Creekside Church Sermon of April 17, 2005 "I Am...and You Are?" John 14:1-14	Rev. David Bibbee
Send this sermon to a friend

Whatever the process, we didn't have any say in choosing our names. We took what was given. Some go through a phase of not liking their names. They wonder why their parents couldn't have found a better one. Some have legitimate complaints.

Sabrina told me about a boy at her school named, Marshall… a rather dignified name for a young man. Then she saw his full name-Marshall Wyatt Erp. Imagine what life is like for people who bear names: Allison Wunderlund, April May June, Russell Sprout, Skip Church, or Mary Chris Smith. Entertainers come up with some of the worst names imaginable for their children. One example is the musician, Frank Zappa, who named his daughter, "Moon Unit" and his son, "Dweezil." A parent may think the name they've given is cute, creative, and trendy. But for the one who carries it all their lives, it isn't funny. "Dad, what were you thinking when you named me, 'Dweezil'?"

In some cases, people with bothersome names use them to their advantage. Take for instance a guy named, Sam Hellar. Sam was a sales rep for a honey cured ham company. His business card read: "Sam Hellar the Ham Seller."

Did you have a nickname? Sometimes nicknames are embraced more than given names and are more descriptive of their personality. The guys I related to had a motto that was sung to the tune of the song, "Secret Agent Man." It was, "We'll call you what we want to, and we'll take away your name." My friends were Willy, Soup, Gut, Crash, Body Shop (who now owns a funeral home), Fast Eddy, Plo, and his wife, Mo, and the Pickens brothers whom we named, Slim and Easy. I was Bebo, or Beeb for short.

A name is an identity. It is an expression of personality. It is sacred. Do you remember the opening scene of the mini-series, Roots? A baby boy is born to a young couple, Omoro and Binta. In the tribal custom of the Mandikas, seven days passed before the naming of the child. On the day of naming, the village center was filled. There was a party atmosphere, but when the couple arrived with their newborn, the crowd grew silent. Omoro held his son and whispered the name in his ear. They believed that every person should be first to hear their name. Only then was it spoken to others. Omoro then spoke the name that everyone waited to hear: "Kunta Kinte."

It was the practice of the ancient church to change people's names at baptism. Some chose names from devotional readings. Some took the names of saints, apostles, or martyrs. Some chose the name of the person who was responsible for their conversion to Christianity. A new identity, a new allegiance to Jesus called for a new name.

He had a name. God's Son had a name. Joseph was told the name in a dream. "You shall call him, Jesus." Jesus was another name for Joshua, which means, "He will save the people from their sins." Jesus was also named, "Christ," which means, "the Messiah" or, "the anointed one." In Jesus the Messiah, the long wait was over. God's anointed had come, and deliverance was around the bend.

Last Sunday I mentioned some of the "I Am." statements of Jesus in the gospels. He said he was the vine, the living water, bread, the good shepherd, the door, the Word, the resurrection and the life, the way, the truth, and the life. In the Bible there are over one hundred names that refer directly or indirectly to Jesus. Why so many names?

The Mandikas believed that a child should bear seven characteristics of the thing or person for which it was named. Think about someone you know well. Could you describe the essence of his or her life-their qualities, their quirks, their strengths and weaknesses, their light, their shadow, and all the nuances of their life-- by identifying one characteristic?

It can't be done. Human are complex, multi-dimensional beings that defy description with one or three or seven characteristics. And if there multiple layers of traits that make you, you… how many are there to encompass the totality of Jesus' being?

We call him our friend and brother, and he is. But he is also our judge. Come the end of our days, all our credits and debits, all our saintly behavior and sin, all our faithful acts and our greater-by-far failures will be examined under the searing light of his judgment. Our expressions of love will turn to vapor beside his love.

We call him the comforter of our afflictions, because he does. "Who defeats my fiercest foes" Who consoles my saddest woes? Jesus Christ, the crucified." Yes, Jesus comforts our afflictions, but he also afflicts our comforts. You're on the showroom floor, contemplating buying a $50,000 car, and out back you see a guy washing cars for minimum wage who has to walk everywhere he goes because he can't even afford a clunker. We pat ourselves on the back when making a generous offering, then Jesus points to the little old lady living off social security who puts more in the offering plate than your skim off the top.

