“Naming His Apostles” Mark 3:7-19 November 19, 2006
SCRIPTURE INTRO: Mark
is about the Son of God invading our world,
and challenging our
perceptions about what God is like.
One of our perceptions is
that if God is going to change us—
he has to change
the things we think are important—change our circumstances.
Heal our bodies,
fix the pressing needs of our finances or relationships.
But what we see in this story is that the
primary way Jesus changes
you is by giving you a new name.
By doing that He changes the
identity and destiny of your life.
INTRO: I hope all of you familiar with Johnny Cash song, “A
Boy Named Sue.”
But in case you aren’t let me fill you in.
It’s a ballad about a boy
whose daddy left home when he was three.
But before he left, he named the boy Sue.
As he grows up with this name realizes: “Life ain’t easy
for a boy named Sue.”
People are always laughing
and he’s having to fight them:
“Some girl would giggle and I’d get red,
some guy would laugh and I’d bust his head.”
The older he gets, the
tougher and meaner he gets.
And he swears, that
if he ever meets the man who named him Sue, would kill.
Well, one day, in a saloon,
he sees him—
recognizes him from
an old picture his mother had.
Goes over to him, introduces
himself.
“My name is Sue. How do you do? Now you’re going to die.”
Get into a vicious fight, at
the end man draws a gun on dad, about to kill him.
Dad says, wait a minute.
Son, I know going to kill me for making life
so hard, and I don’t blame you.
But let me tell you why I did
it. This is a rough, mean world.
Knew I wouldn’t be around to help grow up.
Knew by naming you Sue, you’d have to learn
to either fight or die.
You’ve got me to thank for
being so tough. “gravel
in gut and spit in your eye”
After hearing that he throws down his gun,
embraces his dad—
comes away with a
different point of view.
Behind that song is the idea
that someone can give you a name—
that will shape
your identity and destiny.
In this story we see Jesus
re-naming people.
He’s at the height of his popularity.
Huge crowds, people from over
a hundred miles away—
have come on foot
at the news of this miraculous healer.
Description is a great crush
of people, falling over each other to get to him.
Actually falling on Jesus in eagerness to
touch him, and be healed of diseases.
Disciples had a boat ready,
if he was in bodily danger from crowds.
But this kind of success was
not what Jesus wanted.
He did
not build on it.
He did not say to his disciples. We had a crowd of 10,000 today—
let’s see if we can
have a crowd of 20,000 next week.
Instead, at this great point
of popularity, Jesus went away to mountain—
and he started
re-naming his disciples.
Says that he appointed 12,
designating them (naming them) apostles.
And then he actually gave names to some of
the apostles themselves.
Simon he gave the name Peter—Rock.
James and John,
gave the name Boanerges, Sons of Thunder.
This was a very strange thing
to do.
What did it mean? Why was it important?
The primary way Jesus works,
primary way he changes people
is by giving them a
new name.
By new name, mean a new
identity, a new destiny.
He changes the trajectory of your life.
He worked that way with the
12 Apostles,
works that way in
the lives of all of his people.
Let’s look at this passage
under three headings.
1. Jesus gives you a new name.
2. Jesus grows you into your new name.
3. Jesus guarantees you glory for your new name.
Credit
where credit is due.
Tim Keller’s sermon on
this passage tremendously helpful in numerous ways.
If you want to listen to
his sermons, can buy them at Redeemer.com.
MP#1
Jesus gives you a new name.
“Jesus went up on a
mountainside and called to him those he wanted and they came to him.
He appointed twelve,
designating them apostles.”
Notice also the absolute
sovereignty of Jesus as he calls these men.
He chose them, he called to him those he
wanted, and they came.
Then, when they came he
designated them apostles.
As I said earlier—the verb is literally that
he named them.
This was a new identity for these 12
men—apostle—sent ones.
This verse, like so much of
Mark is just packed full of meaning.
Jesus is on a mountainside—that’s
significant.
