Ponder anew, what the almighty can do. Now as we worship before him.
"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
John 3:18
Born of Mary, a mortal mother and sired by Our Eternal Heavenly Father, he was the only one with parentage that placed within him DNA to give him supernal power to give his life freely and at the same time experience mortal life like all of us.
I can't perhaps fully grasp this divine fact but I feel the truth within me. Jesus is the Firstborn of all of Heavenly Father's children in the spirit and the only one begotten in the flesh.
This is exactly what gave him power for at-one-ment. He could be with us because he had mortal feelings and temptations, yet at the same time he could be with his Heavenly Father. He is the silken, red cord that ties us, with promise of a Heavenly existence.
Here are twenty-four names of Christ and twenty-four days until Christmas. Check back here to find the contents page of this series
"I, Jesus, have sent mine angel to testify unto you those things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star." Revelations 2:16
In the Summer and late Fall I look out my window towards the east. In the early, dark, morning sky I see Venus shining brightly. It is comforting. Venus has been my morning friend for a long time. He reminds me of regularity. He reminds me that I am small but that I matter.
"We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth unto a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts." 2 Peter 1:19
Monday, December 21, 2020, Jupiter and Saturn will align in the night sky in an event astronomers call the "great conjunction", or Christmas Star- marking the planets closest encounter in 400 years. I will be seeking this phenomena just like the Wise Men sought out the star which was talked about in scripture. Jesus will always be there just like Venus in the east. I can use Him as a template to keep me going in the right direction, home.
Here are twenty-four names of Christ and twenty-four days until Christmas. Check back here to find the contents page of this series
In his immediate world he was a carpenter's son from Nazareth.
And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?
Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
Matthew 6:2-4
What I have learned so far in writing about the names and titles of Jesus is that he was known for good and bad and every title falls short, standing alone. He was always more than that. The shadow that is cast by a name only tells part of the story. And the story is huge, hence, the 24 names, the 50 names, maybe even a hundred. At the same time, one name has so much to tell us. That he learned his father's trade was revealing. It forecast his learning of becoming the Father's son and doing his Father's work to "bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man".
Here are twenty-four names of Christ and twenty-four days until Christmas. Check back here to find the contents page of this series
"And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us."
Matthew 9:27
If we are to reconcile with the Jews we, as Christians, would have to understand the honor that they feel for King David. Despite his grievous sins, under David Israel reached it's golden age, the zenith of it's power.
"Perhaps Jesus, in His office of Messiah, is constantly tied into David and his reign because David did three things for temporal Israel that typify what Christ will do for spiritual Israel. David united the twelve tribes of Israel into one nation under the ultimate leadership of God. For the first time in history David succeeded in winning the whole extent of the promised land for the covenant people. And David established Zion or Jerusalem as the spiritual and political center of Israel."
The royal lineage of Jesus is established early in the Gospel of Matthew. He was born through Mary through the roots of King David and Abraham. He was literally the Son of David. Jehovah, the God in the Old Testament loved David. He brought him before Samuel the prophet and made him King by design. He continued to sustain him through his mistakes. The consequences were just but, He loved his repentant heart. He never cut his ties to that relationship because David loved his God.
"While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say to him, The son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? And no man was able to answer him a word."
Matthew 22:41
Here Jesus is teaching a monumental truth. He was Jehovah of the Old Testament. He was the Lord that David was calling. In a Messianic prophecy Jehovah was referring to his coming role as the Messiah. Jesus the Messiah was both Lord of David and descendant of David.
Here are twenty-four names of Christ and twenty-four days until Christmas. Check back here to find the contents page of this series
"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely."
Revelations 21:6
The Greek alphabet starts with the letter Alpha and ends with Omega. Jesus Christ is given this title to denote the eternal and all encompassing nature of his existence. He isn't and never was Plan B. He was not sent because Adam and Eve messed up. He was in the preexistent life with us and his mission was set forth. Because he chose to take upon himself all of our sins, agency to choose was claimed by all. We only are free to choose everlasting life because He made it possible by paying justice it's due. His atonement was set in motion before the world was and is eternal.
Knowing that He is eternal builds confidence in me that he can actually save and exalt me. I know it shouldn't be about me, but having faith in Him is not quite the same as having faith that he can deliver, redeem me, and bring me back into the presence of my Heavenly Father. I am totally reliant on his Godly characteristics to bring about this Plan of Salvation
"Listen to the voice of the Lord your God, even Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, whose course is one eternal round, the same today as yesterday, and forever."
Doctrine and Covenants 35:1
Here are twenty-four names of Christ and twenty-four days until Christmas. Check back here to find the contents page of this series
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
John 1:1
John uses the words of Genesis to start his Gospel. I believe he wants us to understand that there was a preexistent life, a life before this mortal world. John seems to be defining "the Word" first as gospel, "God's story or good news". Then in the second phrase "the Word" becomes a title, or name, of Jesus. Why is the Word, or gospel synonymous with Jesus Christ? He is the messenger of God's story or good news and he is also the executor of the gospel. Without his atonement and crucifixion there would be no reconciliation with God. In that second phrase "the Word was with God" Jesus Christ is placed side by side with Heavenly Father. They are two separate beings. This supports the third phrase; the Word or Jesus Christ was of God, his Son.
I have a firm conviction that there is a God, who I recognize as my Heavenly Father and who is a Father to my spirit. I pray to him and I desire to come back into his presence. I believe in Jesus Christ, who was His Only Begotten Son, who is my Savior and it is through Him that I have access to my Heavenly Father. He is the Word. And the words on the page that testify of him are like honey to my soul.
"In the beginning was the gospel preached through the Son. And the gospel was the word, and the word was with the Son, and the Son was with God, and the Son was of God."
Joseph Smith Translation
For I Am Called By Thy Name
Thy words were found
And I did eat them.
And thy words were unto me the joy and rejoicing of my soul.
I am called by thy name
Oh Lord, God of Hosts.
Jeremiah 15:16
Here are twenty-four names of Christ and twenty-four days until Christmas. Check back here to find the contents page of this series
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."
Isaiah 9:6
In a conversation with a friend I was taking apart the titles, Wonderful, Counsellor, and analyzing them apart from each other. She offered another suggestion which made me think. She asked that I not discount the beauty of the Parallelism in Hebrew poetry. Even in the English translation the syllables of these words add rhythm and texture to the concepts which are ever growing in magnitude. Which is why the libretto, written by Charles Jennens, based on the King James version of the Bible, worked so well for George Frederic Handel. The words are music. And, the music teaches the grandeur of these names of Jesus Christ.
It is quite well known that when Handel got to the Hallelujah chorus, his assistant/servant found him in tears saying, “I did think I saw heaven open, and saw the very face of God."
Here are twenty-four names of Christ and twenty-four days until Christmas. Check back here to find the contents page of this series.
