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Quick question: How many names do you go by? Maybe your coworkers call you one thing, your family calls you another, and your childhood friends still use that less-than-desirable nickname you'd rather forget. Names often tell a story about who we are.
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In this week's installment of our series The Divine HANDS of Jesus, we'll be exploring the "N" in HANDS: Names. Throughout Scripture, Jesus is given names and titles that reveal far more than His earthly identity: They point to His divine nature. Let's dive in together!
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The Divine Names of Jesus
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One of the most well-known characters in the Lord of the Rings trilogy is the wizard Gandalf. However, that was his name primarily among the men of Middle-earth. Among the Hobbits, he was Gandalf the Grey. To the Elves, he was Mithrandir. The Dwarves called him Tharkûn. In Rohan, he was derogatorily called Stormcrow by some. And apparently in The Silmarillion (a prequel to the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings), he was named Olórin.
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While you might not have as many names as the White Wizard, you probably have several names depending on who is addressing you. Coworkers might call you one name, your family uses a different one, and your childhood friends call you by your nickname. So if you and Gandalf have so many names, it should come as no surprise to learn that Jesus bears several names as well, including many that reveal His divinity.
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The Man Named God
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As we continue our blog series, The Divine HANDS of Jesus, we come to the N in HANDS, which stands for Names. In Scripture, we see Jesus bear many different names and titles typically reserved for God Himself, giving us further confirmation that Jesus is indeed God.
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Jesus
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While the name Jesus was a fairly common name in His day (it is the Greek version of the Hebrew name Joshua) and not directly a divine name, it means God saves (Matthew 1:21). More importantly, people were baptized into the name of Jesus (Acts 2:38, 8:16, 10:48, and more), performed miracles in His name (Mark 9:38-39, Luke 10:17, Acts 3:6, 16:18, and more), and saved through His name (Acts 4:12, 10:43, 1 John 2:12, and more).
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Emmanuel
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When the angel appeared to Joseph in announcing Jesus' presence in Mary's womb, he announced the incarnation of God into human flesh when he claimed in Matthew 1:22-23 that Jesus was "Emmanuel" (which means "God with us"—in fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14).
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Savior
Lord
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While many kings, magistrates, and rich men might have been called "lord," God was referred to as the Lord (both "YHWH" (Yahweh/Jehovah) and "Adonai") in both the Old and New Testaments. That same title of 'Lord' is used for Jesus throughout the New Testament, including in quotations originally referring to God in the Old Testament. (Isaiah 40:3 / Matthew 3:3, Malachi 3:1 / Mark 1:1-3, Psalm 118:25 / Matthew 14:30, Acts 2:36, among many others!)
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God
Summary
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This is only a handful of the divine names and titles Jesus holds. But hopefully you can see it is pretty hard to deny that Jesus carries the names held to God... because He is God!
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Riverwood Potluck
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On Sunday, October 4th, everyone is invited to bring a main dish & one side to share at our annual potluck after our Worship Gathering!
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Plasticware and beverages will be provided.
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Baby Bottle Fundraiser
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We will be partnering with Alternatives Pregnancy Center for their Baby Bottle Drive beginning on Sunday, October 4th!
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Keep an eye out for those baby bottles during our upcoming potluck, grab one, and consider giving generously.
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Join a Volunteer Team
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We invite you contribute your time & talents on Worship/Tech, Youth Group, Kids Creek, Café, and/or Clean Team. Send us an email to let us know your willingness to serve!
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Just for Fun
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HATS OFF to this polar bear for his creative fashion! ❄️🧢🤭
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