God’s greatest dealing with
his people was from a mountain—
From
But remember, the Ten
Commandments were the law for new nation
that God called
into existence. .
The Lord saved the 12 tribes
out of slavery in
and then, before
the mountain, He made them into the nation of
You will be for me a kingdom of priests, a
holy nation.
Gave a new
name, new identity and destiny.
From that point on, although tribes still
important—it was the nation of
through which God
worked out his purposes.
So on
That’s exactly what Jesus
does here. And Mark wants us to see the
parallels.
Jesus calls the 12 disciples to him, and he
gives them a new identity.
They become the new
This is the foundation of the
New Testament church, naming of 12 Apostles.
Ephesians 2—“Built on the foundation of the
Apostles.”
Revelation 21—12
foundations of New Jerusalem, with names of 12 Apostles.
Just think for a moment about
how incredible this is.
Here are these men. Called later in Acts,
“ordinary, unschooled men.”
Learn something of personalities and
weakness of several later.
Think of Peter’s recklessness and
cowardice, Thomas’ gloom and doubt.
Matthew morally suspect. Simon the Zealot, violent,
controversial.
But Jesus names these men
Apostles and with that comes a whole new identity.
Wherever the Gospel has gone, around world,
through ages, names are spoken.
This is what was important to
Jesus—more important than his popularity.
He could have whipped up the popularity he
had into even bigger crowds.
But what he came to do was to
call people, individuals, who he wanted—
and give them new
name—a solid new identity and destiny.
That’s exactly what Jesus has
given you, if he has called you, and you know him—
He’s given you a new name—which means a new
identity and destiny.
Celebrities and entertainers
often change their names
as a way of
changing identity, hopefully changing destiny.
Gordon Matthew Sumner changed
his name to Sting.
Because you can’t have a rock star named
Gordon.
Marion Michael Morrison
changed his name to John Wayne.
Because you can’t have a cowboy named
Sean John Combs changed his
name to Puff Daddy, Puffy, P Diddy, now Diddy.
Don’t know why but for some reason, can’t be
hip-hop celebrity with name Sean.
That’s funny but all people
try to make a name for themselves in something—
looking for some
way of building an identity and destiny.
For some it’s their
work—that’s what defines them.
For others, it’s their wealth, or family, or
religion, or whatever.
All those things can fail you—and then who
are you?
If you’ve build your name
around your work, you are fired—who are you?
If you’ve built your identity
as wife, husband dies or divorces you—who are you?
If you’ve build your identity
as a moral person, public moral failure—who are you?
Or maybe you are utterly successful in your
identity building—no failures.
There is one event that will certainly bring
it to an end—your death.
Jesus gives you a name that
is solid. Changes your
identity and destiny forever.
What is your new name? Here is one, “Apostle.”
There were only 12 “capital A” Apostles,
founders. But all Christians sent ones.
And there are numerous other
names that Jesus gives those he has called to him.
Calls you his sheep, John
10. His friends, John 15
His brothers and His children, Hebrews 2
His kings and priests, Revelation 1
Every one of those new names
brings with it a new identity and destiny
that is rock solid,
that lasts no matter what your experiences in life.
When Jesus calls you, he
gives you a new name.
MP#2 Jesus grows you into your new name.
Not only did Jesus name all
of these men Apostles—
he renamed three in
particular.
“Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James
son of Zebedee and his brother John
(to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder).”
Let’s focus on Simon. Jesus not only gave him the new name Apostle,
but also the new
name Peter, which means Rock.
But was that true of
Peter? Was he really a Rock?
Peter was impetuous. He let Jesus down in a terrible way.
Peter seemed to be anything
but a Rock.
But what we see is that Jesus grew him into
his new name.
He did it through three processes that began
on mountain, lasted all Peter’s life.
Jesus uses these same three
processes to grow you into your new identity.
1. The first
process is community.
Jesus appointed 12. Number 12 throughout the Bible is a symbol of
the church.
