The podcast this week starts the beginning of a new series on How to Use the Name of Jesus to Live a Miracle Life. We are going to be looking at the various aspects of the Name of Jesus which give it it’s extraordinary power. Today, we start out with understanding some of the Bible principles surrounding names.

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[Tweet “The early church used the Name of Jesus to heal the sick in every case.”]

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You can view a basic transcript of this podcast at the bottom of this section.

Accept the Challenge

Each weeks podcast contains a call to action. The Word of God will not produce in your life unless you put into operation.
This weeks call is:

Pray for boldness to use the Name of Jesus (Acts 4:29). Give the Lord your hands and allow Him to use you to minister healing to the sick. 

Join the Conversation

Each week’s podcast also contains a question designed to encourage testimony. Testimony is vital to a believers life. We overcome by it (Rev. 12:11).
This week’s question is:

Question: In what way did the Lord use you to minister healing in Jesus Name? Please share your comments and testimony, in the comments section below.

About Emery

Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 40 years ago and has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. Both he and his wife Sharon of 35 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is both the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.

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If you enjoyed the podcast, please rate it on Stitcher Radio and leave a review. If you have a suggestion for a Bible topic you would like to see taught, or if you have a question, please e-mail me at emery@emeryhorvath.com

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Philippians 2:5–11 (NKJV)
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The Last Two Weeks of Jesus Life and the Name

• The first twelve chapters of the gospel of John covers almost three and one-half years of Jesus life.
• The last nine chapters cover the final two weeks.
• If you knew you were going to die soon, what would you say?
• If you knew you were going to be leaving soon, what would you talk about?
• Do you think your statements during this time would be the most significant items to you?
• In Jesus case, He is getting ready to hand off the most important mission He had received from God the Father for the realm of men; getting the church off the ground.
• The Father God has given you this commission and you’ve spent three years training twelve men to fulfill it.
• These twelve men are men the Father handpicked.
• If you remember, the day before Jesus picked the twelve, He spent the entire night in prayer to God.
• These are God men. These are Jesus men.
• And now, it’s down to the wire.
• Two weeks and you’re going to die.
• What would you talk about?
• What would you want to impress?
• So, what highly important subjects did Jesus talk about during His final two weeks?
  • Jesus talks about serving others – John 13
    • Serving others is important. It’s why we are here.
  • Jesus speaks of the way to get to God – John 14:1-9
  • Jesus pronounces we would do greater works than He did – John 4:10-12
    • So Jesus is interested in us doing the works He did and even greater. He spoke about them during the last two weeks of His life.
  • Jesus Talks about the Holy Spirit – John 14:15–31, 16:5–15
    • Isn’t He vitally important for a believer?
  • Jesus addresses abiding in Him along with Vines and branches – John 15:1–10
  • Jesus engages the subject of friends and friendship – John 15:11–17
  • Jesus Discusses the Coming World’s Hatred (15:18–16:4)
    • According to Jesus there’s no need to be caught off guard in these areas.
    • You need to know who your friends are and you need to who your enemies are.
  • Jesus Confronts the Sorrow of His Leaving (16:16–21)
    • He deals with the subject of grief. Grief is about separation and loss.
  • Jesus Talks about Overcoming (16:25-33)
    • Overcoming grief and overcoming all that the world will try and throw against you.
• This is what Jesus talked about during the last two weeks of His life.
• But, in two places during the last two weeks of Jesus life, He spoke about the use of His Name.
• Right after, Jesus mentions doing the greater works, carrying on what He did in an even greater fashion.

The Difference in the Name of Jesus between John 14 and John 16

John 14:12 (NKJV)
12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

• Then He says ‘And’… And is in connection to the greater works.

John 14:13 (NKJV)
13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

• This is not prayer.
• Jesus gave us the model for prayer.

