Jesus is the sweetest name I
know, and he's just the same as his lovely name. And that's
the reason why I love him so. Oh, Jesus is the sweetest name
I know. I asked David if he would sing
that hymn for us this morning, because I want to speak to us
today on the name of Jesus. What does the name Jesus mean? It literally means Jehovah, my
salvation. Jehovah, my savior. When we speak about the name
of Jesus, of course we are speaking of His person. His person as
He is revealed in the scriptures. This means the one person who
is both God and man in all the perfections and attributes, all
his gifts and graces. He who is the one mediator between
God and man, the man Christ Jesus. He who is the one surety of the
everlasting covenant of grace. Jesus is the sweetest name I
know. We're going to look this morning
at several scriptures which speak to us of His name. I want us
to begin in Matthew chapter one. Matthew chapter one. And I'll begin my reading this
morning in verse 18. Now the birth of Jesus Christ
was on this wise, when as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph
before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy
Ghost. Then Joseph, her husband, being
a just man and not willing to make her a public example, was
minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these
things, Behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in
a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take
unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her
is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son,
and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his
people from their sins. First this morning, let's recognize
that salvation is in His name. He shall save His people from
their sins. Thou shalt call His name Jesus,
for He shall save His people from their sins. The Lord Jesus
Christ was given a people to save. And he was given these
people from before the foundation of the world. He did not come
into this world to make salvation possible. He came into this world
to save his people from their sins. What would this entail? What
must he do to save his people from their sins? First of all,
we see that salvation has to do with sin. We're not talking
about any kind of salvation that men might conjure up, but we
are talking about salvation from sin. What would it entail for
him to do in order to save his people from their sins? Well, first of all, and not in
any order of importance, But first of all, he must obey God's
perfect law for them. God's perfect law that you and
I have all broken. It must be obeyed. It must be
obeyed, not only in action, but in thought. and in word, in every
movement, the law of God, which is His perfect holiness, it must
be obeyed. We haven't obeyed it, His people
haven't obeyed it, but it must be obeyed if one is to be saved
from the penalty of sin. What is the penalty of sin? Well,
the penalty of sin is the same today as it was when God created
Adam and placed him in the garden. The penalty of sin has never
changed, and the penalty of sin is death. In the day that thou
eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die, and dying thou shalt die. Yes, the penalty of sin is death. The soul that sinneth, God said,
it shall die. He must suffer the penalty of
God's perfect law for them. Not only his obedience to the
law, his perfect obedience to the law in order for him to save
his people. He must. And what did God say? He said, this is my beloved son. in whom I am well pleased." He's
the only one that God ever said that about. This is my beloved
son, in whom I am well pleased. He pleased the Father in all
things, in all ways, obeying God's perfect law. But the penalty
of that law, which was death, it also had to be met. He must suffer its penalty of
that law, that perfect law for his people. As God's righteous
servant, and that's what he is called in Isaiah chapter 42,
he must magnify the law and make it honorable. Now, God's law
is perfect and it's holy. How did he magnify that law? just by becoming subject to the
law. He magnified the law because
of who he is, the God-man. He magnified God's perfect law
and made it honorable. He must also not only obey God's
law perfectly, suffer the penalty of that broken law, but he must
also overcome Satan and destroy his works to deliver them, who
through fear of death were always in bondage, always captives of
Satan. We might just say he must do
all, he must do all, that the Holy Lord God requires for one
fallen son of Adam to be received into His bosom. That is, into
the bosom of God. Whatever it took, whatever it
takes for God, the Holy Lord God, to embrace a sinner. That's what He had
to do. And that's what he did. Salvation
is in his name. Jesus is the sweetest name I
know. Salvation is in his name. And salvation is only in his
name. The apostle Peter, preaching
in Acts chapter 4, made this solemn declaration. Neither is
there salvation in any other For there is none other name,
name, thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his
people from their sins. Neither is there salvation in
any other. For there is none other name
under heaven, whereby, given among men, whereby we must be
saved. Here are three truths included
in salvation when we talk about salvation. I want you to turn
to Acts chapter 10. So salvation is in His name. We live in a day that people
say, well, you know, there are many roads, but we're all going
to the same place. That's a lie, my friends. There's
one way. of salvation, and Christ is that
way. He said, I am the way, the truth,
and the life, and no man cometh unto the Father but by me. He is the one way. His name is
the one name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be
saved. Here are three truths included
in salvation. Forgiveness of our sins is in
His name. Forgiveness of our sins is in
His name. When you think about being saved,
when you think about salvation, isn't that a very important part
of it? Isn't that what you think of?
