Lechem Panim #54 "God's Promise In A New Name" (John 1:35-42) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings! Welcome to the show! It’s good to have you with us. Our passage today comes from the book of John; chapter 1, verses 35-42. It reads…

John 1:35-42 (ESV)— 35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.[b] 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus[c] was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).

“We have found the Messiah”— You know, the single most important characteristic of any person who has truly encountered Jesus is they have to go and tell somebody. There is a reason we use the word Gospel (which means Good News). Because (like all good news) there is a desire to proclaim it, which is exactly what we see Andrew do in our passage today. He runs and finds his brother Simon and tells him: “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). (v.41) And he brings his brother Simon to Jesus.

Who’s Evaluating Who?— Now you expect at this point for Peter to evaluate Jesus to see if indeed He is the Messiah. But instead Jesus begins to evaluate Peter. It says in verse 42: Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).

A Rock-- Now Cephas is the Aramaic word for rock and Peter is the Greek word for rock. So his name became (literally) “rock.” Now everybody who heard this who knew Simon probably laughed that day because up until that point and even [In the Gospels, Peter was anything but a rock; he was impulsive and unstable.”] And yet Jesus calls him a rock. And later in Jesus’ ministry after Peter’s confession of Christ, Jesus affirms this name once again.

Hebrew Names— Now in Jewish and much of ancient culture names were very significant. Names were not only a way of identifying you, but also a way of defining you; and I would even go so far as to say (at times) to even reveal ahead of time who you were going to be. Just think of some of the big names found in the Old Testament:

Adam-- Adam is not just a name; it is the Hebrew name for “man” or “mankind”— Adam was the first Adam (the first man). His name [could be ultimately derived from {the} Hebrew אדם('adam) meaning "to be red", referring to the ruddy colour of human skin], which is reflective of the color of the earthy ground He was created from.

Abram-- Think of Abram. God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, which means “father of a great multitude”. So in naming Abraham, God was determining to bring about His promise.

Jacob-- Jacob, whose name means “supplanter” or literally (“heel-grabber”) supplanted his brother Esau. But God changed His name to “Israel”, which is a name that is a combination of the Hebrew words for "wrestle" and “God”. And so that wrestling with God became the definition of who he was; or you might say that that event became the defining moment of his life (LITERALLY!!!!)

Micah-- The prophet Micah (whose name means “messenger”) was sent as a messenger to God’s people, actually foreshadowing (some think) John the Baptist’s ministry.

Immanuel-- Even the name given to us in Isaiah in prophecy of Jesus (Immanuel) means “God with us”; not just a name for Jesus, but an actual definition of who He is.

Jesus/Yeshua-- The name Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua (meaning “a savior; a deliverer”) (Joshua and Jesus are the same name). Just think of the significance of that. Jesus is the second Joshua. As Joshua led the people to the promised land, so also Jesus leads God’s people to the Kingdom of Heaven. He (Jesus) is the ultimate Savior and Deliverer; the second, greater Joshua.

Changing the Course of Peter’s life-- Now we have to understand this unique way names are used because this is more than just some nice passage where Jesus is giving Simon a new name that reflects who He wants Simon to be. No, Jesus is (at this moment) changing the course of Simon’s life. Jesus was saying to Simon that because of their new relationship, Simon (now Peter) was going to be be someone altogether new. He says “you shall be Cephas; a rock.” Right from the get go Jesus has determined Peter to be that rock who would help Him build His Church. And Peter soon accepts that call. He has to. His name had been Simon (which means “that hears; that obeys”). But notice also that in the Old Testament, most often when someone is given a new name, the one giving that name is almost always God. It is God who changes the person’s name; their identity; who they are destined to be. And so Jesus is very powerfully (and shockingly) carrying on that divine role. He (God in the Flesh) gives Simon a new name; a new name for a new identity; a new future; a new mission. Can you imagine what this must have meant to Peter, an impulsive, immature person to hear Jesus (a Rabbi) say that he would be a rock? And we know that Peter did indeed live up to that expectation. His name; his identity became altogether changed. He would go from being an unstable, fearful person to being a bold, fearless rock for the Church and the cause of Christ; an unbelievable transformation.

The Full Gospel-- Some time ago I remember I was listening to a speaker talk about the cross of Christ. And though many of his points were good, he said that it doesn’t matter if there is sin in your life, God still accepts you. Now while He does accept us as we are, He never allows us to remain as we are. And what we cannot miss in the Gospels is that Christ’s call to follow Him is a call to be like Him in His nature and character.

Forgiveness The 1st Step To Becoming New Creatures-- Dr. Dennis Kinlaw put it so succinctly when he said: [God not only wants to forgive us; he also wants to regenerate us, make us new creatures. Forgiveness is the first step. It removes the things that alienate us from each other. God forgives our offenses against him and forgets them. Therefore, when he sees us he is not offended. We accept that forgiveness. Then when we turn to God, we are not afraid or loaded with guilt. The personal relationship between us and God is wholesome, good, and free. But he wants to do more. He wants to transform us to fit us for a future very different from our past. Forgiveness and regeneration are like two sides of the same coin. They cannot be separated. Salvation is more than a change of record. It is a change of us. It deals with our sin, the bent within our nature that causes us to commit our sins. It affects who we are as well as what we do.]

Our Transformation-- That is the kind of transformation Peter experienced; and he experienced it at Pentecost, when God poured out His Holy Spirit during that festival and birthed the Christian Church; and those upon whom the Holy Spirit came were completely and utterly transformed. This was the moment Peter (the unstable person who had denied and abandoned Jesus) became SO transformed that the very first time he preached with that anointing of the fire of the Holy Spirit of God upon his life, it says three thousand were added to their number that day. You see, Jesus’ name for Simon (Peter) was a promise; a promise that Jesus was faithful to keep. And what this means for us is that when WE meet Jesus and enter into an abiding relationship with Him, that same promise of transformation extends to us as well. Can He REALLY change us? Apparently you can’t get past the very first words of Jesus without being confronted with the reality that not only can He, but He has determined to change us; He expects it; not just in heaven, but now. Jesus has a new identity for us NOW!That is why so many Christians throughout history, when they became Christians, they took new “Christian” names; because they were embracing a new identity in Jesus and were trusting in Him for His promise of working in them a mighty transformation work. And the message of the Gospel is that any one of us can experience that transformation.
    God wants permission not only to save you, but to give you a new name; a new identity. The question is, how are we going to respond to Christ’s question to us, “What are you seeking?” What do we truly want Jesus to do for and in us? John reveals an amazing promise from God to each and every one of us in…

Revelation 2:17 (ESV)-- 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’

Are We Willing?-- God has a new name; a new identity for you and for me. But we have to choose how we are going to respond. Are we willing to let Jesus change who we really are?…..Jesus has big expectations for every man, woman, boy, and girl listening today; expectations that we ourselves might be rocks He can use to build His kingdom. But we have to let Him give us a new life and purpose and be willing to leave the former identity behind. And God is calling to every single one of us to do that today. Whether you are 5 years old or 95 years old, Jesus wants you to allow Him to remake you. He can do it, if we but let Him.

And so today, I want to invite you to do that; to allow Him to become your starting point for a complete change in identity and purpose. Give your old self to Him and allow Him to transform you and make you altogether new. Follow His leading this morning in embracing His name; His calling upon your life. Do this today. Amen.