God Knows Your Name

Let’s start with a few scriptures from the NKJV translation and see if you can tell what they have in common.

John 4:5, 7: “So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, ‘Give Me a drink.’”

Mark 7:32: “Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged Him to lay His hand on him.”

Mark 10:17: “Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, ‘Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?’”

Luke 23:32, 39-42: “There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, ‘If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.’ But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’”

Any idea what they have in common? Let me give you a few more examples.

Matthew 9:18: “While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live.’”

Mark 2:3: “Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.”

Acts 16:16: “Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling.”

And two more examples from the Old Testament:

2 Kings 4:1: “A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, ‘Your servant, my husband, is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.’”

2 Kings 4:8: “Now it happened one day that Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a notable woman, and she persuaded him to eat some food. So it was, as often as he passed by, he would turn in there to eat some food.”

To see more clearly what these verses have in common, let’s list who they are about, at least as they are described:

• A woman at the well, a deaf young man, and a rich young ruler.
• A thief on a cross, a sick child, and a paralyzed man.
• A slave girl, a poor mother, and a wealthy woman.

There are other examples:

• A centurion’s servant, a possessed daughter, a mother-in-law,
• A healed leper, a widow, and a blind man.
• A woman caught in adultery, a possessed son, a sick woman, and a demon-possessed man.

These were real people. They aren’t like the characters in Jesus’ parables—“There once was a man who did this” or “There once was a woman who did that.” No, these were actual, flesh-and-blood people. They walked, talked, cried, laughed, danced, lived, and died. Some even had direct contact with the Savior.

But what do they all have in common? What links them together? What characteristic do they share?

These people—young, old, rich, poor—had their lives and actions recorded as examples to teach us what to do or not to do. Yet, that’s not the commonality I want to highlight. What sets these people apart, what binds them together unlike others in the Bible, is this: none of them are named. No names. We only know them by gender, family relationships, or social status.

Think about that for a second. These people’s actions—faith, gratitude, righteousness, meekness, and purity—are preserved for us, but we don’t even know their names.

It’s not as though the Bible doesn’t record names. We know all the disciples. We know Jairus’s name but not his sick daughter’s. We know Nicodemus but not the rich young ruler. We know Simon, who helped carry Jesus’ cross. We know Barabbas, whom the Jews demanded to be released instead of Jesus, and we know Joseph of Arimathea, who offered his tomb for Christ. But we don’t know the names of the two thieves crucified with Him.

In 2 Kings, the names of most of the kings of Israel and Judah, along with their mothers, are listed. Job had many children before and after his trials, but only three daughters are named in the Bible. None of his sons are named, though we know he had them.

Why are names so important? Why do we care so much about names?

Our names are one of the first things that set us apart from others. In hospitals, newborns are often labeled as “baby girl Smith” or “baby boy Jones.” At first, names matter only to the family. However, once parents fill out the birth certificate, names become important to the government as they help identify and classify us.

Parents sometimes agonize over what to name their child. One likes a name, but the other doesn’t. One can’t pronounce or spell a name the other loves. It can take the entire nine-month gestation period to agree on a name!

Have you ever been introduced to someone and heard them say, “You don’t look like a (insert name here)”? What do you say to that? “Thanks?” “Sorry?”

Names can influence people’s opinions before they even meet you. Your name is part of your identity, but it’s something you didn’t choose. However, when you create an email, social media, or other online account, you get to pick how people know you. And let’s hope you put more thought into it than becoming “MrJellyDonutToYou” or “MsIHeartKpop” for life!

Some people even spend years and significant amounts of money researching their genealogy to learn about their family and origins. Many chapters, and even entire books of the Old Testament, are filled with genealogies. Knowing someone’s lineage could be helpful because if you were Judas, the son of James, you certainly didn’t want to be mistaken for Judas Iscariot.

So why am I so focused on names? Have you ever felt unseen, like nobody knew your name?

When I was young, I watched a children’s show called Romper Room, like a televised preschool long before Sesame Street. At the start of each show, Miss Nancy, the teacher, would hold up a giant magnifying glass and pretend to see into the viewers’ homes, calling out names like “Susie” or “Billy.” Every child waited and hoped to hear their name. You’d feel sorry for kids with unusual or ethnic names because you knew they wouldn’t be called.

But when she said your name, you’d be so excited: She saw me! She knows my name!

So, what’s my point about the unnamed people in the Bible? Have you ever felt like no one knew your name?

You did things, big or small, in your life or in the church but felt like no one noticed. It’s hard, and it hurts when your efforts go unrecognized. But let me share a little secret that might help.

If you’re looking for rewards or recognition for what you do in God’s kingdom here on earth, you have your eyes on the wrong prize.

It’s nice to be noticed, but if recognition is your motivation, your focus is misplaced.

Our ultimate prize isn’t here. Our prize is heaven, eternal life, and salvation. And that’s why the most important thing is not whether people know your name here—it’s whether your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Revelation 21:1, 27: “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”

How do we ensure our names are written there? John 3:16 tells us: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” In this context, “believe” means not just to believe but to obey His commandments.

It doesn’t matter if their names weren’t recorded in the Bible. What matters is if their names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

And I’m here to tell you, God knows your name. Even before we knew Him, He knew us.

Jeremiah 1:5: “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.”

So, it doesn’t matter if anyone else knows your name. God knows your name, and if you believe, follow, and obey Him, He will write your name in the Lamb’s Book of Life, and you will have eternal life.