If you have been brought face-to-face with your sin and have come to believe that Jesus is your Savior, no name will be more precious to you than His. Though at one time you may have held Him at arm’s length, despised Him as nothing more than a profanity, or even thought that you could save yourself through good works, the name, the person, and the work of Jesus have now become dear, for you have drawn near to Him and experienced His compassion, kindness, and mercy.

For the bereaved, Jesus Christ is a comfort in times of loss. For those who have been preoccupied with themselves, lost in life, and confused about their future, Jesus opens their eyes and shows them the way. For those who have felt lost and empty because their consciences accused them of their guilt night and day, Jesus is their joy in life and the only one who can still their soul. There are myriad ways that someone may find that the name they once profaned is truly precious. These men and women can wholeheartedly agree with the hymn writer:

How sweet the name of Jesus sounds
In a believer’s ear!
It soothes our sorrows, heals our wounds,
And drives away our fear.¹

John Newton, “How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds” (1779).

This article was adapted from the sermon “The Name of Jesus” by Alistair Begg.