Republished 7/03/22
A category 5 hurricane can produce high winds of more than 155 miles per hour causing widespread upheaval and destruction. The intense hammering rains that accompany the high catastrophic winds can turn land that was once dry and passable into a roaring river that submerges homes and roadways. Then, when it’s all over, there is the aftermath that is so devastating.
But there is one thing certain. The sun will shine again, break through the clouds, and present a new day that offers hope and restoration. When storms emerge in our lives, there is a name that is the sweetest name I know that offers this same hope and restoration. That is the name of Jesus. When I think of his name, when I speak his name, or when I sing his name, there is hope, peace, and comfort that even the hardest-hitting winds and rains of life cannot withstand. Here are just some of the reasons why the name of Jesus is the sweetest name I know.
Jesus – The Provider of Rest for the Weary
Hurricanes in life still occur, even in the lives of Christians. But as believers in Jesus Christ, we don’t have to worry or fight battles on our own. In John 16:33 (ESV) Jesus says, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” It is so comforting to know that Jesus knows my future and that nothing is impossible for him to handle. He provides rest for the weary. Jesus gives us this confidence in Matthew 11:28–30 when he says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” In this verse of scripture, Jesus is giving an invitation to follow him, trust in him and enter into his rest from weariness. It is also an invitation to rest in him alone for salvation. It reminds me that Jesus, the sweetest name I know, cares so much for me. He is trustworthy and will always stand on his promises.
Jesus – The Bread of Life
Bread is a staple food in so many cultures. Bread is also referenced in many places in the Bible. God provided manna to the Israelites as they traveled through the desert. Jesus fed a great multitude of people with five loaves of bread and two fishes. The bread that is made with human hands, will eventually lose its freshness and will become moldy and inedible. Ultimately, it only fills our physical appetites temporarily and eventually, we are hungry again. In John 6:27 Jesus says, “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” Then, in John 6:35, Jesus makes the declaration, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” Jesus, the sweetest name I know, is the Bread of Life that is the eternal nourishment and the salvation for our souls that comes with the Father’s seal of approval validating that eternal life in Jesus Christ does not corrode or waste away but is everlasting and unending.
Jesus – The Vine
Blackberries, grapes, and melons are some examples of fruit that grow from a vine. The vine produces strong branches on which the fruit grows. Without the vine, there are no branches that can produce fruit. In John 15:5 Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” In times when I think I can function in my own strength, Jesus, the sweetest name I know, reminds me that I need him for everything and that through him I can do all things (Philippians 4:13). Like a vine, Jesus is my strength and sustenance that I depend upon to produce spiritual fruit for his glory.
Jesus – The Friend Who Sticks Closer than a Brother
Proverbs 18:24 says, “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” One of my favorite hymns is “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” written by Joseph M. Scriven. My favorite phrase from this hymn says, “Oh what peace we often forfeit… Oh, what needless pains we bear… All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.” Scriven himself experienced much devastation in his life. His hopes of marrying the love of his life tragically vanished when his fiancé drowned the day before they were to be married. He was depressed for many years about this very tragic event. He began to fully rely on Jesus and was inspired to write this hymn. There are wonderful people that God has placed in my life that I consider to be very close friends. I believe that they will be there for me as much as humanly possible. But people have their limitations. Jesus, the sweetest name I know, has no limits in his relationship with us. He will walk with me through the fire and I will not be burned. When I walk through the rivers, he will not allow them to sweep over me (Isaiah 43:2). He loves me unconditionally. My friend who sticks closer than a brother not only comforts me but also willingly laid his life down for me. “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). Amazing love!
Jesus – My Lord and my God
“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11). When we enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, we surrender our will to him and submit to his lordship over our lives. Jesus, the sweetest name I know reminds me that I can fully trust him as the Lord of my life. He has never left or forsaken me (Hebrews 13:5). Jesus is not only my Lord but also my God. He is Almighty God (Revelation 1:8) and he has great and wonderful plans for me (Jeremiah 29:11-12).
Jesus – The Way, The Truth, and The Life
In John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus is the only way because only he could atone for our sins and is the only way for us to have a relationship with the Father (1 Timothy 2:5 and Acts 4:12). Jesus is the truth that sets us free (John 8:32). Jesus is the life! In John 10:10 Jesus says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Jesus – Our Soon Coming King
Have you ever waited with great anticipation to be reunited with family or friends that you haven’t seen in a long time? How about a bride waiting for her wedding day to be united with her groom and joined together as husband and wife? Preparations are made to celebrate the festive occasion. In Revelation 22:12-13, Jesus reminds us that he is coming back soon. And so we, his bride eagerly awaits the return of the Bridegroom, Jesus, and for the great wedding supper of the Lamb. Jesus, the sweetest name I know, is preparing a place for me. He will come back for me and all who have placed their faith and trust in him and will take us to be with him forever in Heaven. Jesus has commanded us to share the Gospel so that those who don’t know him can also experience this eternal life and be with him forever in Heaven.