The Revealed Name of God
by Talmadge French

I have felt impressed to preach doctrine, especially the name of Jesus, stronger than ever. Can you tell me how the revealed names of God in the Old Testament and the Name of Jesus in the New Testament, are related?

The name Jesus was 'given' by declaration of the angel: "Thou shalt call His name Jesus," (Mt. 1:23). Why? "For He shall save His people from their sins!" The name Jesus (from the Greek) relates to the name Jehovah (Heb. Yahweh, "I Am") in that Jesus means "Jehovah-Savior" or "I Am is Savior" (Ex. 3:13-14). "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow," (Phil. 2:9-10).

No more powerful name can be invoked in baptism, spoken or preached. The Apostle Peter declared: "Neither is there salvation in any other," (Acts 4:12). Apostolics know, in preaching doctrine, what the Apostles knew - The name of Jesus constitutes the greatest power the world has ever known. Miracles, signs, and wonders were accomplished when they preached the Name with boldness (Acts 4:10, 13, 29, 31).

The great "I Am" of the Old Testament, who parted the waters for Moses, was Jesus in the New Testament. Therefore, Paul boldly applied the prophecy regarding the "I Am" (Isaiah 45:23) to Jesus: "Unto Me (Yahweh, v. 21) every knee shall bow." John 18:6 says of Jesus: "As soon as He had said unto them, I Am He, they went backward, and fell to the ground!" (John 18:6). Jesus was, indeed, the great "I Am," (John 8:58) - the strongest declaration of His deity in all of Scripture.