Summer 2011 Bible Study: Week 2 Day 5

Since my husband and I have found out that we are expecting a baby girl I the fall, I cannot help but day dream about names for our precious girlie. So far, the list of the names I dislike is longer than the list of names I do like. There isn’t any names that I am completely set on. But naming my son was a little easier, he was always Isaac Martin. We never even talked about any other options. He was always Isaac, it means laughter, and now, three years later, I can see that it fits him perfectly. I firmly believe the Lord named our son and I have been praying for Him to do the same for our daughter. So, as I sit here, thinking about where I am within my love life with my Sweet Jesus, it struck me that I don’t really know if He ever went by any other name. I know of Him as the Son of God and my Sweet Jesus. So I googled it, “Names of Jesus” and I was shocked with what I came up with. So, I think it is only fitting that we dive into the Word and see what our Sweet Jesus is called within the pages of His Word.

Lord, teach me more about Your Son today. Teach me about His identities, His names. Teach me what Your Word says. I am here, ready to learn and listen. Bless me with the ability to put away the distractions that surround me. Help me remove the bitter roots that I have brought with me today. Give me the ability to focus totally and completely on You, Your Word and Your Son. Amen.

We are going to look into the names or titles of our Sweet Jesus over the next few days. This means, we will be doing a lot of moving around in the Word, so get ready for flip your pages. We will learn a lot about Him and I cannot wait to get started.

Turn with me to Ephesians 2:19-20 and spend a few minutes reading over these scriptures.

These scriptures refer to our Sweet Jesus as the “Chief Cornerstone”, and honestly, I have no idea what that means. So, once again, the research continues. I have come to learn that in ancient building or construction practices, the cornerstone was the principal stone placed at the corner of the edifice. And because I am not good with words I don’t know how to say or spell, I had to look up the term edifice, and it is basically defined as a big building. The cornerstone was usually one of the largest, the most solid, and the most carefully constructed of any within the building. I have also come to learn that another common name for cornerstone would have been capstone.

Jesus describes Himself as the Cornerstone that His church would be built upon, a unified body of believers, both Jew and Gentile.

Now, turn with me to and read over Isaiah 28:16-17.

I find it interesting that one of the first things this scripture says about the stone is that it will be a tested stone. I find that interesting because it fulfills the New Testament scriptures we studied about Jesus being tempted or tested by Satan in the desert. I have also come to know that Isaiah is using construction terminology (measuring line and plumb line) to make his point; which means, he is speaking about Jesus in the terminology his audience at the time would understand.

We have just learned that in Ephesians, which is in the New Testament, the cornerstone metaphor is continued. I love that the connection Jesus makes for the Old Testament and New Testament. He is the connection!

For another connection turn with me to and read over 1^st Peter 2:6-8

Turn back with me to Psalm 118:22, take a moment and read over it.

Then turn to Isaac 8:14 and read over it.

Can I get a PRAISE JESUS! I love that in 1^st Peter, Peter uses construction terms for his hearers, just as Isaiah did, both knowing their audiences would be familiar with them. Also, they both use “Cornerstone” to represent the Messiah, One whom Peter knew personally, and whom Isaiah only knew through the heavenly Father’s promise.

Jesus is the cornerstone of the building which is His beloved. He is the center stone of our lives. HE is the ONE THING that keeps us going when it would be easier to pull the covers back over our heads and go back to sleep.

We are going to look at one more name for our Sweet Jesus...

Turn with me to Isaiah 9:6 and take a minute to read over this scripture.

Right now, today, the thing I love about this scripture is that it says that the government will be on the shoulders of our Sweet Jesus, which means, He gets to carry the stress that comes with the day and time we live in, if we let Him, He gets to worry about it all.

In a world filled with war and violence, it’s difficult to see how Jesus could be the all-powerful God that acts in human history and be the embodiment of peace. But physical safety and political harmony don’t necessarily reflect the kind of peace He’s talking about. Turn with me to John 14:27, I believe the peace, Sweet Jesus is talking about is not in the absence of war, but peace between God and man who were separated by sin. He died to reconcile sinners to a holy God. Not to disappoint the beauty pageant contestants, but “world peace” has already been achieved, the world can have peace, with their Creator, if we, the people accept His One and Only Son.

The Hebrew word for peace, “shalom,” is often used in reference to an appearance of calm and tranquility of individuals, groups, and nations. The Greek word eirene means unity and accord; Paul uses eirene to describe the objective of the New Testament church. But the deeper, more foundational meaning of peace is the spiritual harmony brought about by an individual’s restoration with God.

Turn with me to Romans 5:1-11 and take a minute to read these verses carefully.

We are told within these verses that we have been justified through faith in our Sweet Jesus, which means would sins have been forgiven and we have peace with God, the Father, through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. We can now stand in grace and peace because of what our Sweet Jesus did for us.

You see, in our sinful state, we are enemies with God “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”. Because of Christ’s sacrifice, we are restored to a relationship of peace with God and this is the deep, abiding peace between our hearts and our Creator that cannot be taken away and the ultimate fulfillment of Christ’s work as “Prince of Peace.”

Charles Swindoll is one of my all time favorite authors and his book, Jesus: The Greatest Life of All is a major source of study in terms of the names of Jesus. He can be quotes as saying: “But Christ’s sacrifice provides more for us than eternal peace; it also allows us to have a relationship with the Holy Spirit, the Helper who promises to guide us (John 16:7, 13). Further, the Holy Spirit will manifest Himself in us by having us live in ways we couldn’t possibly live on our own, including love, joy, and peace (Galatians 5:22-23). This love, joy, and peace are all results of the Holy Spirit working in the life of a believer. They are reflections of His presence in us. And, although their deepest, most vital result is to have us live in love, joy, and peace with God, they can’t help but to spill over into our relationships with people.

And we desperately need it—especially since God so vehemently calls us to live with singleness of purpose with other believers, with humility, gentleness, and patience, “being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1-3). This unity in purpose and gentleness would be impossible without the work of the Holy Spirit in us, which would be impossible without the peace we have with God thanks to the sacrifice of His Son.

Ironically, the lightest definition of peace, that of the appearance of tranquility in a person, can be the most difficult to grasp and maintain. We do nothing to acquire or maintain our spiritual peace with God (Ephesians 2:8-9). And, while living in unity with other believers can be extremely difficult, living in peace in our own lives can very often feel impossible.

Note that peace doesn’t mean easy. Jesus never promised easy; He only promised help. In fact, He told us to expect tribulation (John 16:33) and trials (James 1:2). But He also said that if we called on Him, He would give us the “peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension” (Philippians 4:6-7). No matter what hardships we are faced with, we can ask for a peace that comes from the powerful love of God that is not dependent on our own strength or the situation around us.”

I love that the Cornerstone is the center of my life, the most important and strongest part of the foundation in which I live, and the Prince of Peace, is the giver of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and self control.

For me, right now, these two go hand in hand. I cling to the strongest center of my foundation because yesterday, I was rather weak and He made me strong and today, after a restless night’s sleep and rather unsettling issues within my heart, I need to cling to the Prince of Peace.

I am in awe of what He has shown me, I pray that I can keep His Word near to my heart and I beg for His peace to never leave. Have a great day my friends! Thanks for hanging out in the Word with me.

Comment if you would like: What does the Cornerstone and Prince of Peace mean to you, today?

Lord, thank You for the resources and wisdom that You have given us so that we might understand Your word more. Thank You for the faithfulness You have promised. Thank You for sending my cornerstone, Your Son, brings me strength and the Prince of Peace, Your Son, floods my soul with Peace and I cannot thank You enough. I love you! Amen