New Name – Being a Pilgrim

“She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?” She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.” “Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).”
John 20:14-16 NLT

Mary Magdalene had just received a vision of two angels in the empty tomb, seen through her tears of grief, and she was now turning away to leave, broken-hearted. But she then became aware that there was someone standing there. The person asked her why she was crying and who she was looking for. Perhaps at this point she thought there was something familiar about the person she saw, but her first impression was that she was conversing with the gardener, who was looking after the cemetery where the empty tomb was situated. She thought that perhaps it was he who could have removed the body of Jesus, so Mary asked where He was now so that she could make other arrangements for His burial. But there was then a pivotal moment in Mary’s life. The person before her knew her name and spoke it out. And all of a sudden, Mary turned to the Person before her and called out “Rabboni”, which we are told means “Teacher”. She recognised it was Jesus standing before her. But why refer to Him as Teacher? It explains much about their relationship, because she could have used His name, or Master, or Lord. The word “Rabboni” signified respect and her close friendship with Jesus, and could even have raised her expectations that Jesus had returned from the dead, as He said He would, to continue His ministry.

That moment on the first Easter Sunday morning brought a message of hope, not only to Mary, but to the disciples and for anyone reading this Biblical account over the years since it was written by John. There were many ways in which Jesus could have used Mary’s name. Harshly, unfeelingly, or even dismissively, but I’m sure that when Jesus used her name, Mary felt waves of love and acceptance wash over her. Had Jesus spoken her name before? He must have done because in Luke 8:2 we read, “along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons“. Mary had been a follower of Jesus for some time, grateful for her release from demonic influences, and she knew Him as her Teacher and friend.

There were several times when Jesus called someone by their name. Worthy of note is the time when Jesus called the dead Lazarus, now resurrected, from the grave. The account is in John 11, but in verse 43 we read, “Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!”” But before Mary on the Easter Sunday morning it was the resurrected Jesus who was calling out another name.

Our names are important to God. We get a glimpse of God’s love for us from Isaiah 49:14-16, “Yet Jerusalem says, “The Lord has deserted us; the Lord has forgotten us.” “Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you! See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands. Always in my mind is a picture of Jerusalem’s walls in ruins“. In Hebrews 13:5b we read, “ … I will never fail you. I will never abandon you”. We pilgrims are truly favoured children of God and He knows our names. And sometimes in a moment of quiet, He whispers them so that we can receive the assurance that He is still there and is still with us. One day each of us will receive a new name that will only be known to Jesus and to us. Revelation 2:17b, “ … And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it“.

Dear fellow pilgrims, our names are important to both us and to God. There was no special relationship between Jesus and Mary, exclusive just to them. Jesus knows our names too because we matter to Him. He loves us and will never abandon us. Ever.

Father God. We can only pray prayers of thanks and worship today, saying that we love You Lord, and we always will. Thank You. Amen.

“Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “Your name is Simon, son of John—but you will be called Cephas” (which means “Peter”).”
John 1:42 NLT

Jesus gave Simon a new name. It was to be Cephas, translated as Peter, which is the name we are more familiar with. But in the Bible, the changing of someone’s name had a significance which we don’t always relate to today. Imagine the chaos that would happen if many people regularly, almost at a whim, or even at God’s command, formally changed their names! The benefits and taxation system would probably collapse. The NHS would become hopelessly confused with challenging outcomes. And so on. But in these gender-confused days, names are being changed to reflect the preferred gender of an individual, but without any consideration of the biological and God-created facts. Our enemy the devil has taken something God considers sacred and has peddled a lie, deceiving those who lack any form of moral or spiritual compass.

God changed people’s names for a reason – to reflect a change in their identity. As an example, God changed “Abram” (meaning “high father”) to “Abraham” (meaning “father of a multitude”). The reasons for his new identity can be found in Genesis 17. Today, a person’s name is chosen by their parents because it is nice sounding or fashionable. It may be inspired by a celebrity or religion. By an ancestor or relative. But in Biblical times, a name assigned to a new baby sometimes captured a national or local event, or was God-inspired to record a prophetic message.

Simon, now called Peter, had a new identity in his standing before God. The “Simon”, with all his faults and foibles, was to become the rock, “Peter”, on which the Church was established. A new identity, a new assignment, a new man. We read in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!“‭‭. Today, even though we retain our birth name, we have a new identity. The old person, with all its sins, has been replaced, as we read in Ephesians 4:24, “Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy”.

There will be a time when Jesus will give us a new name. Revelation 2:17b,” … And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it”. I’m intrigued! I wonder what my new name will be. Hmmm…

Dear Father God. We worship Your holy Name today and pray together, ‘Hallowed be Your Name’. Amen.