning, a Scify story?

First John one makes a claim that is hard to dismiss. It is hard to ignore or argue against it. It confronts the logical, rational soul of modern  man. John is flatly claiming knowledge of something that scify writers only pretend to know. The best scify types of movies, novels, and "across  America" late night radio shows speak concerning the beginning of time and space and visitation by heavenly beings. John
 in one sentence shakes the foundation of all science writing whether "real"science or scify. And what he says goes deep into the psyche of man because in man is the need to satisfy this very deep yearning. A yearning spawning a mind numbing number of stories, legends and tales that are one step beyond most of our own experiences. What did John say that was so edgy, so dramatic, so mysterious?

%O h\n a˙p= a˙rch:ß, o} a˙khkovamen, o} eÔwra◊kamen toiæß ojfqalmoiæß hJmwÇn, o} e∆qeasa◊meqa kai… aiÔ ceiæreß hJmwÇn e∆yhla◊fhsan peri… tou: lovgou th:ß zwh:ß _ 

Translation Please!

"That which was from the beginning" (John 1:1 - Genesis 1:1, yes that is the beginning John is talking about).The "that which"  (the being which) "was  from the beginning, which we heard",(It talked in John's language) "Which we saw with our eyes" (John and others saw it.) "We felt with our had, concerning the word of life."

John said in the next few verses that this being he and some others saw, heard, touched, was a person sent from the Creator of all we know. Not just a being that helped populate the earth like some pre-Egyptians space landing pyramid (Star Gate), but the being that created all things! The Creator of the Universe came into John's town and talked, walked and if you read further you find he ate with John too. A being that has eternal life. A being powerful enough to blow himself out of death. The creator of all things can't be held by that which was created by Him.

Governments make secret buildings and areas to hold these mysteries. Books tell about their destructive force, and usually they are all wanting to wipe out the human race. And movies scare us spit-less with death and destruction except in "The Day the Earth Still". I mean the original. 

But this being came to earth and proclaimed peace and freedom to captives and health to the sick. The only destruction he promised was to the evil things the scify writers describe to us that are waiting in some dark abandon house or the backseat of our car. They are the works of the devil.  It is all contained in John's report. An eye witness account, a daily journal, of his personal experience with this celestial being. You can read it for yourself. 

THE Creator in human form ate, drank, talked, slept, and got mad in John's lifetime and mostly in his presence. It wasn't a "visit" to the mother ship for probing. It wasn't on a dark and lonely country road or a pattern of lights over a large town or a farm house. Or a large bug maybe a coach roach that was  living in human skin. This was someone John lived with for three years! Night and day he was traveling on the road with him. If you have ever traveled extensively with some one you know how close you can get! But John found love. He witnessed eternal life. He saw the power of our Creator. He heard words of reconciliation. And greatest of all, he felt that deep, deep yearning to be in touch by our celestial Father happen for him and others (read "The Heavenly Father's Search"). And greatest, greatest of all is he claimed it could happen to us, you and me. Yes, we are not alone on this pale blue dot adrift in timeless space.

Personally, I am an eye witness of that transforming touch. I, like John, have felt it, touched it, heard it and at times seen it. It is the eternal being in the form of Godly love in my life and others like me. The experience is there for everyone. God sent his son into our world because he felt our yearning for Him. The greatest scify story ever told is in the Bible. Read it some late night. It will thrill you. It is the genuine thriller. 

Behind Closed Doors

    The early fathers of the our wonderful country pledged their lives and their sacred honor for the establishment of America. And sure enough it is a well documented fact it cost them their lives, either financially, emotionally, or physically. But it increased their honor. They were willing to step out so that others might live in the freedom and liberty that few enjoy any where else in the world. Since it is the 4th of July I would like to thank them.
      In doing so I am reminded of another set of heroes that I would like to thank and that would be our Christian forefathers. The ones who were not afraid to publicly stand up and let Christ be honored in their daily lives. Something that is not being done in America. American Christians are mostly holed up inside our churches. Something I am sure our forefathers would not find honorable.
     Lets go back to the days of persecution in Rome. There was a time period where if you did not call attention to yourself you could be a Christian. Then there were times when Christians were hunted down and killed. In both cases you kept being a Christian a secret. You did not talk to your neighbor about Christ. You went to Church and kept it all to yourself. You did not dare speak of Jesus in your work place nor did your kids at their school. You learned to fit in, look and act like everyone else. Is this sounding familiar? What practices do we do that is different from the rest of America? I mean publicly? If we put  cameras on a 1000 Christians and a 1000 pagans and let them roll, what difference would the footage show?
    Remember the days when kids would carry around Bibles? I do. I had one kid walk in my class last year carrying  a Bible. He would read it too. Yeah, he was interested in the Bible!! It reminded me of the "Jesus Movement" days. It was cool and acceptable to not only know Jesus but to talk, walk, wear clothing and sing songs about Him publicly. When was the last time you hear the name of Jesus on the lips any public figure? Or better the last time you talked in a public place about Jesus? Its not cool. Its been driven from the public place to the private dens of secret worship.
     Is the church being persecuted? You can boil a frog by slowly turning up the heat. I really don't know if myth Busters have done that one yet. Anyway, Christians have had slow persecution. Persecution heat being turned up slowly for the last forty or so years. We are being boiled and we don't know it.
      If salt losses it savor it is good for nothing but to be thrown under the foot of man and trampled!! Is Christianity being trampled? If it is, it is our fault because we have lost our savor. 
      Lets get back our sacred honor and pledge to come out from hiding. Voicing ones position or physically helping or stopping or stepping aside to help or whatever can lead to breaking out of our prison. Remember we don't think we are imprisoned. Just carry around a Bible one day and see how free you are. 
      A good way to celebrate the fourth is to give honor to the right and privilege we have to worship God. Lets pay honor to our forefathers and worship publicly. 

