Remember the words to the song, Secret Agent Man? "They're giving him a number, and taking 'way his name..." How Bond, James Bond was known throughout the world as 007? Maybe in the spy business numbers rule, but in real life, names are more important. And from the multisyllabic names found in the Old Testament, to the shorter ones found in the New, they all have importance.
The late sixties gave freedom to call rock groups by some unusual names. Strawberry Alarm Clock. Creedance Clearwater Revival. Iron Butterfly. King Crimson. Jethro Tull. Quicksilver Messenger Service. Mothers of Invention. Steely Dan. 10cc. The Hawks, who when the Viet Nam war escalated, were just referred to as The Band. But did toy with the idea of Chocolate Subway Marshmallow Overcoat. Same music, different name. I guess it beats Atomic Rooster, but not Ambrosia. I think you get the idea. Unique names, some with meaning you understood, and some with meaning you hoped your mother never knew. But it seems the sixties gave rise to unique descriptions from these groups, and psychedelic names were all the rage. We had a clothing store, in Westfield, called a head shop, before that name too became drug related, named Dead Ice Cream. Cool name, and you could buy cool clothes at a premium price. The name lives on, the store closed. Wish I had kept some of the clothes. And if you didn't have a cool name, you could always have a cool motto, like Slegers Forbes, the motorcycle dealer that Malcolm Forbes was partner in. They were known as the "Cycle-logical Dealer!" Maybe the only place where being logical with a motorcycle was encouraged. In real life, most guys I knew who rode were "Psycho-logical." If you knew them, the name made perfect sense, just don't ask me to explain. Please.
But unless you were Bond, James Bond, where 007 carried more weight, or knew the words to Secret Agent Man, "they're giving you a number, and takin' 'way your name," names are important. And with each generation, the most popular names change. I never thought of my parents as trendy, but here we are Michael, and my sister Susan, very popular names in the fifties. I went to school with too many Jennifers-never Jen or Jenny. Remember Pat on SNL-a he or she? Same problem with her friend, Chris. Those genderless names always confused me. And names a hundred years ago were so stately-or boring. Names like Hamilton, Housely, Hermoine, and Geraldine. Were their nicknames Ham, House, Herm, and Gerry? I have a friend whose dad was a twin, Gerald and Geraldine. We had a friend named Valerie Valerie. I had a friend who named his son Mister, "they will always refer to my son as Mister..." Add in all the Bills and Bobs, John and Joes, and you would think we would run out of names before we run out of people.
Old Testament names have always been a problem with me. Adonijah, Bathsheba, Methuselah, Jehoshabeath, Jehosophat, Hezekiah, Nebachadezezzer, Sennacharib, and Zipporah. Obviously these kids had a hard time learning to spell their names in school, let alone pronouncing them while learning to talk. Or answering the phone. "Hey mom, can I go over to Melchizadek's house and play?" So I find it ironic, when Jesus' cousin is born, that his dad says, "we will call him John," and then is silent until his birth. For no one had ever had that name in his family before. And it started a whole new name game, that continues on even today.
Believe it or not, Jesus was a common name in his time. But He was anything but common. Emmanuel, God with us. King of Kings, Lord of Lords. Wonderful. Counselor. Descriptions of a man, who was really God-a true Godman, and unique in all history. Yeshua to His other Jewish friends, today just the mention of His name evokes emotion. To Christians, He is the savior. But sadly to many others, His is the number one name taken in vain. Trying taking Buddhas name in vain, and watch his followers get upset. But Christians are supposed to give and forgive, in love. Like Jesus did. A name to be remembered easily. And He even had simply names for His disciples. Peter, James, John, Levi, Andrew, Judas. Simple names, and names that were important to Him, because they were His friends. But there is still something about His name.
Today He offers you the chance to know Him on a first name basis. Yes, He is Lord. He is King. He is the Mighty Saviour. But those are all titles. When He introduces Himself to you, He makes it personal. "Just call me Jesus." Get to know Him. Become His friend. And let Him be yours. Jesus, like Yeshua for Joseph.
Knock, knock. Who's there? Joe. Joe who? Joe Savior, Jesus. Jesus Christ, the title. Or if you must, Jesus the Christ. But His friends just call Him Jesus.
What do you call Him tells a lot about who He is in your life. Bow to Him now, or bow to Him later. Now is voluntary. In hell, you will in agony. Wishing you had here.
Just a name? Then you probably think He was just a person.
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogpsot.com