A Wonderful Name

My favourite poem is called My Beautiful Lady. It's by relatively unheard-of Pre-Raphealite founding Brother, Thomas Woolner, sculptor and poet. I love it for many reasons and have found various stanzas appropriate for sermon illustration in the past. The feel of the poem seems not to sit too far away from the impressions made by Song of Songs. The thoughtful and articulate expressions of affection the writer evokes for his beautiful lady, could be just as endearingly used by a Christian in praise of the Lord Jesus.

There is one particularly astute section, where the lover in question dotes upon the name of his love. Something I'm sure all Christians will be able to resonate with. Because, how the man feels about his beautiful lady's name, is how Christians feel about the sweet sound of Jesus' name.

Woolner writes:

"My Lady's name, when I hear strangers use, Not meaning her, sounds to me lax misuse;
I love none but My Lady's name;
Maud, Grace, Rose, Marian, all the same,
Are harsh, or blank and tame."

I think that's a great way to sum up what Christians often think; though we often fail to vocalise this particular facet of our affection. But it's true, isn't it? Every instance of blasphemy, every misuse of the Lord's name as some sort of profane punctuation, is like a quick sharp jab to a believer. Every time lip service is paid to God by a false teacher, every time an ignorant celebrity feins allegiance to Jesus, we cringe with disgust. Every time a demonic politician quotes our Lord himself in support of pure evil, we want to cry out with Isaiah "Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you! As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make your name known to your enemies, and cause the nations to quake before you!"

Much like Will Smith at last year's Oscars, we want to yell "keep my saviour's name out of your mouth!"

Because it's a name that we absolutely love to hear. And when people use it wrongly, it sounds to us (at best) lax misuse. Jesus is our Lord and Saviour and his name is so very precious to us because of what HE means to us. It's an easy sin for Christians to refrain from.

No Christian would claim to find the keeping of the ten commandments easy. These ten instructions from the Lord are (in part) his succinct way of summing up the problem with the human condition. We all know we've failed according to every part. But, for the born again person, one of these commands just happens to be much easier to keep than the rest. Indeed it is the third commandment: "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain." Christians - true Christians - rarely, if ever slip up here. A recent convert may well retain the vestiges of his formerly employed coarse language for a little while, but you will sooner hear him misuse a four-letter word than that five-letter name which has become a prize possession to him. It is no chore for the converted to bridle their tongues in regard to the name of Jesus, because to know that name is such a privilege.

As I read through Genesis and Exodus this tme of year, it's an interesting thing indeed to read that when Jacob, after wrestling with a man all night asks this man what his name is. The man replies by asking Jacob why he is asking his name... A similar instance is revealed to us in the book of Judges when Manoah, the soon-to-be father of Sampson, asks the Angel of the Lord what his name is. The Angel of the Lord replies: "Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?"

Do you see? It's a name so wonderful we might in fact refrain from the utterance of it. So precious and perfect, we might see fit to preserve its purity by keeping it from passing over our own unclean lips. Such is the strong and sure instinct of the Christian person. Just like when Moses asked which name he should bring before the Israelites as proof that he had indeed spoken directly with the God of their ancestors, our God simply said "I am who I am." God simply is. In fact, God himself makes the very point to Moses in Exodus chapter six, that though he appeared to the patriarchs, he did not make himself known to them by name.

And so when Jesus comes into the picture, what an astonishing privilege that we should be allowed to know his name and use it liberally, seeing as it too, is wonderful. Not just "I am who I am" but even "The Lord is Salvation". Jesus, the name above all names. A name to be bowed before, not used to swear with. And yes, EVERYONE who calls on the name of the Lord WILL be saved! That's why "My Saviour's name, when I hear strangers use, Not meaning him, sounds to me lax misuse!"

Having said all that, perhaps John Newton says it even better, with his hymn I'm sure we all know.

How sweet the name of Jesus sounds
in a believer's ear!
It soothes our sorrows, heals our wounds,
and drives away our fear.


It makes the wounded spirit whole
and calms the troubled breast;
'tis manna to the hungry soul,
and to the weary, rest.


O Jesus, shepherd, guardian, friend,

my Prophet, Priest, and King,
my Lord, my Life, my Way, my End,
accept the praise I bring.


How weak the effort of my heart,
how cold my warmest thought;
but when I see you as you are,
I'll praise you as I ought.


Till then I would your love proclaim
with every fleeting breath;
and may the music of your name
refresh my soul in death.