Day 33, Thursday (April 11) - Living into His Name

Posted on: April 11, 2019
by: Gerrit Dawson, Senior Pastor

NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES

The Cornerstone
Day 33 Thursday

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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).

ACTS 4: 10-12

“Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

EPHESIANS 2: 19-22

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

CONSIDER

Psalm 118 recounts the struggles of one who came near to dying by the attack of strong enemies. But the LORD answered his prayer and provided salvation. During his praise for the LORD’s deliverance, the psalmist noted the wonderful irony: “The stone that the builder’s rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Ps. 118: 22-24).

The first Christians saw in this psalm a foreshadowing of Jesus. He was rejected by his own people, condemned by the handlers of God’s Word as dangerous and blasphemous. But in raising Jesus, the Father countermanded the verdict of humanity against Jesus. He took the rejected stone and made it the foundation of a new building: his living temple, the church. Each new believer becomes a new stone in Christ’s ever growing building, a “house” that ever resounds in praise!

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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, rejected by men, but chosen by your Father to be the

Cornerstone, grant me to build my life on you alone.

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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).

1 PETER 2: 4-5, 9-12

As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. . . .

. . . you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

CONSIDER

In what way is Christ’s spiritual house, the church, heavenly? In what way is it earthly? Think of this upside down picture: our foundation stone is not below us but above us, because Christ our cornerstone is in heaven!

What’s the connection between “offering spiritual sacrifices” and “proclaiming the excellencies of him who called” us?

How important is it to the lost world that we live on earth as sojourners passing through, not permanent residents?

How is the beauty and stability of a well-made house a picture of how Christ’s temple, the church, should fit together?

Close by singing these verses from this famous hymn,

Christ is made the sure foundation,

Christ the head and cornerstone,

Chosen of the Lord and precious,

Binding all the church in one;

Holy Zion’s help forever, and her confidence alone.

To this temple, where we call thee,

Come, O Lord of hosts, today:

With thy wonted lovingkindness