JESUS CALLS ME BY NAME

…He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out – John 10:3

Names are very important to us. We are pleased and feel elated when others remember and call us by our names. The fact that someone knows us by name is always a great encouragement. It makes us feel valued, appreciated, and that we have somehow registered with people; that our being here matters. How much more when God calls us by name!

Names convey a sense of who we are and how others relate to us. Before the Messiah came into the world, He declared, “The Lord has called Me from the womb; from the matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name” (Isa.49:1). That demonstrated the special relationship of the Messiah to God the Father. What is even more exciting is that this relationship extends through Jesus to us. God loves us and knows us through and through. He cares for us and calls us by name! Our names are more than identifying labels to Him. He knows our character and personalities, our very intimate details!

Isaiah 40 speaks of the great God of the universe who calls the stars by name and not one of them is missing. But Jesus goes beyond that: He not only knows the stars by name – He knows us by name – He knows me by name. Because of Christ, we who trust in His completed work on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins have been adopted into the family of God (Rom.8:15; Eph.1:5). When we trust Christ as our Saviour and Lord, He calls us by name (Jh.10:3). He is the Shepherd who knows and calls His sheep by name, and they recognise His voice. The same Lord who made the stars, knows your name, knows your story, and knows your heart!

My Shepherd notices when I am ‘missing’ – whether it’s a physical absence or an absence in spirit. Calling me by name indicates not only profound knowledge ABOUT ME but keen interest IN ME. He knows my thoughts, longings, fears, and deepest needs. He deeply cares about me as an individual (1 Peter 5:7). He values me. I matter to Him. My name is written on His wounded hands, because He laid down His life for me; my name is hidden in His heart. What a privilege! And what a comfort to those of us who place our faith in Christ! He loves us more than we can imagine. He has sworn never to let us go (Jh.10:27-30). But there is more to come: He who knows us by name will give us new names that would befit all that He ordained us to become – to His Glory and Praise (Rev.2:17).