By Pastor Greg:
When the 1960's ended, many hippies
moved down the coast to Santa Cruz
That's when the kindergarten
teachers first met Fruit Stand. Every fall, parents applied name tags to
their children, kissed them goodbye and
watched them climb aboard the school bus. So it was for Fruit
Stand. The teachers thought the boy's name was odd, but they tried to
make the best of it. "Would you
like to play with the blocks, Fruit Stand?" they offered. And later, "Fruit Stand, how about a
snack?" He accepted hesitantly. By the end of the day, his
name didn't seem much odder than Sun
Ray's or Ziggy’s.
At dismissal time, the teachers
led the children out to the buses. "Fruit
Stand, do you know which one is your bus?" He didn't answer.
That wasn't strange. He hadn't answered them all day. Lots of
children are shy on the first day of school. It didn't matter. The
teachers had instructed the parents to write the names of their children's bus
stop on the reverse side of their name tags. The teacher simply turned over the tag. There, neatly printed, was the word "Anthony."
In biblical times a person was
given a name because it meant something.
Abram, for example, means Exalted Father. Simon means
God hears. Jesus means
The Lord is Salvation. But often times God gave a person a new
name. Abram was changed to Abraham,
for example, which means Father of a
Multitude. Jacob’s name was changed
to Israel which means God Fights. Simon was
changed to Peter which means Rock. A new name was given to signify a change in a person’s life and a change in their
relationship with God. God
reaches down and turns their name tag around, and calls them by a new name.
I suspect you’re probably thinking how this relates to Easter and the
resurrection of Christ. I mean, that’s
what we typically talk about on Easter; how Jesus rose from the grave, about
the stone being rolled away, and how He is our risen Savior. But have you ever wondered what this
resurrection was supposed to accomplish?
Certainly, the resurrection of
Jesus confirmed that He is the Messiah,
but I can’t shake the feeling that it is meant
to do something more; something transformational.
Paul teaches that the resurrection
of Jesus “is the
first of a great harvest of all who have died. Just as death came into the world through a
man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. 22 Just
as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ
will be given new life” [1]
(1 Corinthians 15:20-22). In
other words, just as Jesus was
transformed, we too will changed; resurrected. John the Apostle compares this day of transformation
to receiving a new name (Revelation
2:17). So the resurrection of Jesus
begins a process where you and I have an opportunity to be transformed;
we too can be changed. Our lives can
become different. We can receive a new
name.
Believing in Jesus and His resurrection can
change a person’s life. Take Peter, for
example. He is transformed from the Friday morning coward we
see at Jesus’ trial to the bold spokesman we see in Acts chapter two. Something happened to Peter, and he became
someone new. On Friday, Peter denied
knowing Jesus. 50 days later, he stands
before his fellow Jews and says 36 “So let everyone
in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to
be both Lord and Messiah!” It’s almost as if God had
reached down, turned over the name tag, and called Peter by a new name. He became someone new.
On that day, Peter proclaimed a
risen Savior. He announced the empty
tomb. And he did this for one particular reason; so that those who gathered
might be changed. It is the same
here today. We sing of our risen
Savior. We celebrate His work upon the
cross. We announce that Jesus is Lord
and Messiah. But we do this for one very
specific reason. The same reason Peter stood and
proclaimed Christ to the crowd in Jerusalem
These FACTS are trustworthy and
true; Jesus, who claimed to be the Messiah, was nailed to a cross, died, but
arose from the grave three days later, on the day we call Easter. And just as Peter proclaimed the risen
Christ, people have been making the same announcement; the same proclamation
every Easter Sunday. Generations of
people have heard this, and been changed.
For nearly 2,000 years, people have responded to this Easter
proclamation; they leave an old life behind and become someone new. God reached down, turned over their nametag,
and called them by their new name.
What we proclaim to you today is
nothing new. It is a celebration that
has been happening year after year since that day long ago when Peter first spoke
of these things. Yes, Easter is a day of
rejoicing for the Christian, but it is also a day of proclaiming; a day to announce to everyone that each word and promise
spoken by Jesus is faithful and true.
For it was on this day that God proved to this world that Jesus indeed
is Lord and Messiah by drawing Him out of the grave. And like those who first heard this news, I
pray these words pierce your heart as
well. May this be the day that you are
changed. May this be the day that God
reaches down, turns the badge over, and calls you by your new name. Let this be the day you are known as
Christian; a person who belongs to Christ.
Because of the resurrection of
Jesus, you can leave that old life of sadness behind, and find a new life filled
with joy. Anger is replaced with peace.
A lifetimes of regret is given a new name. To receive this, we do as Peter first
proclaimed.
“Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be
baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you
will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 This promise is to
you, and to your children, and even to the Gentiles - all who have been called by the Lord our God.” (Acts
2:38-39).
Do this, and God will grant you
your new name:
Redeemed
Ransomed
Saved
Reborn
Born Again
Christ-like
Christian.
[1] Tyndale House Publishers.
(2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed., 1 Co 15:21–22).
Carol Stream, IL.
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