Luke 11:1–2 (NKJV)
1 Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” 2 So He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

• The disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray.
• Jesus said, ‘This is how you pray. Our Father which is in heaven…’
• John 14:13 is not addressed to the Father.
• It is not prayer.
• It is commanding the works of Jesus to occur.
• It’s authorizing the works of Jesus by the Name of Jesus.
• The use of the Name in prayer is found in the second mention of the Name during the last two weeks of His life.
• This followed Jesus discussion on the grief they were going to experience by His departure.
• Jesus said, in that day…

John 16:23 (NKJV)
23 “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.

• The early church in ministering healing, primarily used method number one, commanding the sick to be well in Jesus Name.

Acts 3:1–8 (NKJV)
1 Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; 3 who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. 4 And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” 5 So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. 6 Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” 7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. 8 So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God.

What’s In a Name?

• If you want to understand the power of Jesus Name, you must understand the principles behind Names in general.
• What is the value of a name?
• What is the value of your name?
• God gave Jesus a Name.
• We already saw that with our opening scripture.

Philippians 2:9 (NKJV)
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,

• Jesus turned around and gave you His Name.

Mark 16:15 (NKJV)
15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature… 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

• What’s the big deal about a name?
• As believers in Jesus we are familiar with some of what takes place using the Name.
• We hear prayer offered up in the Name.
• We hear the Name used to invoke healing.
• We see devils and attacks of the enemy being resisted in Jesus Name.
• But it would pay you rich dividends to drill down into the Name and understand why the Name has power and why the Name is effective.
• What’s the big deal about the Name?

The Name and the Spirit World

• In the spirit world, names are a huge deal.

Acts 19:15 (ESV)
15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?”

• This evil spirit acknowledged Jesus Name and recognized Paul’s name.
• In the spirit realm, names stand for the person.
• The Name is in the place of the person.

Matthew 18:20 (ESV)
20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

• Jesus said, “If you gather in my Name, it’s the same as if I am there personally.”
• So can you see, the Name is in the place of the person?
• So in the spirit world names are recognized but in the earth realm they carry value also.

Proverbs 22:1 (NKJV)
1 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver and gold.

• Do this test.
• Bounce this off your heart.
• If you have a big pile of cash, and place it next to a good name, which one would you choose, honestly?
• And I say honestly because some will try to have their cake and eat it to.
• They’ll pick the pile of cash and then try to patch that decision up with the Lord later.
• If you said, ‘I would choose the cash’, then maybe by the end of this series, you’ll see why that’s not the best choice.
• The Bible says, a good name is better than cash.
• There a lot of people who have money, but they don’t have a good name to go with it.
• Hitler had money but he has a horrible name.
• How did he get his name?
• Why is his name so hated and reviled today?
• Because of how he lived.
• All that is in a person adds to their name.
• Everything a person does, positively or negatively adds to or subtracts from their name.
• What makes a name good?
• What makes a name bad?
• It’s the life behind a name that makes it powerful.
• Jesus Name is powerful because He lived a powerful life.
• But, did you know that many people were named Jesus or Yeshua in the first century.
• It was quite a common name back then.
• Other Israelite parents gave their sons that name in the hopes that their child would be the promised Messiah.
• In fact, Jesus was the sixth most common name in the first century.
• The top nine male names?
  • Simon/Simeon
  • Jospeh/Joses
  • Lazarus
  • Judas
  • John
  • Jesus
  • Ananias
  • Johnathan
  • Matthew/Matthias
• The top nine female names?
  • Mary
  • Salome
  • Shelamzion
  • Martha
  • Joanna
  • Sapphira
  • Berenice
  • Imma
  • Mara ¹
• Archaeologists have found the graves of seventy-one other people named Jesus from the first century.
• Jesus was a common name.
• But, we don’t know any of the other people named Jesus from the first century.
• We only know one and why do we know that one?
• It’s because of the life our Jesus, Jesus of Nazareth lived.
• His life was so pure, so sacrificial, so outstandingly powerful and victorious that the whole world knows this name while the other seventy-one?
• You probably didn’t even know about any of these other ‘Jesus’ names until I just mentioned it.
• What about your life?
• What about your name?
• Have you ever had a person complement you on your life in Christ?
• It’s the life that preaches.
• It’s not how you jump and shout.
• It’s how straight you walk when your feet hit the ground.
• All of this is wrapped up in a name.
• Yet if you place your name next to Jesus name, side-by-side, they wouldn’t compare.
• Not even close.
• What do you think?
• Whose name would you call on?
• Why is there such a difference between His Name and your name?
• In this series, we are going to look at the very life Jesus lived.
• We are going to look at certain portions of His life which gave power to His Name.

