“H-A-Y-S-O-O-S”

Monday, October 01, 2012

If Jesus is supposed to have a 'name above all names', why do people name their kids 'Jesus'?  I don't want to call them by their name then.  Is it even okay?  Would the real Jesus feel that I am being disrespectful?

Sincerely,
Hey, You!

Dear Hey, You!,

As hard as it is to comprehend in our American minds, Jesus wasn’t the only Jesus – even in His day.  When Jesus walked this earth, He was often referred to as “Jesus of Nazareth” (Matt 26:71) or “Jesus, son of Joseph” (Jhn 1:45).  The reason for this was because they needed to be specific when they talked about Him because multiple people had that name.

Whether it is wise to name your child ‘Jesus’ is an entirely different question, but it isn’t a matter of being right or wrong.  When the Scriptures say that Jesus has a “name above all names” (Php 2:9), it isn’t specifically addressing His literal first name… but His reputation and identity.  There is no person more exalted than Jesus.  You are not being disrespectful to God in calling others by their given name, even if it is ‘Jesus’.  It is clear by context that it is Jesus of Nazareth that you revere, not Jesus of Topeka, Kansas.

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