Back in the late 80’s there was a teaching I listened to by Bob Philips who was one of the Pastors at Times Square Church in New York City. The teaching was on the Names of God, and I have never heard a better teaching on the names of God in my 43 years as a Christian. He taught on God’s names as Elohim the creator, Jehovah the God who keeps covenant and has never broken a promise, Adonai our Master, our Lord, and the Lord of Host, the God who fights the battles of his people, whose never lost a battle, and never been defeated. 

Under the Old Testament, God revealed himself at different times by different names, each giving a revelation of himself to his people. For instance, when God appeared to Abraham, he revealed himself as the All Sufficient One.

And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. ~ Genesis 17:1

In the Hebrew, Almighty God is translated El Shaddai, meaning the All Sufficient One.  The God of Abraham is the All Sufficient One! Possibly, it was this revelation that inspired the name Jehovah Jireh which Abraham gave to the place where God provided a ram for a burnt offering after he tested Abraham. Throughout Israel’s history under the Old Testament, the people of God would make appeals to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacab when they really wanted to get God’s attention.

When Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal, he prayed the following:

And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel (Jacob), let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. ~ 1 Kings 18:36

Though Abraham knew God, There was a revelation about himself that he later revealed to Moses that he hadn’t revealed to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord: And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them. And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers. ~ Exodus 6:2-3

Now, Abraham obviously knew God was Jehovah, because he named the place at Mount Moriah Jehovah Jireh, however, God’s revelation of himself to Abraham was God Almighty and God’s Covenant with Abraham is marked by Abraham’s faith. Abraham is the father of faith to all who believe. Moses on the other had knew God as redeemer, deliver, and Savior, for Moses was sent to lead the people out of bondage and into the promised land. When the people of Israel refused to believe God as Abraham had believed God, they sinned and fell in the wilderness. Consequently, God brought the second generation of Israelites into the promised land through Moses’s successor, Joshua.

As the Old Testament continued to unfold, God revealed himself by his names to his servants like David, Daniel, Isaiah, and Jeremiah. The Old Testament is a continual unveiling of God’s revelation of himself to his people. This unveiling reached its climax when Jesus, God’s Son, came into the world. Jesus was and is God in the flesh. He is the full revelation of God to humanity, and this revelation is the power that is contained in his name. The name of Jesus has all power and authority because the Son of God is the full revelation of God Himself to us. 

In Acts 2, whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. In Acts 3, faith in the name of Jesus healed a man who had been crippled his entire life. In Acts 4, the name of Jesus is the only name given under heaven whereby we must be saved. In Acts 5, the disciples rejoiced because they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Jesus. In Acts 8 the people of Samaria believed the things Philip preached concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. In Acts 9, Saul who later became the apostle Paul was chosen to bear the name of Jesus the Gentiles, and Kings, and the children of Israel. In Acts 10, all the prophets give witness that through his name whosoever believes will receive the remission of sins. In Acts 16, the name of Jesus drove an evil spirit out of a young lady who was in bondage to divination. In Acts 19, the name of Jesus was magnified among the Jews and Greeks at Ephesus. In Acts 21, Paul declared that he was ready to die for the name of the Lord Jesus.

The name of Jesus takes center stage in the New Testament because it is the name above all names!

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, 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. ~ Philippians 2:9-11

In closing, too many debate over whether we should say the name Yeshua or Jesus, and never truly experience the power of his name. Jesus’s name in every language is powerful and glorious because it’s him we are acknowledging. So whether was say Yeshua, or Jesus, we should doe so in reverence and in faith because we are declaring him!

May God reveal the power of the name of Jesus/Yeshua to your heart.