“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” wrote Shakespeare in his famous play, Romeo and Juliet.
But one name really is better than the rest. It’s the Name above all other names. It is so powerful, that in some countries, it is forbidden. Those who embrace the Name are tortured, jailed, and even killed.
This Name produces a variety of reactions. Blasphemers hate it. It is a thorn in their flesh. Sinners cling to it. They know it is their only hope. Followers love it. It is the sweetest sound they’ve ever heard.
At the mention of this name, demons flee in terror. The wind and the rain are silenced. The dead are raised. The crippled walk. The blind see. The deaf hear.
When this name is embraced, fears vanish. Anxieties are quieted. Worries are put to rest. There is peace—indescribable peace between man and God. Why? Because He is Immanuel, God with us. His name means Savior, the One who will save us from our sins. He is Christ, the Anointed One. He is the One and only Son of the Most High God. He is Jehovah-Jireh, our Provider. He is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He is the Word of God, in flesh. He’s the Prince of Peace.
Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:10 (NLT)
