THE NAME ABOVE EVERY NAME

'Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God
hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and
Christ.'--ACTS ii. 36.

It is no part of my purpose at this time to consider the special
circumstances under which these words were spoken, nor even to enter
upon an exposition of their whole scope. I select them for one
reason, the occurrence in them of the three names by which we
designate our Saviour--Jesus, Lord, Christ. To us they are very
little more than three proper names; they were very different to
these men who listened to the characteristically vehement discourse
of the Apostle Peter. It wanted some courage to stand up at Pentecost
and proclaim on the housetop what he had spoken in the ear long ago,
'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God!' To most of his
listeners to say 'Jesus is the Christ' was folly, and to say 'Jesus
is the Lord' was blasphemy.

The three names are names of the same Person, but they proclaim
altogether different aspects of His work and His character. The name
'Jesus' is the name of the Man, and brings to us a Brother; the name
'Christ' is the name of office, and brings to us a Redeemer; the name
'Lord' is the name of dignity, and brings to us a King.

I. First, then, the name Jesus is the name of the Man, and tells us
of a Brother.

There were many men in Palestine who bore the name of 'Jesus' when He