Names

It think it’s unlikely that you have heard of Eric Bishop, Thomas Mapother, Mark Sinclair, Krishna Pandit Bhanji, Caryn Johnson, Paul Hewson, Robyn Fenty, Katheryn Hudson or Edson Arantes do Nascimento.

But if I told you that they are better known as actors Jamie Foxx, Tom Cruise, Vin Diesel, Ben Kingsley and Whoopie Goldberg, musicians Bono, Rihanna and Katy Perry, and footballer Pelé my guess is that you will have a much better idea of who I’m talking about.

Names can be important signposts of who we are – or want to be. Reg Dwight certainly doesn’t quite have the glitter and pizzazz of Elton John and Stevie Wonder sounds rather more wonderful than his real name of Steveland Judkins. 

You might perhaps be known by a different name than the first one recorded on your birth certificate; perhaps a contraction, a second name or a nickname. My father was called Michael but all his friends knew him as Mike. My mother is Sylvia but she much prefers to be called Sally. At school to my friends, I was only ever 'Lambo'.

In the Bible, names are even more important than in 21st Century show business and entertainment. They do not project a false or preferred public image so much as encapsulate someone’s real character and personality. This is particularly true of God himself who pins names to himself to tell us what he is like. He is Yahweh Yireh – my provider, Yahweh Nissi – my banner, Yahweh Rapha – my healer, Yahweh Tsidkenu – my righteousness, Yahweh Shalom – my peace and Yahweh Shamma – the Lord who is always there. Jesus means ‘The Lord Saves.’ This explains why Joseph was told to name him thus; it wasn’t because Mary and Joseph liked the name but “because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1.21).

This is also why there are so many name changes in the pages of Scripture. Sarai becomes Sarah and Abram becomes Abraham when they go from being unable to conceive to becoming a mother and father. Jacob becomes Israel after the pivotal episode in his life when he wrestled an angel after his dream of a ladder reaching to heaven. Gideon became Jerub-Baal after he demolished his family’s idolatrous altar.

To the forlorn and utterly despairing people of God banished and humiliated in exile, God spoke these words in Isaiah 64: “You will be a crown of splendour in the Lord's hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, [meaning ‘my delight is in her’] and your land Beulah [meaning ‘married’]; for the Lord will take delight in you, and your land will be married.

Jesus renamed Simon (reed) Peter (rock) to signify his change from being weedy and unreliable to being solid and fearless. Joseph was given the name Barnabas (meaning son of encouragement) because of his constantly positive, uplifting personality. Saul (Jewish) became Paul (Latin) on his first missionary journey as his unique calling as Apostle to the Gentiles came into ever-sharper focus.

It is a great pity that we sometimes allow things that we did long ago or that have happened to us in our lives to end up somehow classifying us. Someone who has battled with addiction to drink is labelled an alcoholic. Someone who has struggled with addiction to drugs is branded a junkie. Someone whose marriage irretrievably broke down in pain and acrimony is categorised as a divorcee. Someone with a prison record, however long they have been reformed, is marked as an ex-con.

But, as Christians, none of this constitutes our core identity which is in Christ and in Christ alone. Are you letting something from your past - or present – not just describe you but define you? Do you wear, as a badge of identity, the label “I’m disabled”, “I’m unhappily married”, “I’m unemployed”, “I’m a widow”, “I’m old”, “I’m… whatever”?

In Christ, our status and core identity has changed forever. Every one of us who believe in Jesus as our Saviour and Lord can - and certainly should - consider ourselves chosen from all eternity, loved, the apple of his eye, born again and adopted into a new family, ransomed at huge cost, forgiven everything, restored, made holy, declared righteous, blessed with every spiritual blessing, seated in heavenly places with Christ, and with the guaranteed inheritance of having our names indelibly etched into the Book of Life.

This is how God defines us. This is who God says we are. In the post-Christian West, the fashion these days is for self-definition and self-identification, and anyone who dares to question someone's claimed identity in public, even when it is patently nonsensical, can expect to lose their job and/or spend a day in court. To challenge someone who says "I identify as..." is to transgress a new, unwritten blasphemy law. But, if you are a Christian, never mind who you say you are. Never mind who anyone else says you are. You are who God says you are.

Photo credit: Tim Mossholder on Unsplash.