That your sins must be forgiven? That salvation means our sins
are forgiven us? Well, notice here, beginning
in verse 38, Again, the Apostle Peter is preaching, how God anointed
Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, who went
about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the
devil, for God was with him. And we're witnesses of all things
which he did, both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem,
whom they slew and hanged on a tree. Him, God raised up the
third day and showed him openly, not to all the people, but unto
witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink
with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to
preach unto the people and to testify that it is he which was
ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead. To him give
all the prophets witness that through his name, whosoever believeth in him shall
receive remission of sins. Forgiveness of our sins is in
his name. You notice how Peter says all
the prophets give witness to this truth. All the prophets
all the Old Testament prophets, all of the writing prophets,
and all of those who didn't write. But they all gave witness to
this truth, that through His name is forgiveness of sins. In John chapter 5, the Lord Jesus
Christ said, Moses wrote of me. Well, Peter says all the prophets
gave witness unto Him. The Lord Jesus could have said,
Isaiah wrote of me, and he did. He could have said, David, he
wrote of me, and he did. Micah, he wrote of me, and he
did. Haggai, he wrote of me, and he
did. To him, give all the prophets
witness. that through His name we receive
forgiveness of sins. Through His name. Do you realize
that the Old Testament, all the prophets, Peter said, give witness
to Him. The Old Testament was written
over a space of about 1,200 years by more than 25 different men. And all of those men, they came
from different backgrounds, and yet they were all inspired by
God the Holy Spirit. And they all gave witness to
Him. Not one exception. Not one exception. Not one discordant chord. Not at all. They all gave witness
to Him. How many people in this world
today who trust in what is taught from a book, the Koran, that
was written by one man. He only lived to be 60-some years
old, so he wrote that book in the space of a few years. And
yet how many people are following what he said and what he wrote
down? And then Joseph Smith, He only
lived to be 40-some years old. He wrote the Book of Mormon in
less than a year, I believe it was. How many people are following
what he wrote down? And let me tell you something.
All of these religions, and that's what they are, religions, and
all of their holy books, they all give a witness that men are
saved by works. by works, but this book, all
the prophets give witness unto him that through his name, through
his person, through his blood, through his righteousness, all
that believe are forgiven their sins. So forgiveness of sins, that's
part of salvation. And it comes, as Peter tells
us, to him, give all the prophets witness that through his name,
whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sin. Receive it. You don't earn it. I think this is maybe one of
the most difficult things for God's people to accept. You don't merit salvation. If
you lived a thousand years, all you would do is add to the number
of transgressions for which you would need forgiveness. Receive freely, freely receive
remission of sins. Here's something else we think
of when we think of salvation, eternal life. Look with me in
John, the Gospel of John, chapter 20. This is a very important part of salvation,
is eternal life. In John chapter 20, verse 30
and 31, the apostle said, And many other signs truly did
Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written
in this book. But these are written, that you
might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that
believing you might have life through his name. Eternal life
is in his name. He confessed to be the good shepherd. the good shepherd who came, that
his sheep might have life, and he said might have it more abundantly. To have life more abundantly
is to have eternal life that cannot be lost. It cannot be
forfeited. We had life, all men had life
once in our head, in our representative, in Adam,
And we lost it, as the Apostle Paul said, for as in Adam all
die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. Now that life
that we had in Adam, it wasn't eternal life, that's true. Because
eternal life is just that, it is eternal. No, Adam was our representative,
and no doubt he stood in our place. And if, if he had fulfilled
the obligations of that covenant under which God created him,
then he would have been constituted holy and all of his posterity. But no, Adam sinned. He broke that covenant. We had