12 tribes of OT church. 12 apostles of NT church.
Revelation, 12 and
multiples. 24
elders. 144,000,
fullness of the church.
Through the church, you grow
into the new identity Jesus has given you.
Story is told of Charles
Spurgeon, great 19th century Baptist preacher—
went to visit a
Christian man who had decided that church was not for him.
When Spurgeon came into home,
man prepared for an argument—
Tell my why I need to be in church. Spurgeon did not say anything.
Went over to fireplace, with
tongs took out a bright coal, put on hearth.
Then sat down—watched as bright coal slowly
turned red and then gray.
Spurgeon’s point was clear—it
is in the community of God’s people
that our fervor for
worship, fervor for service and for Christ is kept afire.
But there is another
reason. The church is a place, should be
a place—
where our strengths
and weakness which we cannot see ourselves—
are pointed out to
us so that we can then turn with them to Jesus.
You remember that many years
after this, Paul rebuked Peter publicly
because he pulled
back from the Gentile believers for fear of Judaizers.
Many years later, Peter still
growing into his name—Rock.
What was Lord using—the church, the
community of believers.
You must be humbly open to
compliments and criticisms of fellow believers.
Jesus uses them to grow you into your new
name.
2. The second process
is intimacy.
Jesus “appointed twelve—naming them
apostles—that they might be with him.”
With him. With Jesus. That’s
huge.
Jesus wanted these 12 men to be with him—for
their benefit and his.
Jesus was fully man, he longed for the
companionship of men.
We see him at times like this
pulling apart from the crowds.
Just with the 12 and sometimes just with the
3, Peter, James, John.
What we see in this is one of
the truly wonderful things about Christian faith.
Jesus desires intimacy with his people, through
that you grow into your identity.
As you come to know
experientially the love of God in Christ, grow into new name.
Can say with confidence—Jesus is my brother
and friend. I am a child of God.
Remember Jesus with Peter at
the lake after the resurrection?
Peter, do you love me? Feed my sheep. Jesus telling Peter about
his death.
Peter pointing at John and
saying, what about him, Lord.
Jesus saying, what I have planned for him is
none of your business.
I want you to stay close to me and follow my
call to feed my sheep.
That’s what Peter did, grew
into the identity that Jesus had for him.
That still happens
today. Jesus is not physically present.
But through prayer, through His Holy Spirit
and Word he convicts us of sins.
He calls us back to faithfulness,
he gives us assurances of the future.
In that intimacy, you grow
into the name he has given you.
Challenge is same one disciples had, press
of the crowd, busyness.
Has to be fought, must be time for this
intimacy. Jesus way of
growing you.
3. The third
process is ministry.
“And that he might send them
out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.”
Jesus sent out his disciples
to liberate people with the Gospel—
that’s how they
grew into their new name and identity as apostles.
One of the few
transformations in Bible more encouraging than Peter
in early chapters
of Acts. Man who forgets himself in
service of others.
As he forgets himself, forgets his fears,
great things happen.
As you serve people by your
words and by your deeds—grow into new name.
Open your mouth and speak. Pray with and for people. Remind them of truth.
Serve them with deeds to alleviate burdens
in Christ’s name.
As you do,
will grow into the new name that Jesus has given you.
MP#3
Jesus guarantees you glory for your new name.
In ancient times, a name was
more than a label, it was a sign of glory, stature.
When a person accomplished great things, he
would be given names.
These names would pile up over his lifetime,
bring him glory.
And so you see kings and
nobles with name after name,
indicating
victories and accomplishments and honors.
To have a name meant that you
were a person of stature.
Minute ago I mentioned some
celebrities who gave themselves new names,
but when I was
looking for that illustration I ran across one person
who fell into a
different category completely.
Does the name Edson Arantes do Nascimendo mean anything to you?
Better known to the world
as Pele.
But I found out he had other
names as well.
