Category Archives: Excellencies_of_His_Name

Celebrating the Excellencies of His Name -His Name is Jesus-

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Today a wonderful quote from Octavius Winslow in which he writes about The Fragrance of Christ’s Name.

“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21

“The Atoning Name of Jesus is fragrant. All that Jesus did on earth was representative, substitutionary, sacrificial. His one work was to atone. His one mission was to save. “You shall call His name JESUS, for He shall SAVE His people from their sins.” With this harmonizes the wondrous declaration of the Apostle, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” O marvellous, precious saying this! of more worth to the soul in a dying hour than the diadem of the universe studded with earth’s richest jewels. We can pass into eternity peacefully and happily, hopefully and savingly in the faith of no other truth than this- “Christ died for our sins;”
“Christ died for the ungodly.” “Christ has given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet smelling savor.” “You were not redeemed with corruptible things …… but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot.” “By the obedience of One shall many be made righteous.” “Who is made unto us wisdom and righteousness, sanctification and redemption.”
Such are some of the Scripture testimonies to the sacrificial work of Jesus. In all this truth how fragrant is HIS SAVING NAME! As a law-fulfilling, sin-atoning; justice-satisfying Savior, His Name expresses all that the guiltiest, the most despairing sinner needs. To those who are saved, what fragrance breathes from the work of Him who has saved them, and called them with a holy calling.

Whatever may be the advanced pilgrimage, the matured experience of the Christian, he never can release himself from the first principles of Divine truth. We close our spiritual course as we began it, with a believing reliance upon the simple elements of the Gospel. The foundation truth of the Gospel- that Jesus Christ saves sinners, which gave us comfort and peace and hope when we first fled to the cross, is just the truth which sustains and cheers us when we come to die. We terminate our spiritual life as we commenced it- clinging as poor, empty, and worthless sinners to Jesus, the Savior and Friend of sinners; the last believing look we have of Christ on earth, is the first look we had of Him when He drew us to Himself and told us our sins were all forgiven, and then filled our hearts with His love.

Embracing alone the first principles of the Gospel, resting only in the single, simple, yet sublime declaration that Jesus was sacrificed for, invites and receives, sinners- casts out none who come to Him, but saves them to the uttermost- some of the greatest saints and most eminent divines that ever lived have- either in the near expectation of their departure, or in the actual passage of death- experienced the sweetest peace and richest comfort and most assured hope.”

So let us speak often one to another of Jesus.

“Forgotten be each worldly theme,
When Christians meet together thus
We only wish to speak of Him
Who lived and died and reigns for us.”
“We’ll talk of all He did and said
And suffered for us here below,
The path He marked for us to tread,
And what He’s doing for us now.”
“Thus, as the moments pass away,
We’ll love and wonder and adore,
And hasten on the glorious day
When we shall meet to part no more.”

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They that know thy name will put their trust in thee.
Psalm 9: 10

Browse through the series here.

You are most welcomed to read a complementary series on The Names of God. Part one here, and part 2, Taking Refuge in the Name of the Lord, here.

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Celebrating the Excellencies of His Name -Wonderful Counselor, by Staci Eastin-

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For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6

It shows a wonderful conjunction of excellencies, that the same person should be a Son, born and given, and yet be the everlasting Father, without beginning or end; that he should be a Child, and yet be he whose name is Counsellor, and the mighty God; and well may his name, in whom such things are conjoined, be called Wonderful. (The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Volume 1 of 2)

Wonderful Counselor. The translation from the original Hebrew seems pretty straightforward. Wonderful means marvelous or even miraculous. A counselor is an advisor or someone who is able to make wise plans.

Jesus is our Wonderful Counselor.

What makes a good counselor? In our earthly relationships, who do we go to for help in our troubles? We of course want someone who is wise, and we also want someone who is loving and understanding. But we need more than just a listening ear, we need someone who can see to the heart of the problem and direct us in the right way. If that person can also empathize with us, we appreciate it even more.

Jesus is our Wonderful Counselor in every way. The heart of our problem is our sin. But Jesus does more than just point towards the solution, he provides the solution. His death and resurrection paid the penalty for our sin, providing the way for us to walk in new life.