life once in Adam, but we lost that life. But the life that
the Lord Jesus Christ has come and the life that we receive
through His name, it is eternal life. What does that mean, eternal
life? It means that we will enjoy Him
forever. We will be with Him and we will
enjoy Him forever. Do you ever stop and meditate
and think what heaven will be like? What heaven will be like
when we are rid of this body of flesh, when the old man is
in the past, and we will be with him forever in pure holiness
and righteousness. Eternal life is in his name. The apostle John said, he that
hath the son hath life. For this is the record. John
tells us in 1 John chapter 5, for this is the record that God
hath given to us eternal life. There we see again, given, not
earned, not deserved, not merited. No, given. This is the record that
God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His
Son. He that hath the Son hath life,
he that hath not the Son hath not life. Lord Jesus told Martha
that day, Martha? She said, I know that the dead
will rise in the resurrection. He said, Martha, I am the resurrection
and the life. He that hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son hath
not life. Our life is hid with Him, hid
in God in Christ. When He shall appear, the Apostle
tells us, then shall we appear also with Him and like Him. Eternal life. Now here's something
else. Salvation is in His name. We
say forgiveness of sins is in His name. We say that eternal
life is in His name. But I want you to look in 1 Corinthians
6. 1 Corinthians 6. And verse 11. And such were some of you, but
you are washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified in the
name of the Lord Jesus. Washed, sanctified,
and justified in the name of Jesus. It is His people Whom
He saves and He washes. That verse in Revelation chapter
1 and verse 5. Who loved us and gave Himself
for us. He washed us in His own blood. He washed us. We don't wash ourselves. No, He washed us. Cleansed us. And sanctified us. And justified
us. in the name of Jesus Christ. If you look at this passage,
Paul, if you look back to verse 9, he said, Know you not that
the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived,
neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate,
nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous,
nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit
the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. Now
I'm sure there were some in the church here that he's writing
to who were not guilty of any of those outward sins that he's
named there. Some may be guilty of one, some
may be guilty of two, some may be guilty of them all. But there
was one thing that was common to them all. They were all unrighteous. That's how he begins. Know you
not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. That's where this word justification
comes in, isn't it? He's cleansed, he's sanctified,
and he's justified all in the name of Jesus Christ. So salvation is in his name. Now I want us to look at a second
thing. His special presence is promised
to those gathered in his name. Matthew, Matthew chapter 18. His special presence is promised
to those gathered in his name. Matthew chapter 18 and verse
20. For where two or three are gathered
together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Gathered in his name. When Jacob,
the old patriarch, was on his deathbed, he began to prophesy
concerning each one of his 12 sons. And when he came to Judah,
from the tribe from which the Lord Jesus Christ came, the kingly
tribe. He said this, unto him shall
the gathering of the people be. And he said that under the name,
the title of Shiloh, the peacemaker, the Lord Jesus Christ. Unto him
shall the gathering of the people be. The Holy Spirit gathers his
people to him. He said, this is what the Lord
Jesus Christ said, no man can come to me except the Father
which has sent me draw him, and I shall raise him up at the last
day. Now I think all of us in this
room this morning are able to understand the difference between
can and may. No man can come to me. No man has the ability to come
to me. And that we know is not hard
to understand when all men are dead in trespasses and sins. No man can come to me. He didn't say no man may come
to me, but no man has that ability. No man can come to me except
the Father, which hath sent me, draw him. Men and women, boys
and girls, must be quickened. They must be made alive, as Paul
said to the believers in Ephesus. And you hath he quickened, who
were dead in trespasses and sins. To come to Christ, to be gathered
unto Christ, is the work of God the Holy Spirit. It's not accomplished