In
And “The King Pele”
which in Portuguese was “O Rei Pele”
Also called “The Black Pearl”
He did not give himself those
names—were given to him by countrymen
for his great
accomplishments. Names gave him glory on
account of what he did.
And had a nickname used only
by family “Dico”
Here’s Jesus saying something
amazing.
Every person I call and who comes to me—I
give them a name—
and they are famous
forever. Guarantee glory for your new
name.
How is that possible? We haven’t accomplished anything like that.
Luke 10, parallel
passage—sends out apostles 2 by 2.
Wow, even the demons were subject to us.
Look at the great things we are able to do.
“Do not rejoice that demons subject to you, but that names written in
heaven.”
Jesus is saying,
don’t get your identity from your performance.
Don’t say, look what I’ve
accomplished.
There are going to be times when you will
fail to accomplish anything.
Remember, there was a time when even
disciples unable to cast out a demon.
You will have failures in your work, even
your work for kingdom.
Jesus says: Don’t rejoice in what you do, name you try to
earn.
Rejoice that your name is written in heaven.
You are already famous. Your glory is guaranteed.
How is this possible? Not because of what you have done—
but because of what
Christ has done.
In Old Testament church, High
Priest wore a breastplate—
on it were 12
jewels, each engraved with a name of one of the tribes.
So when he would go before
the Lord, into the throne room,
Holy of Holies, where the glory of the Lord
shown,
bearing on his
heart, the name of the 12.
That’s a picture of Jesus
Christ our high priest.
When God looks at him, he sees your name on
His heart.
He sees you in him. And that is the guarantee of glory.
If I can use one more Old
Testament image—its from our reading in Isaiah.
Lord says to his people—I’m going to rename
you.
Your name has been Deserted and Desolate.
I’m going to name you
Hephzibah and Beulah—
because my delight
is in you, I desire you for my own as groom longs for bride.
What does this mean
practically?
Tomorrow, if things go well
for you in the things that matter—
in your business,
in your family, with money, with endeavors—
all those things
that we are so quick to look to for our name and identity—
Don’t get a big head, your identity is not in those things—
don’t rejoice in
them as Jesus said—but rejoice that your name written in heaven.
Or tomorrow, if things do not
go well, if in all the things that matter failure—
in your work,
family, finances, all things have heart set on—
Don’t let that crush you,
stand up, lift up your heart—
that is not your
name, your name is written in heaven.
To the degree that you
believe that, grow in it, as mentioned moment ago—
to that degree you
will not be carried away with success or punctured by failure.
Because you will know that in
Jesus, in him alone—
you have a new
name—an identity and destiny.
CONC: We’re about to come to the Lord’s Table.
This Table is for all of you
who have been given a new name by Jesus.
It is for every person who finds his or her
primary identity in Jesus.
It is for every person who is trusting Jesus
for his or her eternal destiny.
Is that you? As we’ve studied Jesus naming His apostles
are you able to say—
Yes, I know that I too have been named by
Jesus—
that I have been
called His disciple, friend, brother, child, priest and king.
And I know that even if I
don’t feel like it,
I am no longer called Deserted and Desolate—
but Hephzibah and
Beulah—that the Lord delights in me.
Is that true of you? Do you know that you are beloved of God,
named by him?
If so, this Table is for you.
Reminder of what it cost Jesus to carry your
name, engraved on his heart,
before the holy
throne of God—cost him his life—but he did it for you.
But if your life and identity
is resting on someone or something else—
your accomplishments,
your work, your own attempts at being good—
I call you to repent of those things and
turn to Jesus Christ.
He is calling you.
He wants you to come with him to the
mountain, where he will make you his own
So, if you don’t know Jesus
in this way, if you aren’t trusting him for your
identity.
Be honest, treat this Table with respect, do not partake—
but humbly come and
pray—
Jesus, come into my life,
give me a new name—I want my identity and destiny
to be in you, not
in the things that change and fail.
Forgive me of my sins.
Forgive me for trusting everything else
besides you.
Give me faith to trust you
completely. And he will.