His Name in This World: Third Sunday of Advent

Dear Hida (is that right?) Newman,
Thank you so much for your lovely letter and pictures.... As to Aslan's other name, well I want you to guess. Has there never been anyone in the world who (1.) arrived at the same time as Father Christmas. (2.) Said he was the son of the Great Emperor. (3.) Gave himself up for someone else's fault to be jeered at and killed by wicked people. (4.) Came to life again. (5.) Is sometimes spoken of as a Lamb.... Don't you really know His name in this world? Think it over and let me know your answer.
~ C.S. Lewis, from "Letter to Hila Newman," June 3, 1953, Lewis' Collected Letters, III, p.334

Depending on how you tell it, the Christmas story can be very compelling. Often times, though, it gets told with a knowing familiarity - as if retelling it once a year makes one an expert. It's the details that make a person and a story fascinating. Understanding the characters in the story, identifying with their hopes and fears, admiring their courage and endurance - this draws us in. Mary, Joseph, Jesus, Herod, Simeon, Anna - these are all riveting characters. They are more than just names in an old myth. Behind each of their names is another compelling story.

You have a story. When someone says your name, they are summing up in two or three words a lifetime of experiences, drama, crisis, accomplishments, failures, loves, hates, hopes and fears. Your name matters, your life matters, and your story matters.

When you retell your story - is it with embarrassed haste or vain over-interest or knowing familiarity? People have a story of their own life that they hold in their head - and this story shapes the rest of their life. For a lot of people, they need a new story for their life. They need a new name.

In the story of Jesus' birth, he was given several different names - each of them captured a different element of what people expected out of him. Emmanuel means "God with us." Jesus means "God saves." Son of the Most High means "God's Son." Savior means "one who rescues." Messiah means "anointed one." Lord means "one who rules." In C.S. Lewis' story The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Jesus is known as Aslan, which is a play off of another name for Jesus - "Lion of the tribe of Judah."

Jesus has many names - and when you discover his names, become familiar with his names, when you let yourself become part of His story, his name becomes part of your name - which means your story becomes part of His story. This means that the story you tell yourself can have a better ending, it can have a new chapter, it can have new characters, a richer plot, a dramatic ending where the hero prevails.

This Christmas, as you reread the story, as you search out rich details to help the story come alive to you - consider how you fit into it. What's the connection between the name of Jesus and your name? How closely associated are the two names? Which of his names do you need in your story these days? What's the story you tell yourself that needs rewritten?

There is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.
Acts 4v12 (NIV)

The name of Jesus is powerful yet today. It keeps alive the Christmas story, it keeps alive hope and redemption for your story. Jesus still rescues people from darkness. Jesus still gives people compassion and healing. Jesus still calls people to sacrifice and love. Jesus is still rewriting stories for yearning souls.

Discover the names of Jesus. Let them shape the next chapters of your story.