Getting to Know Jesus by Name #31: The Head of the Body, the Church

 Colossians 1:17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is also the head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. 

This is one of Paul's favorite pictures - and names - for Christ: He is the Head - "the place of leadership, honor or command."*  He is Head of the Church: "The Whole Body of Christians; the called out ones; all those who were called by and to Christ in the fellowship of His salvation of all times."  Not only has He created everything else and keeps it together, He has created the church, keeping it together throughout history into eternity.  We wonder at the marvels of His physical creation and how He holds it all together, but when we stop and think that He can bring together and keep together a people, with all of our quirks, struggles, and failures, all over the world through all of time - that is especially amazing. He is worthy to be honored, worshipped, and trusted at all times.  May we obey His every command today.

*(Diann Cotton: 100 Days with Jesus)

Getting to Know Jesus by Name #30: Guardian of Your Souls

I Peter 2:21 For you have been called for this purpose, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you would follow in His steps, 22 He who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; 23 and while being abusively insulted, He did not insult in return; while suffering, He did not threaten, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 and He Himself brought our sins in His body up on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness; by His wounds you were healed. 25 For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

How do you respond to that name: Guardian? In our culture, it may lead to a sense of resistance and even rebellion.  But it should not. A Guardian is "Someone or Something that watches or protects something; one who guards; one who has the care of the person or property of another." There is not sense of domineering or control, as much as protection and care.  When we talk about the Soul, we mean "The spiritual part of a person that give life to the body and lasts forever." The fact that we have a Guardian and have a Soul means that our lives have purpose, direction, a plan, and a path to follow. Our Guardian helps keep us on the path, just like the Good Shepherd that He is.

*(Diann Cotton: 100 Days with Jesus) 

Getting to Know Jesus by Name #29: Great Shepherd

Hebrews 13:20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Jesus is The Great Shepherd. We saw two days ago the extensive nature of this verb Great:  "Elaborate, ample: predominant; remarkable in magnitude, degree or effectiveness; eminent, distinguished, chief or preeminent over others; grand, markedly superior in character or quality; noble; remarkably skilled."* We now add that great picture of a Shepherd: "one who tends, guides and guards, a pastor."  This picture of God as a Shepherd is found throughout the Old Testament, but here it clearly is ascribed to His Son, Jesus, as the one Who laid down His life, Who is always there to guide and protect, making sure the well-being of His sheep is always His job.  There is none better to Whom we can trust with our souls. 

Getting to Know Jesus by Name #28: Great High Priest

Hebrews 4:14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Jesus is our Great High Priest.  The High Priest had "special authority to lead or perform religious ceremonies."*  Once a year the high priest would offer sacrifice on behalf of all of God's people.  The emphasis in Hebrews is on how in everything Christ did, it was superior.  His sacrifice was once for all time.  He also is the greater High Priest, because He passed through the heavens, on His way from and back to heaven.  He is the Greatest High Priest, being God Himself, and, on the other side of things, He has lived here among us so He can completely understand us as He stands before the Father on our behalf. If you haven't noticed yet, every Name of Jesus tells us something not only about Him, buy also ourselves. His names mean something about our response.  Our response to our Great High Priest should be to come before Him often with our requests, ready to receive the mercy and grace we need and only He can offer. 

*(Diann Cotton: 100 Days with Jesus)

Getting to Know Jesus by Name #27: Great God

 

Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Yesterday, we looked at Jesus Christ as The Good Teacher; today we consider Him as Our Great God.  The word "great" has been over-used and abused in our language so much that we have switched to words like "awesome" or "fantastic", only to use and abuse them as well. The word great has as big of a meaning as we imagine as a child: "Elaborate, ample: predominant; remarkable in magnitude, degree or effectiveness; eminent, distinguished, chief or preeminent over others; grand, markedly superior in character or quality; noble; remarkably skilled."*  He is the best in every way for every day and for eternity.  As the best, He deserves our best.  Because of how great He is, and the great salvation He has provided, and the great future He is preparing for us, we should be saying no to a lot and yes to Him. His greatness should overshadow every thought, word, and action to make them worthy of His greatness.

*(Diann Cotton: 100 Days with Jesus)

Getting to Know Jesus by Name #27: Good Teacher

Mark 10:17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

Just observing the way Jesus dealt with people, we could well say Jesus is more than Good Teacher; He is a great teacher.  By using self-examining questions Jesus was able to bring the truth out, even when it hurt. His teaching, and asking questions brought people face-to-face with the truth.  But the name Good Teacher has to do with much more than how effective He was as an educator.  The term Good refers to "one of favorable character or tendency; of high quality; true honorable, virtuous, right; commendable, kind, benevolent; competent, skillful.", which Teacher is simply: "one whose occupation is to instruct."* In other words, the title emphasizes much more strongly Christ's character than His job.  That's why Jesus replied the way He did. He did not ask "Why do you call me teacher?"  Rather, He does his teaching, drawing the conclusion that if  He is that Good, He must be God, which, in fact, He really is." May He teach us well today, even if it hurts.  

Getting to Know Jesus by Name #26: Gentle

Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

We are very familiar with Jesus' "I AM" statements in John. We find some in the other gospels as well. Here Jesus says I am Gentle. The word means: "having or showing a kind nature; not hard or violent; not hard or forceful; not severe, rough."*  In other words, being gentle is described mostly by its antonyms - what He is not.  Jesus did not come to beat up and intimidate sinners, though He did not give them a free pass.  He did not make anyone follow after Him, though He gave everyone reason to want to.  By saying He is Gentle, Jesus is not saying He is an easy pushover, but that He does make it as easy as possible to choose what is right, even if it seems hard, because He is sharing the yoke with us.  

*(Diann Cotton: 100 Days with Jesus)