Today, young parents seem to be choosing names for their children, not based on important people in their lives, but on the “music” or pleasantness of the sound of the name. And that’s okay. There are some fine ones out there…like “Kaden” and “Evan” and “Carter” and “Eli” (these just happen to be my grandsons’ names). And then there are some beautiful ones like “Lilly” and “Olivia” and “Emily” and “Victoria”.
But in Bible times, things were different. A person’s name represented his character or a call in his life.
That being true, I wonder how Jesus would have answered the “ice breaker” question: “Tell us about your name…”
He may have said, “My name ‘Jesus’ was given to my mother by an angel. It means ‘Savior’. My title ‘Christ’ means “Anointed One’ -- I am the Messiah, the Promised One foretold throughout generations.”
He then might go on and on with significant name after significant name -- names such as Lord, King, the Lamb of God, the Alpha & Omega...
But I suspect the reply He would most want to give would be simply, “My name is ‘I AM’…I AM everything and anything you will ever need, because I AM Jehovah God the Son.” Jesus wasn’t hesitant to use this name to refer to Himself in His conversation with the legalistic religious leaders...and was almost stoned for blasphemy!
Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM." So they picked up stones to throw at Him. John 8:58-59
This sacred name of God was not even allowed to be spoken by the devout Jew at that time, because it spoke of the very essence of God Himself...the Eternal Present...His Essence is His Existence..LIFE itself!
Jesus further elaborated on this divine name in the rich metaphors of the Gospel of John:
I AM the Bread of life,...I AM the Light of the world,...I AM the Door of the sheep,...I AM the Good Shepherd,...I AM the Resurrection & the Life,...I AM the Way, the Truth, & the Life,..I AM the True Vine. John 6,8,10,11,14,15