REX: WHAT’S IN A NAME?

WINSDAY WISDOM 233

Is my name really “Rex”? Does anyone care?

Last week I went to buy a barbeque sandwich at my favorite local venue. The young man asked for the name with the order. Then he asked me if “Rex” was my real name. I replied with a simple, “Yes, it is.”

He laughed, “I thought “Rex” was just a dog’s name.” (Well, Ouch.)

My youngest grandson, Gentry, thinks Bubba Rex is short for Tyrannosaurus Rex.

I should have ended the conversation with a smile, but somehow, I felt the need to continue. Is “Rex” my real name? How often does the reality and origin of my name come up in a normal conversation? Only the IRS is interested in the correct response. My wife, best friends, and schoolteachers never asked.

Here was an inquiring mind. Maybe he had a bet on it with a co-worker.

Contrary to my usual non-talkative nature, I replied that my dad liked the idea of naming me after a singing cowboy movie star from long ago named Rex Allen.

The young man’s follow-up question sent a reality shockwave through my body. Only a few of you can identify.

He replied, “Do you mean a long time ago…like in the ‘90s?”

My mind was racing with possible retorts. “Are you kidding me? Did you not have a high school American History class? Or Social Studies? Have you never listened to some of the greatest music ever written?”

Seeing the look on my face, he quickly added, “Or the ‘80s?”

Yes, Einstein. Time is relative.

I tried to save face. I did the worst thing one can do in these embarrassing moments. Less is more, but I kept talking.

I smiled and tried to cover the tracks of my golden years. “Oh, it was much longer ago than that. Rex Allen was a movie cowboy in the ‘50s…when my dad was alive.”

(Note: That was a deluxe coverup, since I lived through the ‘50s. I know that probably shocks you!)

Then my mind went bonkers. There is no other explanation for what I said next.

Anyone who truly knows me understands that I am not a fountain overflowing with information. I would have been a good CIA operative. My normal conversation is name, rank, and serial number. Again, less is more, but I kept pouring out details important only to me.

“Rex is the Latin word for king. My mother liked the idea of naming me after her father and brother who were named King Philip.”

The young man smiled at his expanded education. “Well, I’ll be darn. I thought “Rex” was only a dog’s name. Now I know that “Rex” is Latin for a movie cowboy.”

I continue to be amazed at my communication effectiveness. Can I just get my sandwich?

And by the way, yes, I lived long ago when the world was just black and white. Have you ever watched Leave it to Beaver or The Andy Griffith Show?

(Note for family legacy: I believe our King Philip Floyd relatives were named for an early American Indian warrior chief, not the British, French, or Spanish crown counterparts. There are some family members who support the reference to King Philip of Greece, father of Alexander the Great. They are the same ones who deny that we are related to the famous outlaw, Pretty Boy Floyd.)

“Rex” the Pretty Boy King or Maximus Rex. That would have satisfied the inquiring mind.

Unless you have legally changed your name, you had no choice in what people named you. Someone had some reason for your given name.

I guess I have always looked for an occasion where this old story might fit into a conversation. A young Indian boy asked how his father came up with his children’s names.

The chief responded, “When your older brother was born, the first thing I saw was a Soaring Eagle. When your sister was born, the first thing I saw was a Running Deer. Why do you ask, Pooping Dog?”

Sorry, I have always thought that was funny. It will probably be edited out.

Shakespeare asked in Romeo and Juliet, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Juliet vowed that the names associated with their rival families of Montague and Capulet held no value to her. She would love Romeo by whatever name he chose.

In Biblical times, a name often identified one’s character and actions. For example, Jacob was the “cheater, the supplanter” who took the place of another by stealing his brother’s birthright (Genesis 25:26). Moses was “pulled from water” (Exodus 2:10).

When her husband and sons died, Naomi, “the delightful one,” changed her name to Mara, “the bitter woman,” (Ruth 1:20). Barnabas was called the “son of encouragement” (Acts 4:36).

Today, names are mostly labels to help us distinguish one person from another.

I am sure what others think of my “Rex” has no relation to the name’s origins or meaning. One’s character is more important than a name.

Sometimes one’s name becomes identified with a specific characteristic.

Judas. Benedict Arnold. John Hancock. Rockefeller. Frankenstein. Samson. Geronimo. Sloppy Joe.

Others include Chatty Cathy. Debbie Downer. Doubting Thomas. Joe Cool.

