When you read the title you maybe filled in the phrase with the words “that is higher than any other name” or perhaps some other words from the bible or from a song that you know. The Name of course is Jesus. I met Him when I was 28.
I had heard about Him, but never met Him until then. It was on the floor of my sitting room in my little house in Prudhoe, Northumberland. I had been reading a book which told me how much Jesus loved me, how He had always loved me and how He chose to die an ugly death rather than risk not having the chance to know me. Believe you me, I didn’t normally read books like this. That was a miracle in itself!
What I read made a powerful impact. I knew that I didn’t deserve this attention. Like Peter in Like 5 v 8, I was properly aware for the first time that I was a sinful man. My sinfulness and unclean-ness became suddenly so obvious and I was in tears. The only thing I could do, as I knelt on the carpet, was pour out my heart to Jesus, ask Him to forgive me and hand over my life to His care from now on. I can still smell the smell of that (new) carpet even now 40 years later.
Since that day I can truthfully say that Jesus has been a personal friend, guide, defender, mentor, healer, partner in adventures and escapades and He has never once left me or turned His back on me – even when I have drifted apart from Him at times. That alone would qualify Him as having a name that is above all other names. You probably have a similar testimony. But there are millions of reasons why His Name is so great and is to be honoured. There’s no way I can do this justice in 800 words or so, but let me start the ball rolling for you with a few thoughts….and you can carry it on because His fame and His glory rests on far more than our own personal experience of Him.
He “was before all things” (Colossians 1) and “through Him all things were made” (John 1). He is the source of all creation. Nothing was made without Him. He was intimately involved, not just in creating as say a man manufactures a car in a factory. He designed everything first. The more that you see and understand about creation, the more you marvel at His genius.
Our bodies are amazing. Our immune system is fantastically clever and complex. It can dismantle a virus into a thousand parts and remember each tiny part. If the virus comes back, even in a different form it recognises it straight away and destroys it. Far superior to anything we can develop in a laboratory. How our cells work, and work together is incredible. There’s nothing random here – it’s the design of a Genius.
All of created life on our earth is one massive interdependent whole system. Despite volcanic eruptions spewing billions of tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere dwarfing anything man has ever done, our climate remains stable. “He holds everything together” (Hebrews 1 and Colossians 1). Every bit of created life has a purpose too – even the mosquito and the wasp! Patterns and connections are His hallmark. (Look at how He works in your life).
The universe is perfectly made – our earth is exactly the right distance from the sun to support life. Not 94 million miles, not 92.5 million miles. 93 million miles is exactly right. He knows what He is doing alright. The universe is expanding growing larger every minute and is more diverse than we will ever know , (this side of the grave anyway!). Isaiah was alluding to this in part when he said “Of the increase of His government there will be no end”…..because of course as fast as the universe expands, so does the realm of Jesus authority. It is worth taking some moments to wonder at His sheer greatness, magnificence, power, authority and absolute genius.
He is truly “the First and the Last”, the Beginning and the End. Before Genesis and after Revelation. Chosen by Father and Holy Spirit to receive the Highest Name and the Highest Place (Philippians 2), and rightly every one will recognise His greatness and bow before Him one day. (Some will do it willingly, others not so).
There’s more. He is the most relaxed person there is – and the most joy filled person too. Nothing fazes Him – why would it? Here is one of the most amazing things the Lord of all creation said….. “I am gentle and humble in heart”. What kind of King is this?
The kind of King that is not ashamed to call us His brothers and sisters. The kind of King who when it came to choosing a crown, would only accept one made out of thorns and forced down onto His head – for us. That’s the kind of King Jesus is.
Below is a link to a song from the Victory album. Listen to it and ponder the words.
Church is out there 
Thank you. Exciting!