Ministry of the Father

In Capernaum is the house of Peter, or so archaeologist tell us. They have found in their excavations a house whose living room has been expanded and some 3rd century markings have lead many to think this was actually the house in which Peter lived.  The expansion was for the church that meet at Peter's house. Today if you go to the house there is a huge octangular building directly over the excavation of the house. This building is known as "the church of Peter's house". Yes in the middle of the excavation of the city, the homes, the synagogue is Peter's monolithic building. Monolith may not be the exact word but it is one hugh structure. Where did this come from? Well that story began up by mountain Hermon, probably by the spirngs there. It was definitely in the region of Cesarea of Phillipi according to the scriptures where Jesus was talking with his disciples one day. Let's look at the story in Matthew 16 and we will read from verse 13 to 17 to begin with.

 "When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 

 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 

 He saith unto them, But whom do you say that I am? 

 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 

 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto you, but my Father which is in heaven."

Very interesting interplay with the "son" theme here. First who is the "son of man". Then who is the "son of God" and finally "son of Jona". Christ was saying to Peter that he was getting this information about Christ revealed straight from God. God showed this to Peter. Peter did not get it from his father, or at the synagogue just up the street from his house, or from his friends or read it in a book or saw a movie about it, but he got it straight from the Father. Christ was the son of God. 

Why was this important? Because Christ operated that way. As God's son he did only what his father showed him (John 5:19-23). He revealed His Father. He told Philip if you have seen me you have seen the Father. Still what is important about this?

Christ knew that if Peter was receiving direction and information from God the Father, then he would do the things that God the Father showed him. To Peter, then could be entrusted the keys to build His church. Not Peter's church, but the church of God. Because God wanted it built His way. He's funny that way. 

Peter wasn't going to seek how to build the church from his father, Jona, or neighbors or the chief priest, but from the revealed word from God. Since we are the church, called out ones, how we build up one another is very important. Peter would later put it in his letter (1Peter 2) we are 'lively stones" built up together into a "spiritual house". It is how we relate. We reveal our Father to one another. And we become his sons by doing what our Father wants, wills, asks, and directs.

Let's read on.

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 

And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 

Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. 

      Peter was blessed because he did not rest his opinions on man but on God. He was given authority to bind and loose on earth. Could Peter do what he wanted? No, Christ was saying that Peter could do what God showed him to bind and to loose. 

     This is where the confusion comes in. Some churches think Christ said his church would be built on Peter or Peter's confession. But that is not what Christ said. It was on the rock of revelation from the Father, this is what the church is built upon. Knowing that the monolithic mushroom hanging over Peter's house sure seems strange and out of place.

Earthen Vessels

     What is an earthen vessel? Paul talks about the treasure we have
within ourselves in the form of the knowledge of Jesus Christ. And he refers to the human condition as "earthen vessels". Literally vessels made of clay or earth. He says in 2 Corinthians 4-5-12
4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. 

4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 

4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 

4:8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 

4:9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 

4:10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 

 4:11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 

4:12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you. 

     "Death works in us but life in you." This reminds me of Jonah. Why Jonah? Because Jonah was very earthy. If ever there was an earthen vessel it was Jonah. The first two chapters and really the last chapter show what I call the clay pot syndrome. He ran from God, was thrown in troubled waters, was swallowed by a fish, was vomited up on shore, walked a looooong way to Nineveh, and was hounded by God every inch of the way. Death was working almost literally in Jonah, but then the OT was a lot more physical it seems.

          Conversely, if we look at it from the Nineveh's side, we see a different story. Life was working in them.

 Pretend if you can that you are on the streets of Nineveh. You see a stranger walking down the street toward you. You don't know his name and you don't know his background, you really know nothing about him. He stops in front of your house and proclaims in a very loud voice "40 days and Nineveh will be destroyed." If you were in Nineveh his message would have pierced your heart.  You would have been so striken with the word that you would have put on sack cloth. Not only that but your neighbors would do the same. Soon the whole neighborhood is repenting. The king hears about it and he puts on sack cloth and sits on ashes! He orders everyone to repent, no water, no food, for animals, or humans. He has them cry out to God, the God of Israel, Elohim  (Ishtar was their goddess). Now that was an effective sermon! Have you ever heard a baby cry when it is hungry? Or an animal bawling? That city must have been noisy.  God heard their cry and did not destroy their city.  Wow! Now that is real life giving.

   What ever we want to say about Jonah and everyone wants to say something, mostly negative, 120, 000 people were saved at one preaching! A close reading of verse 5 of Chapter 3 we see that the people of Nineveh considered Jonah's message as from God.  They did not even say it was Jonah's message. They believed in God! Jonah had effectively connected them straight to God. He got no credit.  No book signing for Jonah. 

    What can we take away from Jonah? Simple - God's word preached through a human vessel, can produce the power that can transform people. Fred Cradford in his book on Preaching, same title, put it this way "Scripture's portrayal of its own potency challenges us always to remember that the Word preached... accomplishes heaven's purposes. Preaching that is true to Scripture converts, convicts and  eternally changes the souls of men and women because God's Word is the instrument of divine
compulsion, not because preachers have any power in themselves to stimulate such godly transformations."
     In short God is not necessarily hinder by our problems. Christ came in the flesh of our problems. Paul said it best "We have this treasure in eathen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us".