How Do You Spell That? When The Ordinary Becomes Extraordinary


Deciding what to name your child is both exciting and challenging. We use names to honor others, but also choose them based on how they sound to us. When Mary first found out she was having a baby she knew this was no ordinary child. Virgins don't have babies. When she let Joseph in on what the angel had told her he decided to call everything off. Until he had an unusual dream.

Joseph laid down with a lot in his mind, but finally drifted off to sleep. An angel then appeared to him in a dream and told him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife. 

"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." Matthew 1:21

I was watching Monday Night Football last night when the Houston Texans sent their kicker out on the field. He comes from Hawaii and goes by the name, Ka'imi. That's not his actual name though. His parents named him, 
John Christian Ka’iminoeauloameka’ikeokekumupa’a Fairbairn. Try fitting that on your Scantron test in school, or for that matter, your driver's license. I can't tell you how glad I am the angel didn't tell Joseph to name the baby that. Especially since Chris Tomlin would write a song where we would have to sing it like eight times in a row.

The name, Jesus, was a very common name in the first century. Much like in many Hispanic countries today, there were kid's named Jesus all over the place. Jesus wasn't special because of his name. His name became special because it was his. The ordinary becomes extraordinary when possessed by God. Today the name of Jesus is a name above every name.

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

Such a simple ordinary name. You may feel rather ordinary at times as well. However, possessed by God you are anything but ordinary. The presence of Jesus changes everything. Perhaps you didn't get a special name like the Texan's kicker. Perhaps nothing about your life seems all that spectacular. While this may be true, know this:

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." I Peter 2:9

In fact, there's nothing ordinary about you at all. You're possessed by God. This changes everything.

Following the Son,

James A Williams

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