We call Jesus our gentle shepherd, and he is. All of us like sheep have gone astray, and Jesus not only watches over us-he comes after us, he seeks us. His goodness and mercy follow us all the days of our lives. He even laid down his life for his sheep. Jesus is the good and gentle shepherd, but Jesus is also the King. The real seat of power is not in the White House, on Capitol Hill, or in the Pentagon. It is not in Moscow or Beijing. Neither Pharaohs, nor Caesars, nor conquerors, nor premieres, nor presidents, nor prime ministers-none are worthy of our worship. No ruler on this earth is worthy… only the lamb upon the throne. No matter what the news has to say about the way things are, we know how temporal the things of this world are… we know who has the last word. "For the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord and Christ, and he shall reign forever."

Why then, do we end our prayers with, "In the name of Jesus."? When it comes to contemplating the Lord's life, one name doesn't give the whole picture. He has other names, and each reveals a different aspect of his being and his purpose. Instead of ending our prayers, "In the name of Jesus," shouldn't we pray, "…in the names of Jesus."?

Lutherans lift up the grace of Jesus. Baptists lift up the judgment of Jesus. Catholics lift up the authority of Jesus. Pentecostals lift up the healing of Jesus. The Church of the Brethren lifts up the servanthood of Jesus and his rule as the Prince of Peace. Each has a piece of his identity, but not the whole of it.

He had a name. The Son of God had a name. In our worship, in our preaching and teaching we would benefit from using names and images of Jesus with which we aren't accustomed. In prayer we grow by using different images of Jesus and discovering aspects of his life we had not noticed or experienced.

Thinking about all the different dimensions of Jesus with which we are unfamiliar, we should remember something. While we're learning his names, Jesus already knows ours. He will not forget them. Since we're still in the period called, "Eastertide," let's return to the empty tomb where we find Mary weeping. She asks the gardener if he knows what happened to Jesus' body. She doesn't recognize the gardener until he says a single word… "Mary…" The sound of his voice saying her name was all it took. Recognition and revelation. It was Jesus, but in a radically new way.

In a rundown district in Dublin, Ireland, a census worker was conducting a survey. He knocked on the door of a run-down flat. A woman opened and he asked, "How many people live here?" She replied, "Well, let me see… there's Willie, and Tom, and Margaret…" The census man interrupted and said, "Missus, I'm not interested in their names. I'm only interested in numbers." "Well," the woman said, "they may be only numbers to you but they are people to me. Now, where was I? There's Hughie and Tim and Betty…"

In this impersonal world, it's easy to feel like you don't matter in the scheme of things. You're just a number. You're just a consumer of what the world has to sell. You're just another face in the crowd. But he knows you. He wants you to know him. He has an important place for you in His scheme of things.

Come with me now to a darkened hospital room where a young man sits beside the bed of his dying father. He gently holds his father's skeletal hand. His mother, sister, and brother encircle the bed. The frail body that was once so vital and strong, struggles for every breath. It grows shallower by the minute. A nurse enters the room to check his vitals, and in a comforting voice says, "It won't be long now." When the moment of passing comes, their tears flow freely as mother and children consol each other.

Then the son who held his father's hand speaks up. "He was the best father anyone could ever have. I loved him, and I don't know what life will be like without him. He gave me so much for which I'll always be grateful. He gave me a name-his name, and it is an honor to carry it. He gave me a frame… a frame of reference for my life… one that said, "Think more about others than yourself. Always focus on what you have, not upon what you don't have." And he gave me a claim… a spiritual outlook on life that taught me the importance of service and humility… a faith that believes there's another world to come, an assurance that one day we'll see each other again."

A name, a frame, and a claim…. three essentials which the great "I Am" can give us. "Hi, Gut, and Crash. Hi, Jennifer and Samantha. Hi, Lynn and Grace. Hi, Dave and Karen, and you, too, Katy. I'm the rock, the vine, the bread, the light, the King, the lamb, the Lord, the humble servant, the way, the truth, and the life. Pick a name… any name, or just call me Jesus if you like. I'd love it if you would be my disciples."

All of the sermons that have appeared in text form on our Web Site since August 1996 are available here in the On-Line version. Use the search engine below to find the sermon you want. You may search by date, sermon title, or content. The sermons are full-text searchable.

Sermon Search:



Exact phrase    All words (AND)    Any word (OR)