through long invitational hymns at the end of a service. It's
not accomplished by sad stories to cause you to cry and feel
sad. That's not the way God brings
people to Christ. It is God the Holy Spirit. He
said, and I, if I be lifted up, shall draw all Now it doesn't
say men, even though that word has been added, but he said,
I shall draw all unto me. And he was lifted up. As Moses
lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the
Son of Man be lifted up. And he was lifted up upon that
cross. And so all, all that the Father
gave unto him. are gathered, are drawn to Him. And yet our Lord here is speaking
of the fact that when those who have been gathered unto Him,
drawn unto Him, when we gather, God has ordained that His people
gather together. That we come together to worship
the Lord, to sing praises to His name, to study His Word. And notice, our Lord didn't say,
where two or three are gathered in my name, there will I come. No, there I am. He's here this morning. And he's
here every time that we are gathered in his name, whether there's
two or 2,000. That's his promise. That's his word. where two or three are gathered
together in my name. I'm thankful this morning for
this church. I would hate to live in a desert
all by myself. I'd hate to be like Moses when
he lived on the backside of that desert. We've been blessed. God has given us brothers and
sisters that we can come together of like faith. We love the same
gospel. We have the same father. We're
washed in the same blood. We have the same hope. Is it
a blessed thing to come together, be gathered in his name and for
the Lord to be here in our midst? One other thing, if you will
turn with me to Philippians. So there's salvation in his name,
and there is his special presence promised to those gathered in
his name. You know, as God, he's everywhere. There's no place where he isn't. He especially has a place called
heaven, his throne room. But he is in the midst of his
people when we are gathered in his name. And I pray, and I trust
you will too, learn to pray. Lord, gather us today. Gather
us today in the name of Christ. Let's not just take it for granted
that we will be getting, no, Lord, gather us today. Gather
us Wednesday evening. Gather us in thy name. Because we've got thy promise,
that where two or three are gathered in thy name, that you are in
our midst. Philippians chapter 2. His name
is above every name, and at his name shall all creatures give
glory to God the Father. Philippians chapter 2 and verse
9. Wherefore God also hath highly
exalted him." God, listen, God has determined, and if God determines something,
it's gonna happen. God has determined that the Lord
Jesus Christ have preeminence in all things. Salvation is not
a joint operation. He's not your co-pilot. He's going to have the preeminence
in all things. And this verse tells us that
God hath highly exalted him, wherefore God also hath highly
exalted him. And let me say, how high has
God exalted him? How low did the Lord Jesus Christ
come? How low did he make himself? Look above in verse 6. Who being
in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with
God, but made himself of no reputation, took upon him the form of a servant,
and was made in the likeness of men, and being found in fashion
as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross. Can you think of it like this?
There he is in glory. And he stepped into this world,
not as a powerful person, but as an infant, and took the form
of a servant, and even died. And that death, the death of
the cross, that was the most, and is the most ignominious death
that man has ever come up with. crucifixion. He did that. He stepped from glory to the
cross. Wherefore, God hath highly exalted
him and given him a name which is above every name, that at
the name of Jesus every name should bow of things in heaven
and things in earth and things under the earth. and that every
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of
God the Father. Salvation is in His name. His special presence is promised
to those gathered in His name. And His name is above every name. And at His name shall all creatures
give glory to God the Father. Amen. Do you love his name? I'm gonna ask David to come,
and I'm gonna change up what we're going to sing. I want us
just to sing that chorus of the hymn that he sang just a few
moments ago. Most of us know it. Jesus is
the sweetest name I know, and he's just the same as his holy
name. And that's the reason why I love
him so. Oh, Jesus is the sweetest name
I know. Can you sing that today? And
is that your testimony? Is it? Is his name the sweetest
name that you know? I pray it is for all of us. Amen? Let's stand. We'll sing the chorus.
Let's sing it through twice, David. I've got it here.