by Teryn Oglesby

Names are important. When we use a name, we are ascribing to an assortment of cultural, religious, and ethnic implications that color our thoughts and actions. Jesus is a name that is common enough, but charged with all sorts of different meanings. The name “Christian” has itself become an everyday bland term; however, it began as anything but commonplace. Derived from the root of “Christ’s ones,” or, “Little Christs”, this name was ascribed to Jesus’ followers as they began creating the first churches to label them as radical, set apart, and destructive to mainline beliefs. So, what are we saying when we use the name, “Jesus”?

It was not surprising that the most hotly contested issue at the National Prayer Breakfast was, in fact, over a name: Jesus. In place of Jesus Christ, the name most utilized was “Jesus of Nazareth”, or more simply, “Jesus.” When I refer to the name “Jesus Christ” I am referring to the way myself and other Christians speak of him as our personal Savior and the Son of God. The name, “Jesus of Nazareth,” captures the historical person of Jesus – his life, works, teachings, words – without fully suggesting his divinity. These teachings, principles, and moral guidelines were emphasized at the Breakfast as points of agreement among people of all faiths. After all, could any person of faith actually say they hated Jesus’ actions? Most of the speakers emphasized that we could all agree on his teachings and way of living even if we disagree on his death, second coming, and whether or not he is the Son of God.

As a Christian attendee of the National Prayer Breakfast, I felt the tension between these two names and the different meanings they presented. On the one hand, it was exciting to have so many people listen to people talk about my Savior, while on the other hand I couldn’t shake off the fact that the main part of who Jesus is to me was missing. As Rizwaan argues in his latest blog post, it was as if two different “Jesus’” were being portrayed as different faiths picked and chose the parts they wanted to believe.

Not too into watering down the weight of what God did by sending His Son, but also desiring to describe my faith in a way that all people can receive it and understand, it seemed that the Prayer Breakfast’s approach was somewhat of a middle ground. While I believe Jesus was born of a virgin, lived and taught on earth, died, and was resurrected, I realized how quickly I tend to jump through that sequence like a mathematical formula. Christians are called to share their faith with others. That is a given; a part of our Holy Book; mandated by God to “go and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28: 19). This is uncomfortable for non-Christians because, quite frankly, the Gospel of Jesus Christ really isn’t supposed to make us feel comfortable. Unfortunately, many times Christians end up sharing their faith in ways that are very far from the character and love of Jesus. That’s where the real problems occur.

Instead of leaving the National Prayer Breakfast feeling disheartened by the partial truth about Jesus that the phenomenal speakers seemed to be presenting, I began to take hold of the beauty presented at the breakfast by focusing on “Jesus of Nazareth.” Before he showed the whole world that he was the Christ, Jesus was a Nazarine born in Bethlehem. In his birth, life, death, and resurrection, I tend to only focus on the latter when I describe my faith to others. I gloss over the fact that Jesus lived and breathed on earth for 33 years and the Bible has a lot to say about that life. Perhaps it is enough to tell people about who Jesus is without jumping immediately to the state of their eternal salvation. It is important to share the whole story (it’s pretty great), and yet to keep in mind that it was Jesus himself who said that God is the only one who can turn hearts to Him. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him…” (John 6:44). It is humbling to remember how small my role in sharing my faith becomes when God is ultimately in control anyway.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010 at 12:10 pm