The Name of Jesus in Action in the

The Name of Jesus in Action in the book of Acts: Acts 4: 12, (speaking of Jesus as the cornerstone rejected by the builders): Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given among men, by which we must be saved. Acts 3: 6 (speaking of the lame beggar who just asked them for money) But Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” Acts 3: 16 (Peter speaking about the man who was healed): By faith in His name, His name has made this man strong, whom you see and know. So the faith that comes through Him has given him this perfect health in front of all of you. "

In the Spirit, names are given as portals for Pr(es(s)ence)! (His essence is in His Presence!)

Genesis 2: 19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.

God’s names are selfdisclosures of who HE is— His purpose is for us to KNOW Him!

Exodus 33: 18 -19 Then Moses said, ”Please show me Your glory. ” And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence.

Isaiah 57: 15 For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble in spirit, to restore the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite.

Disciples: Some say John the Baptist; some say Elijah; some say Jeremiah or one of the prophets… Simon Peter: YOU ARE THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD!

It all began (v. 13), “When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi…” Jesus engaged the massive rock on which the city was built to make a point about the ROCK-SOLID REVELATION OF HIMSELF upon which He would build His church!

“gates of hell” And He even engaged the specifics of the pagan worship to make points about the superiority of His revelation!

John 4: 4 Jesus had to go through Samaria.

From Zaccheus to Matthew, from lepers to Pharisees who sneak away in the night, Jesus demonstrated a WILLINGNESS TO ENGAGE. He whose NAME is HIGH and HOLY felt no need to protect Himself from earthy real-life encounters with real people. (Remember He washed the disciples’ feet, after all!) He is a God of engagement!

He identifies Himself by His own Names, but He also demonstrates a willingness to engage with names that are already in people’s understanding—when and where they have searched for a HIGHER POWER than themselves!

The Intertestamental Period: From Malachi to Matthew

Luke 6: 19 and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all. (Also Mark 5: 30) II Peter 1: 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. I Peter 2: 9 (TPT) But you are God’s chosen treasure— priests who are kings, a spiritual “nation” set apart as God’s devoted ones. He called you out of darkness to experience his marvelous light, and now he claims you as his very own. He did this so that you would broadcast his glorious wonders throughout the world. Dunamis: force or power in things; Aristotle’s concept of potentiality—Aristotle didn’t consider all things as having equal potentiality or possibility—but Jesus said, “All things are dunatos!” (Mt. 19: 26) Arete: virtue or “functioning excellence”; a fundamental principle of Greek culture; it also meant fulfilling one’s purpose and reaching full potential; related to araomai, to pray, and to aristos, meaning “the best”

When the Apostle John wrote his gospel, he opened with words that would have stirred the hearts of Jew and Greek alike: “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God…” (John 1: 1 -2) In arche was the Logos, and the Logos was with Theos and the Logos was Theos. He (the Logos) was in arche with Theos.

Ultimate principle; first cause; origin source; root of all things that exist; source of action and method of governance; most important because FIRST! Arche Logos The divine reason; divine expression; principle that guides the changing cosmos; the only eternal thing when all else is in flux; Heraclitus called it, “the rational FIRE that governs the cosmos” Theos Long before the NT was written, this word referred to the supreme being who owns and sustains all things.

Arche Logos Theos (John 1: 1 -2) Spirit (hovered) Word (Logos) Father (spoke) (Genesis 1: 1 -2)

Acts 17: 23 For as I walked around and examined your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore what you worship as something unknown, I now proclaim to you.

In China: Shangti 上帝 (The Lord in Heaven) vs. Shen 神 (generic term for “god”) In Korea: Hananim 하느님 (The Great One) vs. Shin 신 (generic term for “god”)

The resistance: “He seems to be preaching a proclaimer of foreign gods…”. Acts 17: 18 JESUS IS NOT FOREIGN TO YOU! He knows you…He took you into Himself on the cross and fully acquainted Himself with your every struggle. If you look closely, he may have even left some reminders—”redemptive keys”-–planted in your life…

God speaks your language! WHERE IN YOUR LIFE IS GOD UNKNOWN? ? ? WHERE MIGHT THERE BE AN ALTAR TO THE UNKNOWN GOD? WHERE DO YOU NEED TO HAVE HIS NAME— HIS ESSENCE AND PRESENCE AND GOODNESS IN ALL ITS FACETS—PROCLAIMED TO YOU?

John 17: 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. Proverbs 3: 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Acknowledge: yada – know in an intimate way