Praying Backwards

The privilege of Jesus' name...

What is in a name? Today much care is given as we name our children. We try to think about what the name means...often we pick a name because it was "in the family", it highlights a special relationship...it reminds us of a dear loved one. Is Jesus' name any different?

Matthew 1:21 tells us of the choosing of the name of Jesus...
"And she will bear a son and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is Him who will save His people from their sins"

This was Jesus' "human" name. It means Savior. Notice it was not Mary and Joseph who chose His name...it was God Himself...The Father...who chose His Son's name. And in that name is Jesus' purpose. He would save His people from their sin.

Matthew 1:1 tells begins the Gospel of Matthew with a genealogy. It begins: "A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ..."

First of all, the word "Christ" comes from "christos", a Greek word meaning "anointed". It is the equivalent of the word "moshiach", or Messiah, in Hebrew. So, to be the Christ, or Messiah, is to be "the anointed one of God". Christ is His title...Jesus is His name. Put them together and we have "Jesus Christ: The Savior who is the Messiah or the Anointed one"When we pray in His name we pray to the Savior who came to save His own and He alone is the anointed One who can.

Brian Chapell says: "Our prayers are not more powerful because we chant our Savior's name like a magic spell...Behind Christ's instruction to use His name is the understanding that He makes it possible for us to approach God." In His name we can come confidently to the Throne of Grace.

Hebrew 4:14-16: "Therefore since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses but we have one who has been tempted in every way just as we are--yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need"

What a great promise this is for those who believe in the full name of Christ. This is a promise to claim. Most people seem to think that God is far-off and removed from their experiences or unreliable with their feelings. That is so untrue. Jesus was the very son of God and as He was fully divine He was also fully human. In prayer we seek the One who will sympathize with our weakness but yet the One who triumphed over them. Our great High Priest not only is perfectly merciful but also powerful to walk us through it. The one who understand us perfectly will also provide for us perfectly. And we can come confidently to Throne of Grace and wait on His answer...knowing that He hears and understands. God's Throne of Judgement is now a Throne of Grace because we enter in the name of Jesus...the one who has saved us and the one who carries us.

John MacArthur puts it this way... "The Bible speaks so much of God's justice. But how terrible for us if He were only just and not also gracious. Sinful man deserves death, the sentence of justice; but he needs salvation, the gift of grace...How can anyone reject such a high priest, such a Savior--who not only permits us to come before His throne for grace and help, but pleads with us to come in confidence? His Spirit says "Come boldly all the way to God's throne that has been turned into a throne of grace because of Jesus." Come all the way up, receive grace and mercy when you need it--before it is to late and your heart is hard and God's 'today' is over"

Mr Chapell goes on in Chapter 1: "Thus prayer in Jesus name is not an incantation to make US worthy of divine attention; it is a confession that we are unworthy of even approaching God apart from the mercy and merits of our Savior. We pray in the name of Jesus to profess our need of Him and to proclaim our trust in the provision of righteousness He made for us."

Today is the day of grace...a day to believe in the fullness of Jesus Christ. The Savior...the Anointed one who can to save His people from their sin. Can you boldly and confidently approach the Throne? Has God's throne of judgement become the God's throne of grace for you? If not...the today is the day. Call on the Savior...He will save.