Scripture: Matthew 16:13–20
Title: “Named by God”
Preached: Pioneer/FPC – 8/24/14
What is in a name? When we come to naming our child, most of us put a lot of time and thought into the name we choose for we realize that our son or daughter will have to live with that name for the rest of their lives. Sometimes the name we choose has historical significance such as naming a child after a beloved president or king. Some names have spiritual significance such as naming your child with a name from the Bible such as Zachariah or Hannah. Some names connect us with our ancestry such as naming a child after a relative or an ethnic name which connects us to the land in which our ancestors originated such as Lars or Marie. Some names are chosen because they are unique or they symbolize a sense of independence. And some names are chosen because we simply like the sound of the name. Equally as important as choosing a name is also dismissing a name. We know how cruel kids can be so many will dismiss a name that might make a child prone to ridicule. Also former girlfriends or boyfriends names are quickly dismissed. Names are important. Can anyone guess the most popular male and female names according to a hundred years of social security information? (James and Mary)
Names are important in the Bible too. Many of the names in the Bible have a literal translation that connected the individual to God such as Elijah which means “Yahweh is my God.” Whenever you see el or ah at the end or within a Hebrew name the name most likely has a spiritual reference to God. The name Joshua means “YWHH saves us”. The name Jesus is actually a transliteration and shortened version of this name. Originally Jesus’ name was Yeshua which means “the Lord’s Salvation.” The name Yeshua appears twenty-nine times in the Old Testament and is the name of at least five different persons and one village in the southern part of Judah (jesusisajew.org/YESHUA.php) It actually was quite a common name during the time of Jesus and it is why Jesus was often referred to as Jesus of Nazareth in order to distinguish him from others with the same name. We should not be dismayed by Jesus having a common name because it wasn’t his name that made him special but how he fulfilled that name “The Lord’s Salvation” which is most important.
In the Bible, it isn’t only original names that have significance; also, the giving of a new name has deep importance for it is often signifies a covenant between humankind and God. To announce his covenant with Abram that he would make him into a great nation, God changed both Abram and Sarai’s names to Abraham and Sarah. It is important that both Abraham and Sarah received new names because it was through both of them that God’s covenant was to be fulfilled. And later, God reestablished this covenant with Jacob changing his name to Israel.
It is within this context of a covenant between humankind and God that we view Jesus’ declaration that Simon would now be known as Peter. Peter, or Cephas in Aramaic, means “rock”. “And upon this rock I will establish my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Verse 18) And what is the reason for this great affirmation of Peter by Jesus? It follows Simon’s declaration, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” This declaration by Peter is the central statement of this passage. It is within this profession of faith that God would now re-establish his covenant with his people. It is in this truth that those who profess Jesus as the messiah, the Son of the living God, are given the keys of the kingdom of heaven. This affirmation was directed for Peter, but it was not only for Peter; it is for all who profess faith, all who profess that Jesus is the Son of the living God.
And so it is also for us that when we come into the church through the waters of baptism, we too leave aside our former identity and take on a new one. In our profession that Jesus is the Son of the Living God, we are no longer John or Jane Doe; we are John or Jane Doe Christian, bound together as one body. Through our profession of faith, we enter a new family with a new name, a family that is not based upon flesh and blood, but based on the Spirit of God for it is the Spirit that has revealed Jesus to us just as the Spirit revealed it to Peter. “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.” In Christ, we are adopted into the household of faith and declared heirs of the Kingdom.
And just as it is our parents who gave us our name, it is God who chooses us and gives us our new identity in Christ. My only choice is whether to accept this identity or to refuse it. My Great-Uncle Dick was a great man in our family. He raised my father and uncles after my grandfather passed away at an early age. One might suspect that with the nickname Dick that his given name was Richard. It wasn’t. His given name was Marion Francis and he hated this name so when we was old enough to make his choice he chose a new identity. Do you accept your new identity in Christ? Are you living up to the title you bear in Christ? Do you accept this new identity and bear it credit? There were times that Peter did not live up to his new name. Peter wasn’t the rock when he denied knowing Jesus three times after Jesus had been arrested. Peter also didn’t live up to his name when he didn’t eat with the Gentile Christians. Paul was forced to confront Peter about his hypocrisy. There will be times in every Christian’s life that we do not represent our Christianity well. However, just as Jesus and Paul called Peter back into his Christian identity, so too Jesus beckons us to once again live in our true identity as heirs of the Kingdom.
Some of us choose to cast aside our identity according to what suits us best at the time. I remember in High School acting one way at church and acting another outside of church. I didn’t want to be looked down upon at school as a “Jesus Do-gooder.” I wanted to be like the rest of my classmates. However, what I truly gave up was the best part of me. When I was at church, I was happy, joyful, and strengthened in the love of Christ. I felt loved and shared that love freely. When I was at school or with non-Christians, I was worried about how others looked at me and I was ashamed of being two faced. It took my pastor confronting me about my dual lifestyles in order to see what I was giving up. When we accept our identity and let others see who Christ is making us to be then we are living as heirs of the Kingdom. Otherwise, we are throwing away our identity as sons and daughters of God for a more squalid character, unworthy of honor that we have been given.
The Apostle Paul therefore encourages us in his letter to the Romans to live lives worthy of Christ, to live as living sacrifices through the transformation of our minds. Many of us live with an identity tainted by criticisms and insults of our childhood. We are told that we are not good enough, not smart enough, too weak and failures. Even if we are raised in loving homes, we still had to face the criticism of the outside world. The world is a critical place and we often believe the criticisms far more than the praises. Where the world calls us foolish Christ calls us faithful. Where others call us simpletons, Christ calls us wise. Where others call us unlovable, Christ calls us beloved. And where others call us worthless, Christ calls us heirs of the Kingdom. If we are to accept our identity in Christ, we must renew our minds to accept that which Christ tells us we are. We must accept a new voice in our head telling us who we really are. No longer are we foolish, worthless, unlovable simpletons. For in Christ, we bear his identity. We bear his name. And we bear his truth. In Christ, we have been given a great name, the name that is above every name, the name that one day every tongue shall confess and every knee shall bow before. We have been given the name of Christ, so let us wear it with pride. And let us wear it with the honor and love of our heavenly Father who has bestowed this name upon us. So what is in a name? Everything! Amen.