Hymns: Your Great Name

I’ve been exploring some of the very modern worship songs as an old guy 😀. But now, I’ve decided to alternate between very modern hymns, old hymns, and in-between hymns, namely the worship songs from the 60s to the 90s that feature in hymnbooks such as Mission Praise. Today it’s the turn of the very modern hymns.

Today’s song is Your Great Name It’s from 2010.

Your Great Name

Lyrics

So many hymns mention the word “name”. Here are some that I can think of:

All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name
Blessed Be the Name
There Is a Name I Love to Hear
At the Name of Jesus
How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds
What a Beautiful Name
Your Name is a Strong and Mighty Tower
Jesus, Name Above All Names
His Name is Wonderful
Lift High the Name of Jesus

People can speak of gods, or the true God, but perhaps a name, such as Yahweh in the Old Testament and the God of the Lord Jesus Christ, Jesus Himself, and the Holy Spirit in the New Testament display God’s characteristics. So, someone might believe in God in a philosophical sense, but there’s something much more special about speaking of God as He Has revealed Himself in Scripture.

In Hebrew and Greek thought, name carries:

Character — what someone is truly like
Authority — the right to act
Reputation — what they are known for
Presence — the idea that invoking the name brings the person near

Throughout the New Testament from start to finish, there’s much emphasis on the name of Jesus. Here are five examples:

Matthew 1:21
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

John 1:12
Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God

John 14:13-14
¹³And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Acts 4:12
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Philippians 2:9-10
⁹Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

And you even get some Old Testament references, such as this one:

Isaiah 9:6
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,     Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.