Of Dirt and Grace 3-Day Easter Devotional by UNITEDنموونە

“One name holds weight above them all.” - No Other Name

Easter weekend culminates in the celebration of one of the most significant days in human history, Resurrection Sunday. Paul makes it abundantly clear how important Jesus’ resurrection is to our faith all throughout 1 Corinthians 15, but probably most pointedly in verse 14, “if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” While Paul’s words are strong here, they contain an important truth for us to understand as believers. Jesus’ resurrection is one of the most fundamental aspects of the Christian faith. As it has been said so many times and by so many others, we are resurrection people. Jesus’ resurrection gives meaning, purpose, and efficacy to all other areas of the Christian faith.

Oftentimes, and rightly so, Resurrection Sunday can be a time of reflecting on what Christ’s victory over death means for us as believers: the promise of eternal life, victory over sin and death, and every other spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3); it also gives purpose and meaning to all we do in this life (2 Corinthians 5:15). While there is an important place for remembering all the benefits of Christ’s resurrection for us, there is also an amazing opportunity to reflect on what Jesus’ resurrection means for himself.

The short poem of Philippians chapter two partly explains just that. It teaches us that through Christ’s suffering and victory over suffering, he has been “exalted” and “given the name above every other name” (Philippians 2:9). Jesus’ resurrection requires us to recognize and come to terms with who he was and is. If he has truly risen, everything he taught should be obeyed; everything he did (and does) should be met with awe; and everything he was and is should be worshiped. C.S. Lewis famously wrote in Mere Christianity, “Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse.”

By way of the resurrection, Jesus has proven his divinity as God, he has revealed his Lordship over everything in creation; he has rightfully taken his place as the object and attention of our worship. His name has become the name above every other name. This is why we sing “there is no other name”, not because no other names exist, but because there is no other name like his. As Philippians 2:10-11 (NIV) says, “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

As we reflect on all that Easter is and means, our prayer is that we all would acknowledge and worship the name that is above every name—the name of Jesus.