In a Name

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Tuesday morning, it’s the 11th of June, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

We go straight to the Gospel of Mathew 1:25:

“And he called His name Jesus.”

Now we don’t often hear much about Joseph, the country carpenter, but I want to tell you, he fulfilled a major role in this Bible. The Lord used him to name the Son of God, Jesus, yes, the Saviour of the world. I want to say to you today that it is very important to remember a person’s name. You know what its like when when somebody comes up to you and says, ”Hello brother, hello sister.” They’ve forgotten your name, but it’s so nice, isn’t it, when somebody comes up and says, ”Hello John, I haven’t seen you for years”, and he says, ”And you still remember my name?” “Of course I do. We went to school together.”

The importance of a name can be encouraging, it can break down, or it can build up. Unfortunately, the name of Jesus can be used as a swear word or with great respect. I want to tell you a little story. There was a rough man who worked on the railways. He was a guard on the railways, and he was working in the yard one day and he had given his life to the Lord just a few months before, and his friends used to mock him and say,” You won’t last.” “Oh!” He said, ”I will. That name saved me, the name of Jesus, the most beautiful name I’ve ever heard in my life.” One day, he was working in the yards where they were shunting trucks, rail trucks back and forwards, and the driver of the train was way up in front and the guard was standing at the back, and he was waving the driver on for the connection of the two carriages when he got his hand trapped in between the two carriages, and it crushed his hand and he let out a tremendous swear-word. He used the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in a manner of disrespect completely. His friends were all standing around him, they were shattered. This poor man was trapped between the two carriages. Eventually, they managed to get the train to move forward and they took him out, called the ambulance, his hand was just a bloody mess. He was on his knees as the ambulance driver came to call him, ”Let’s go to the hospital.” He said, ”Just wait, please. Wait!” And right there, in front of all his friends, he repented. He said, ”Lord, please forgive me for using your name as a swear word.” After he had done that he said, ”Now, you can take me to the hospital.”

I want to say to you today, be very careful that you never use the name of our beloved Jesus, the Saviour of the world, in a manner which is unfitting. It cuts me to the quick when I hear a man using the name of my beloved Saviour as a swear word. Don’t do that. Let’s love Him today. Let’s respect Him by the way in which we act. and most of all, the way in which we talk.

Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day.
Goodbye