Jesus is the greatest name I know. That’s because the name coheres with its bearer—“You are to give him the name Jesus,” the angel said, “because he will save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). Because He is no actor, spy, or person in witness protection, no factual or ideological distance separates Him from what He is called—His name; or who He claims to be—His self-identification; or His actual identity—Savior. His name is consistent with His claims, as good as He.
Jesus is no gifted hypocrite reducing spectators to weeping in some brilliant performance everybody knows to be a farce. He is not Chaim Topol pretending to be Tevye, fictitious fruit of a writer’s imagination.* The drama that involves Him is reality—my damnation. As Savior from sin He defines two fixed categories and one modifiable one: Savior, lost, and sin. I belong to the modifiable one, lost. He can save me. And I do not need to go looking for Him. Everything He is is in His name. Jesus is the greatest name I know. Calling out that name, just hearing that name, just believing in that name, is enough. It makes the lame cavort and prance, and leap and dance (Acts 3:1-8). People gawk and wonder, and doubt their eyes for watching a man crippled more than 40 years now performing holy gymnastics (Acts 4:22).
Yet, physical miracle but partially expresses the purpose of Jesus’ being and the meaning of His name. He is Savior from sin, the blight that cripples the lame, and ultimately separates its victims forever from God’s love. His name, His mighty name, has saved me from that blight (Acts 8:12).
Soon and very soon all shall ascribe to it deserving glory and honor, when every knee one day will bow to that great, matchless name (Phil. 2:10). Jesus is the greatest name I know.
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* In Fiddler on the Roof, a movie adaptation of Sholem Aleichem’s fictional memoir Tevye and His Daughters.
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Lael Caesar is an associate editor of the Adventist Review. This article was published May 17, 2012.
