Who Will Remember Your Name?

A commentary by Paul Suckling
United Church of God pastor, Worcester, MA and Portsmouth, NH

Simply mention the Pope and everyone knows who you are talking about.

The Pope came to America recently. Headlines announced his activities. Crowds greeted him everywhere he went. From many distant areas people were bused to Washington D.C. and New York City to see him.

But residents of the city of Boston, where I work, were disappointed that the Pope did not visit them. The reason for their disappointment was that so many of the awful child abuse cases and cover-ups occurred here.

There was a deep desire by some in Boston to have representatives of those who had suffered from sexual abuse over many years meet with the Pope. At another location, however, the Pope did acknowledge "the pain which the church in America has experienced as a result of the sexual abuse of minors."

A special 'Book of Remembrance' was constructed by Bostonian calligrapher Jan Boyd. He intends it to be a reminder to the Vatican, Catholic priests and people at large to always remember the suffering of the thousands of persons who were sexually abused by irresponsible priests.

This 11 x 14 inch, 40-page book contains a hand painted list of Boston's known clergy-abuse victims. Though it does not feature all 10,000 plus US victims, it does contain the 1,500 from all of New England. Like the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington, D.C. this book of names was created as a permanent reminder of human suffering.

A person's name is important even to God, our spiritual Father. He changed the name of the biblical Abram to Abraham, saying, "… for I have made you a father of many nations …" (Genesis 17:5). The name of Jacob, Abraham's grandson, was changed to Israel—with God saying, "For you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed" (Genesis 32:28).

Then there was Saul who was also called Paul (Acts 13:9) and who from that time forward was referred to in Scripture as Paul.

Yes, names are important to God because names can carry important meanings. There is God the Father and Jesus the Son. Their names identify different personages and the roles They fulfill. The Hebrew word for Messiah—another name of Jesus—means the Anointed One. In the Greek language the name Christos carries the same meaning, the Anointed One. It describes our Savior who came to earth to die for the sins of all humanity.

In Acts 3:22 Jesus Christ is identified with a specific Old Testament prophecy in which "Moses truly said to the fathers, 'The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you.'" Here Jesus is also identified as a prophet.

The last book of the Bible names Jesus Christ as the world's future King: "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign for ever and ever!" (Revelation 11:15).

Further along, Revelation 19:11-16 says He is called "Faithful and True" and that He has a name that no one knows but Himself. Later yet He is described in verse 13 as The Word of God. Verse 16 adds that He carries the title, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. By His titles, names and descriptions we can know something about how He will arrive and what He will do at His Second Coming—an event considerably more noteworthy than a visit by a Pope.

Our ever-living Father in heaven wants our names to be written in the Book of Life. And Jesus personally has promised: "He who overcomes [his sinful human nature] shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life: but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels" (Revelation 3:5).

Returning to the theme of this commentary, that our names are important to God, consider the words of the prophet Malachi. "Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who meditate on His name" (Malachi 3:16, emphasis added).    

How about your name? When Christ returns, will you have a good name before God? Will your name be in God's book of remembrance?

For a clear explanation of what Jesus and the Father expect of those whose names will be preserved in His "book of remembrance" or His "Book of Life" simply request, download or read online our free, informative booklets: The Church Jesus Built and Jesus Christ: The Real Story.