This verse refers to Jesus as a kingly ruler, surpassing any king that Israel had ever known. But he’s more than a distant ruler on high. As the Bible says in Hebrews 4:15:

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

And then in Hebrews 4:16, sweet assurance:

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

He is our help in times of trouble. Our solution, our Savior. Our Wonderful Counselor.

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About the author: Staci Eastin is a Christian, a wife, a mother, a homeschooler, and a writer. Her book, The Organized Heart: A Woman’s Guide to Conquering Chaos was published by Cruciform Press in March of 2011. When she is not writing or driving someone to soccer, she enjoys reading, knitting, jogging very slowly, watching the St. Louis Cardinals, and pondering life’s conundrums. Just not all at the same time. You can find her blogging at Writing and Living

They that know thy name will put their trust in thee.
Psalm 9: 10

Browse through the series here.

You are invited to read a complementary series on The Names of God here.

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Celebrating the Excellencies of His Name -The Good Shepherd by Kim Shay

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During the season when we celebrate Christ’s incarnation, we have occasion to sing these familiar lines:

While shepherds watched their flocks by night
All seated on the ground
The angel of the Lord came down
And glory shone around
And glory shone around

These verses recount the events of Luke 2:8-14. Shepherds and sheep were part of the middle eastern culture, and an image drawn upon frequently throughout Scripture. As these shepherds saw the angel of the Lord, were they aware that the angel was bringing news of The Good Shepherd?

Following the healing of a man born blind in John 9, the story is picked up in chapter 10 with Jesus’ words:

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers. This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. (10:1-6)

In this figure of speech, he contrasts the true shepherd with one who is an imposter. The true shepherd enters by the door. Sheep pens in those days were often round, stone affairs, with an opening through which the shepherd led his sheep. Unlike Western shepherds, who use dogs to drive the sheep, the middle eastern shepherd called to his sheep. They responded to his voice. The imposter could sneak in, but his voice would be unfamiliar to the sheep. The true shepherd goes before his sheep, calling them, and leading them out to pasture for feeding as well as back into the fold for safety. They will not follow the imposter, but they will follow the voice of their shepherd.

As was often the case, those listening to Jesus did not understand what he was saying. He had to explain his figure to them:

So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the world coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. (10:7-17)

First, Jesus says he is the door of the sheep; not just the watchman watching the door, but the actual door. As the sheep had to go through the door to be fed or to be kept safe, those who come to the Father must come through Jesus Christ. There is one way into the fold of the believer, and that is through the door of Christ. There is no other option. Second, Jesus says that he is the good shepherd. What qualifies him to be called the good shepherd is that he lays down his life for the sheep. He does not merely protect them from danger by scaring away attackers or by herding them together where they can be hidden; he lays down his life for them. D.A. Carson says this:

“In no case does this suggest a death with merely exemplary significance; in each case death envisaged is on behalf of someone else. The shepherd does not die for his sheep to serve as an example, throwing himself off a cliff in a grotesque and futile display while bellowing, “See how much I love you!” No, the assumption is that the sheep are in mortal danger; that in their defense the shepherd loses his life; that by his death they are saved.”

Without Christ, we are in mortal danger; we in danger of eternal separation from God. It is only through the atonement of Christ, he the good shepherd in our place, that we can be spared from this danger; nothing else will.

The good shepherd knows his own sheep. The hired hands do not own the sheep and do not have anything invested in them. The good shepherd knows each one. The basis for this intimate relationship between sheep and Shepherd is the relationship between Jesus and His father. He says he knows his sheep and they know him “Just as the Father knows me and I know the Father” (v. 15) As his sheep, He knows us intimately, and we are able to know Him intimately through the Holy Spirit, through His Word. What a great comfort that is, to be known by someone in that way, and to be known in that way by the King of the Universe. When I feel like a square peg in a round hole (which is pretty frequent) I take comfort in knowing that He knows me, and that I will hear his voice when he speaks. But it’s more than hearing Him speak in His creation, through a beautiful sunrise or the way the light comes through the sheer curtains in my living room at dusk. It’s about knowing His Word, probing the depths of this amazing revelation He left for us.

