To those who understand, there is no name sweeter than that of Jesus! John Henry Newton (July 24, 1725 – December 21, 1807) in 1774 (or 1779) wrote the words to a beautiful song entitled: “How sweet the name of Jesus Sounds.” Some of the words are:
“How sweet the Name of Jesus sounds, In a believer’s ear! It soothes his sorrow, heals his wounds, And drives away his fear, … It makes the wounded spirit whole, And calms the troubled breast; ’Tis manna to the hungry soul, And to the weary rest,… Dear Name! the Rock on which we build; Our shield and hiding-place; Our never-failing treasury, filled, With boundless stores of grace, … Jesus, our Savior, Shepherd, Friend, Our Prophet, Priest, and King; Our Lord, our Life, our Way, our End, Accept the praise we bring,… Weak is the effort of our heart, And cold our warmest thought; But when we see Thee as Thou art, We’ll praise Thee as we ought, … Till then we would Thy love proclaim, With every fleeting breath; And triumph in that blessed Name, Which quells the pow’r of death,..”
No wonder the name Jesus is the “Sweetest name on mortal tongue!” We are thinking positive, of course, from the Christian point of view! It might be of interest that John Newton also wrote the words to the song: “Faith’s Review and Expectation.” Of course, you have never heard of the song, but wait a moment; you have not only heard of it, it is one of the best known and most favorite songs the world over! It is just not known by the original title, but it is known as “Amazing Grace!” It was written to illustrate a sermon on New Year’s Day of 1773. However, it debuted in print in 1779. These songs have appeared in at least 1,377 hymnals!
Nearly a thousand years before the birth of Jesus, David wrote by means of the Holy Spirit: “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool” (Psa. 110:1). These words express total victory to the one David calls his “Lord,” the one who was said to “sit thou at my (Jehovah’s, frw) right hand,” while of speaking “Jehovah’s “right hand!” The age old question, “How could Jesus be both David’s Lord and son?” In Deity he is David’s Lord and in the flesh he is David’s son; therefore, when it was time, “in the fullness of the time” (Gal. 4:4), at the birth of Jesus, “The sweetest name on mortal tongue,” it was said of Mary: “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1;23). In this announcement the answer is given why the name is so sweet. The name Jesus means “Jehovah is salvation.” He came to save that which was lost!
This brings us the question, just who is lost? We shall allow Paul to answer the question; first, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23); and second, “For the wages of sin is death; …” (Rom. 6:23). Death equals being lost, separated from God! This requires that we cover a third point; just what is sin? John will answer here: “All unrighteousness is sin:..” (1 John 5:17). This means by implication, that doing “righteousness” is not sin! But, what is righteousness? Let us hear the words of the Psalms: “My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness” (Psa. 119:172). The commandments of God are righteousness! If one is to be righteous, he must keep the commandments of God! With these truths in mind, let it be noted just here, that Paul turns to “the sweetest name on mortal tongue:” “but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:23). Once more we have come to why the name Jesus is so sweet, “eternal life” is “through Jesus Christ our Lord.” These words can be written of no other; not in truth, as they can of Jesus of Nazareth; who was both David’s Lord and son! Yes, the words of the song express it so well, “the sweetest name on mortal tongue … It makes the wounded spirit whole, And calms the troubled breast; ’Tis manna to the hungry soul, And to the weary rest!”
Yes, eternal “rest” comes only through “the sweetest name on mortal tongue!” “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man” (Heb. 2:9). Friends, no one did, as no one else could, die for you as Jesus did! What does his death mean to you?
Frank R. Williams