When Did Jesus Receive His Name?

• First, we must know when did Jesus receive His Name?
• Jesus did not get His Name when He was born no more than you got your name when you were born.
• That’s when you receive the letters to your name.
• What you receive when you are born is your ID, your call tag, your handle.
• But, that’s not when you acquire your Name.
• It’s not when Jesus acquired His Name.

Hebrews 1:1–5 (ESV)
1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. 5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”?

• Why is Jesus so terrific? These verses in Hebrews tells us.
• Jesus is our hero and these are some of the reasons why.
• Jesus is…
  • The heir of all things
  • The creator of the world
  • The radiance of God’s glory
  • The exact imprint of God’s nature
  • The upholder of the universe by the Word of His Power
• How’s that for a job description, upholder of the universe?
• The word ‘upholder’ in the Greek means ‘sustain-er’.
  • The word is present tense meaning Jesus is actively engaged in this right now, even as we speak.
• The word ‘universe’ is also note worthy.
• If you have a King James version, it will say ‘Jesus upholds ‘all things’ instead of upholds ‘the universe.’
• The word ‘universe’ means the totality of all things.
• Jesus upholds everything.
• So, all this gloom and doom and meteors blowing up planet earth and global warming is going to fry everybody is all a bunch of junk made to sell tickets in movie theaters.
• Jesus is the sustain-er of the totality of all things.
• But, the list goes on concerning Jesus.
  • He purified our sins.
  • He is seated at the Father’s right hand.
  • He is superior to angels.
  • He has inherited a more excellent name
• And Jesus is greater, He is more powerful than angels are.
• This ‘Jesus is greater than the angels’ statement refers to the ‘man’ side of Jesus not the son of God side of Jesus.
• It refers to the human side not the divine side.
• One reason Jesus is superior is given in verse four; He has obtained a more excellent Name than they.
• With that thought, the Spirit of God inspiring the writer of Hebrews give’s us another important piece of information.
• In verse five, God the Father says, ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.
• Hebrews one shows us Jesus inherited His name on the day He was begotten.
• You naturally assume that this day Jesus was begotten was his birth date in Bethlehem in the stable.
  • But, was it?

Acts 13:30–33 (NKJV)
30 But God raised Him from the dead. 31 He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people. 32 And we declare to you glad tidings—that promise which was made to the fathers. 33 God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.’

• Jesus was begotten, not on the day He was born but on the day God the Father raised Him from the dead.
• Do you see that?
• By revelation of the Spirit of God, we can see that begotten is tied into the resurrection.
• On the day He was begotten, that is after He lived His life, that is after He gave His life, on that day God gave Him a Name which is above every Name.
• It’s the life you live positive or negative that gives value to your name.
• So before Jesus Name could have the power that it is has, before He could inherit that Name, He had to live the life in obedience that lead to Calvary, that lead to a sinless sacrifice, that lead to God the Father raising Him from the dead.
• When He accomplished the life, He got the Name.
• The name you were given at birth is your potential.
• The Name you leave this planet is what you did with that potential.
• It’s the name you leave behind that preaches while you are no longer here.
• Everything is about the life you live.
• That’s why Jesus Name has power because His life was a life of a power and that power is invested in His Name.
• The Name is a proven commodity.
• Proven like David’s stones are proven.
• It is a Name forged in the battles of planet earth.
• It’s a divine weapon empowered by the shed blood of an overcoming life.

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