Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven, to His feet your tribute bring. Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven, who like me, His praise should sing?…Praise the everlasting King! (from hymn by Henry Lyte)
The Missing Piece
My grandchildren and children around the world love the retelling of Scripture’s main message from The Jesus Storybook Bible written by Sally Lloyd-Jones. In her introduction, she wrote:
There are lots of stories in the Bible, but all the stories tell one Big Story. The Story of how God loves His children and comes to rescue them by Christ. It takes the whole Old and New Testaments to tell this Big Story. At the center is a baby, who becomes a man and the Savior of the world. Every story in the Bible whispers Jesus’ name. He is like the missing piece in a puzzle, the piece that makes all the other pieces fit together. When we focus on Jesus Christ, we can see God’s beautiful picture of eternal salvation. (Adapted from page 17)
Jesus heaps up His names in Scripture to encourage us to love, follow, trust, and obey Him more. Billy Sunday (1862-1935) claimed the Bible contains 256 names for Christ the Lord because He is infinitely beyond all that any one name can express. Here is a sample of Jesus’ names, using various translations. Read them aloud and punctuate your reading with praise and prayer to the Lord.
Jesus is the last Adam1 who came from Heaven to crush the serpent’s head, to reverse the curse, and to give us everlasting life. He is our righteous Advocate (defense attorney) who defends believers when we sin,2 forgives us, and purifies us from all unrighteousness.3 He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last;4 who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty. Jesus holds the keys of Hades and death. Christ is our all in all,5 the Ancient of Days,6 the Anointed Son,7 the Apostle and High Priest we confess.8 He is the Arm of the Lord,9 the Author and Perfecter of our faith.10
So we sing:
Blessing and honor and glory and power,
Wisdom and riches and strength evermore,
Let’s give to Him who our battle has won,
His are the Kingdom, the crown, and the throne.
Christ is the only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.11 He is God’s only Beloved, well pleasing Son,12 who makes us well pleasing to God. Jesus is the Bread of life, food for our souls, who satisfies our spiritual hunger.13 He is our Bridegroom who loves us and sacrificed Himself for us.14 He is the Brightness of God’s glory, and the express image of God’s being.15
Jesus is the Captain of our salvation,16 God’s Chosen One,17 our Comforter,18 our Commander,19 our Cornerstone and Capstone.20 He is the Creator of all things.21 Christ is the Dawn and Dayspring from Heaven,22 the Day (Morning) Star.23 His is our Deliverer who rescues us from God’s coming wrath.24 Jesus is the Desire of all nations25 and the Door (Gate) of the sheepfold, who protects us from enemies.26
So we sing:
The highest of heavens resound with His Name.
The earth always rings with His glory and fame.
Oceans and mountain, stream, forest, and flower
Echo His praises and tell of His power.
Christ is the Faithful Witness,27 the Firstborn from the dead.28 He is our Foundation,29 our Fountain,30 and our Forerunner.31 He is the Friend of believing sinners, who lays down His life for us, and the Best Friend who loves us at all times and sticks closer than a brother.32 Jesus is God’s indescribable, inexpressible Gift,33 God’s Glory,34 God Himself,35 and our Guide36 who bring us to His holy mountain where God dwells.37
Christ is believers’ Helper and Keeper, who never slumbers or sleeps.38 He watches over us and keeps us from harm by day and by night. He watches over our souls, over our coming and going both now and forevermore.39 Jesus is Immanuel, God with us.40 He’s the Judge of the living and the dead.41 He is the Judge of all the earth who always does right, who does all things well.42
So we sing:
Ever ascends the song and the joy.
Ever descends Christ’s love from on high.
Blessing and honor and glory and praise—
This is the theme of the hymns that we raise.
His name is Jesus, because He saves His people from our sins. His blood washes, cleanses, and purifies us from all sin.43 Christ is the King of kings and Lord of lords,44 the blessed and only true, Potentate.45 He is the greatest and most powerful Sovereign Ruler and death cannot touch Him. No one can ultimately resist Christ’s kingship.
Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.46 Christ was slain, yet He is now alive. He purchased us for God by His own blood. He alone is worthy to receive power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing! Jesus is the Lamb, once crucified now risen, who sits on God’s throne over Heaven and Earth. He is the Lion of Judah who conquers Satan (our enemy who prowls like a roaring lion looking to devour us).47 Jesus has already defeated the devil for us and Christ’s victory unfolds in stages.
So we sing: Praise Him for His grace and favor to His people in distress. Praise Him still the same for ever, Slow to chide, and swift to bless. Christ is glorious in His faithfulness. (from hymn by Henry Lyte)
To be continued.
Notes: 1 1 Cor 15:45-49. 2 1 John 2:1-2. 3 1 John 1:9. 4 Rev 1:8,18, 21:6, 22:13. 5 Col 3:11. 6 Dan 7:9-11, Rev 1:13-16. 7 Psalm 2. 8 Heb 3:1. 9 Isaiah 53:1. 10 Heb 12:2. 11 John 3:16, 1:14. 12 Eph 1:6; Matt 3:17, 17:5; 2 Peter 1:17. 13 John 6:32-35. 14 Matt 9:15; John 3:29; Rev 21:9; Eph 5:25. 15 Heb 1:3. 16 Heb. 2:12; Josh 5:4. 17 Luke 23:35. 18 Isaiah 61:2; John 14:16. 19 Isaiah 55:4. 20 Eph 2:20; 1 Peter 2:6-7; Is 28:16. 21 Col 1:16. 22 Luke 1:78. 23 2 Pet 1:19. 24 Rom 11:26. 25 Hag 2:7. 26 John 10:7-9. 27 Rev 1:5, 3:14, 19:11. 28 Rev 1:5. 29 Isaiah 28:16; 1 Cor 3:11. 30 Jer 2:13; Zech 13:1. 31 Heb 6:20. 32 Matt 11:19; Luke 7:34; John 15:13; Prov 17:17, 18:24. 33 John 4:10; 2 Cor 9:15. 34 Isaiah 60:1. 35 John 1:1; Matt 1:23; Rom 9:5; 1 Tim 3:16; Heb 1:8. 36 Psalm 48:14. 37 Psalm 43:3. 38 Psalm 121:1-4. 39 Psalm 121; Heb 2:16-18, 4:16. 40 Matt 1:23; Isaiah 7:14, 8:8. 41 Micah 5:2-5; Acts 10:42. 42 Gen 18:25; Mark 7:37. 43 Matt 1:21; 1 John 1:7. 44 1 Tim 6:15; Rev 17:14, 19:16. 45 1 Tim 6:15. 46 John 1:29, 36; 1 Peter 1:19; Rev 5:6-13, 7:17. 47 Rev 5:5; 1 Peter 5:8.