Day 14, Saturday (March 23) - Living into His Name

Posted on: March 23, 2019
by: Gerrit Dawson, Senior Pastor

WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?

Christ: The Messiah
Day 14 Saturday

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EXPLORE THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST

For us there is one God, the Father,
from whom are all things and for whom we exist,
and one Lord, Jesus Christ,
through whom are all things and through whom we exist (1 Corinthians 8: 6).

MATTHEW 16: 13-18, 21

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.

LUKE 24: 44-47

Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

CONSIDER

The word “Christ” means anointed one. It is the Greek equivalent to the word “Messiah,” which also means anointed one. In the Old Testament days, kings were anointed with oil. They were set apart for the special office of leading the LORD’s people as the LORD’s chosen representative.

In Isaiah 61, one of the prophetic songs about the coming servant of the LORD who will redeem the LORD’s people, we read, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news. . . .” The coming Messiah would be anointed not with oil but with the Holy Spirit himself.

In his first recorded sermon, Jesus read from Isaiah 61 and then declared, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4: 21). Jesus understood himself to be the Christ, and he knew that this name meant not only power and glory, but the deep suffering of his faithful ministry and atoning death.

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PRAY THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

Begin with the Jesus Prayer. Pray it reflectively several times, for yourself or on behalf of another.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Then pray the day’s prayer slowly and repeatedly for at least a minute (that’s about seven times). Allow the prayer to take you into the meaning of the day’s facet of Jesus’ name. Pray it for yourself and/or on behalf of another. Take your time and trust this process!

Lord Jesus Christ, anointed by the Spirit, you heal and you save, you bring hope and peace, for you brought the Kingdom of heaven to earth through your living, dying, rising and ascending; come again to set all things right!

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LIVE INTO THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

He has granted to us his precious and very great promises,
so that through them you might become partakers of his divine
nature . . . For this very reason, supplement your faith with
virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness,
brotherly affection and love (2 Peter 1: 4-7).

2 CORINTHIANS 2: 14-16a

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.

CONSIDER

The anointing oil used on kings had a powerfully pungent aroma. To the friends of the King, this aroma meant the life and peace of a good king reigning. To the enemies of the LORD’s anointed, this aroma meant the threat of his rule interrupting their plans and their personal sovereignty. Even today, we who smell Christ-like, as those anointed with his Spirit, find that some are attracted and some are repelled by our Christ in us.

How does it help you to know that both reactions to Christ are normal?

Would it be helpful to get the “smell” of Christ off of us so no one would have to be disturbed by our association with him?

How does the anointing of the Spirit upon us advance the spread of the Gospel?

How do we get more and more of the “smell” of our Christ upon us?

Close by praying through song this verse and chorus from Chris Tomlin,

He became sin, who knew no sin;

That we might become his righteousness;

He humbled himself, and carried the cross.

Love so amazing, love so amazing.

Jesus, Messiah; name above all names;

Blessed redeemer; Immanuel.

The rescue for sinners, the ransom from heaven;