The 23rd Psalm, of course, is on of the most loved pieces of Scripture, because it is comforting when we are going through dark waters. But to be led in the way that the Psalmist depicts there requires that we belong to the Shepherd. We cannot say we belong to Him unless we have gone through that door of Jesus Christ and placed our trust in that sacrifice he made, that he laid down his life for us. If I can’t hear His voice, it isn’t because He isn’t speaking. Perhaps it’s because I don’t belong to Him. But that’s a sad thought that no one likes to hear at Christmas time.

As we think of the babe in the stable, of that vulnerable little creature under the watch care of his tender, young mother, may we remember that the shepherds were looking for the Good Shepherd, the Shepherd of our souls, and the only one who would lay his life for us. May we always be attentive to His voice, even amidst what can become a busy, hectic season.

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About the author: Kim Shay is an ordinary Christian woman born and raised in Canada; mother of three, and trainer of one Beagle. She is a book lover and usually has a few books on the go at once. What she likes to read and study most is the Word of God. Kim likes to blog about what she reads, about her faith, the perplexities of life, the weird thoughts that roll around in her brain, or her family.  She loves to see what God can teach her through the very ordinary circumstances of her  life. Kim blogs at The Upward Call.

Browse through the series here.

Join All the Glorious Names -A Hymn to Celebrate the Excellencies of His Name-

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Join All His Glorious Names

Lyrics by Isaac Watts
Music by Bob Kauflin
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Join all the glorious names
Of wisdom love and power
That mortals ever knew
That angels ever bore
All are too poor to speak
Your vast and priceless worth
Too poor to set my Savior forth
Jesus Your name is glorious
Our Prophet Priest and King
Jesus You’re reigning over us
And forevermore
Your praises we will sing
Great Prophet of my God
My tongue would bless Your name
Through You the joyful news
Of our salvation came
The long-awaited news
Of every sin forgiven
Of hell subdued and peace with heaven
Jesus my Great High Priest
You shed Your blood and died
My guilty conscience seeks
No sacrifice beside
Your pure and precious blood
For all my sin atoned
And now it pleads before the throne

Praising His Name today and forevermore!

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Browse through this series here.
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Celebrating the Excellencies of His Name -Oh Jesus!, by Norma Tochijara-

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Whom do you turn to when trouble comes?
Who can comfort when pain visits you?
Whom do you turn to when health, wealth, and prosperity leave you?
Whom do you seek for peace when there is pain all around you?
Whom do you turn to when the world offers you no hope?
Whom do you seek when you need to be satisfied?
Whom do you run to for shelter when the storm comes?
Whom do you tell your most secret thoughts to?
Who do you thank for all you have? (talents, shelter, food, …)

        Jesus! It is Jesus and only Jesus you need to seek.

Jesus is strong when you are weak.
Jesus is safe and secure to stand on when you are standing on quicksand.
Jesus is a comforter when you see despair.
Jesus is the hope when the worlds shows you none.
Jesus is the satisfaction to every need.
Jesus is joy when trouble comes.
Jesus is with you when your friends leave you.

       But, not only in our need:

Jesus is better when the world looks the best,
Jesus is full of love when the world pretends to love you,
Jesus redeems you when the world tells you that you are fine,
Jesus changes in you what the world tells you to love,
Jesus gives you perseverance when you want to follow your heart,
Jesus listens carefully to your prayers when the charmer tries to seduce you,
Jesus is with you when you are in no apparent need,
Jesus knows best when secular wisdom sounds pious,
Jesus gives more that the world could ever give,
Jesus is your provider when we live in abundance,
Jesus satisfies when the world fills with air,
Jesus creates when the world copies,
Jesus loves when the world lusts,
Jesus is the real treasure when it seems like the world is filled with them,
Jesus conquers death when sin brings you to it,
Jesus is the Lord of all creation. He owns the world and it obeys Him.

                      It is Jesus; only Jesus !

About the Author: Norma Tochijara lives with her family in Montreal, Quebec. She and her husband have been married for almost 17 years. They have 2 sons, and 1 daughter who, a few months ago, left to be with the Lord.  Norma and her family attend a Reformed Presbyterian Church, and she is in the process of learning; being transformed to be more like Jesus. Norma blogs at Reduce Me to Love.

Browse through the index of the series here.