Joy in Jesus: Name above all Names

Prayer:  Jesus, I’m So Glad You Came:

A heart that longs for you our Lord,

Written in your holy word.

I speak your name.

I’m not the same.

Death and darkness, both are gone.

The old life now is changed.

You have the name above all names,

Jesus, I’m so glad you came.

A heart that longs for peace and rest,

Wandering in a wilderness.

Filled with pain and weariness.

And then a name I see, I hear,

A name that draws me near its clear.

It comforts me releases pain.

Your name that is above all names,

Jesus, I’m so glad you came.

To hearts that now cry out for joy,

The savior’s name they must employ.

That name of hope they must obey,

To save them from that fateful day,

When evil takes their soul away.

Their gentle hearts he would slay.

But for the name above all names,

Jesus, I’m so glad you came. Amen – Bruce

Main Scripture: Read Philippians 2:9-11

Therefore, God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11).

Associated Scriptures:

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6).

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved (Romans 10:9-10).

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and the Father are One (John 10:28-30).

Correlative Quotes:

Jesus is our Sanctuary: The Lord has ways of weaning us from the visible and the tangible and bringing us to live upon the invisible and the real, in order to prepare us for that next stage, that better life, that higher place, where we shall really deal with eternal things only. God blows out our candles, and makes us find our light in Him, to prepare us for that place in which they need no candle, for the glory of God is their light; and where, strange to tell, they have no temple, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the SANCTUARY.[1]– Charles Spurgeon

Jesus is our deliverer: …Christ became incarnate not to pay tribute to the image, but rather to rescue it. Verses 14-15 (Hebrews 2) tell us that Christ partook of our nature so that by His death He might conquer the one who held the power of death and free those who were subject to lifelong slavery...[2] – R. C. Sproul

Jesus, there’s no other Name: Do you know why there’s no other name? It’s that simple! In no other name is there salvation and life. In no other name is there healing and restoration. In no other name is there comfort, reconciliation, hope, forgiveness, strength, peace, protection, truth and about a million other things. His name is enough!  [3] – Marty Hopkins

Study:

INTRODUCTION

Jesus has many names.  Each and very name of Jesus is important and valuable and should be studied in depth.  However, there isn’t enough room or time to adequately explain each one.  That will be a study beyond this study.

FOUR POWERFUL NAMES OF JESUS

1. The Word: John 1:1-2 and 14 say this: “In the beginning was the Word,and the Word was with God,and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning with God.” Then, in Vs. 14, John explains: “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”  In these three verses in John, we see the incredible truth about who Jesus is. 

The Word has always existed.  It is God.  The Word is a “He” (vs. 2) who has always been with God.  The Word then became alive.  That life is Jesus (Matthew 1:23). Also, every word He says He will keep (Proverbs 30:5).

2. The Light: John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” If we have Jesus, we have life.  He is the light of spiritual life. We can see clearly what needs to be done and what direction we need to go when we are walking in that light.  We walk in the light by being obedient to Him and listening to the directions of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus is the Light.
3. The Vine: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit;apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15;5). Jesus, the Vine of Life, provides the spiritual water and nutrients for the branches, the believers, to produce the fruit needed for the reproduction of the vine.  If the water and nutrients are cut off to the branches, they lose the ability to produce the good fruit that is expected.  The picture here is that of spiritual growth and good works.  If we are not in fellowship with Christ, we are cut off from the vital spiritual support that is needed to produce good works. 
4. The Resurrection: “Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. Theone who believesin Me will live, even though they die” (John 11.25).

We know that Jesus rose from the dead, but in doing that, He also provided for the resurrection of those who believe in and trust him for eternal life.

Summary Statement:

Joy in Jesus begins by recognizing who He is, what He has done for us, and what He will continue to do for us now and in the future.  Accepting Jesus as our Lord and confessing that God raised Him from the dead ignites salvation in our lives.  Each of these four names teach us a new facet of Jesus and help us to better understand Him as we grow spiritually. 

Spiritual growth, in itself, is the purveyor of joy.  As we know more and more about our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, we will increase in assurance, security, and spirituality.  As we grow, we will receive greater joy from that bond.  Grow in your faith and knowledge of Jesus and watch your joy bloom.

Lessons within the Lesson:

Why does John mean when he says to us, Jesus is the Word?

What does it mean to walk in the Light?

How are we linked to Jesus the Vine, and what are we expected to do as a result?

Since Jesus is the resurrection, what assurance is there for us?

[1] Charles Spurgeon, Immanuel – God with us, Public Domain,  preceptaustin. org/

immanuel-emmanuel.htm.

[2] R. C. Sproul, Our Deliverer, from ligonier ministries, the teaching fellowship of r.c. sproul. Fair Use Authorization, Section 107, of the Copyright Law, All rights reserved. Website: Ligonier.org/.

[3] Marty Hopkins, What’s in a Name, Fair Use Authorization, Section 107, of the Copyright Law, Sermon Centrol, October 2001, sermoncentral.com/sermons/whats-in-a-name-marty-hopkins.