My parents associated certain names with their sons’ actions. Only the names can be made public. James Green. Kelly. Sharver. Jones.

What’s in a name? The #1 Textbook declares there is one Name above all names with a purposeful meaning of vital and eternal importance. “Jesus” means “The Lord Saves.”

The name of Jesus gathers mixed reactions, from worship to hatred. Some people are indifferent, and some are vehemently opposed to the name of Jesus. Some see Jesus as benevolent and some as irrelevant. Others follow Jesus as a social activist.

Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say I am?” (Mark 8:27-30).

They replied that some thought he was a prophet, perhaps the reappearance of Eiljah or John the Baptist. Others considered Him to be a great teacher.

However, the real game-changer question was when Jesus asked, “But who do you say I am?”

Simon Peter buzzed in with his response as if he were a contestant on the Jeopardy TV game show.

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Christ is a Greek word for the Bible’s Promised Messiah. Peter announced, “You are God’s Anointed One, the King of kings. You are the centerpiece of God’s plan to deliver His people.”

Jesus confirmed Peter’s correct answer.

JESUS IS THE KING OF KINGS, THE SUPREME “REX” OF THE UNIVERSE.

The central theme of God’s Word highlights Jesus Christ as Lord of all, all the time. Jesus declared that Peter or anyone else can only know His name and purpose through God’s revelation.

Understanding Jesus’ identity cannot be discerned by study or smarts or investigative techniques. It is not subject to a religious group, majority vote, or cultural bias.

FAITH IN JESUS AS THE KING OF KINGS IS A GIFT FROM GOD WHICH COMES FROM HEARING THE WORD OF CHRIST (Romans 10:17).

Are you a good listener? Peter became a good listener. Prior to Peter’s declaration, Jesus had publicly read the Scriptures about the coming Messiah in the presence of the leaders of the synagogue. When He sat down, Jesus said they were now seeing what they had heard about.

“The Word of God has come to you today. I AM HIM, the One who heals the brokenhearted, gives sight to the blind, helps the downtrodden, and opens deaf ears” (Luke 4:18-21).

Those religious leaders hated Jesus and drove Him out of town. They even tried to kill Him. These and others would mock Jesus as He died on the cross because He said, “I am the Son of God” (Matthew 27:41-43).

When the Samaritan woman at the well declared that the promised Christ was coming, Jesus told her, “I AM HE” (John 4:25-26). God opened her heart and changed her life.

Do you believe Jesus is the Christ, the King of kings? It is a personal question. The answer is a turning point in your earthly and eternal life.

When you really hear what Jesus said about who He is and discover why He lived, you are faced with a decision that eliminates the position of neutrality. Either Jesus is Lord of all, or He is a big time Liar. He is either the King of kings or a crazy phony.

“Jesus” is more than a name. He is God in human form who came to this earth to save us from the sinful self-centeredness associated with our own names.

In Isaiah, God declared “He is the only God and Savior.” There is no one else and all the world will someday bow their knees and acknowledge Him as the only sovereign Lord God (Isaiah 45:15-24).

In Philippians, Jesus is identified as the same Savior God named in the Old Testament. Jesus was raised from the dead and exalted to the highest throne where He was given the NAME THAT IS ABOVE EVERY NAME, the Lord Jesus Christ. One day, every knee of everyone, everywhere, will bow down (willingly or unwillingly) and confess with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:5-10).

You will call Him Jesus because He will save God’s people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).

There is salvation in no other name than Jesus, the Lord who saves (Acts 4:12).

There is no room for any doubt; God made Jesus, whom you killed on a cross, to be both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36).

Jesus is someone you need to know personally. In Jesus are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3).

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9).

Whenever the Bible refers to Jesus Christ as Lord, it is an affirmation regarding His true identity as the supreme and sovereign God of everyone and everything, all the time. Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 17:14; 19:16).

The name and fame of Jesus will never fade.

Our heavenly hope is that one day we will see and rejoice in the wonder of the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of kings, seated on the highest throne of glory and honor. We will be transformed to live and love in the same manner as Jesus (Revelation 4-5).

WE WILL LOVE FIRST AND LOVE MOST.

What’s in a Name? Your God-given NAME is inscribed in the palm of God’s hand (Isaiah 49:16) and written in heaven’s Book of Life (Psalm 139:16; Revelation 21:27).

What’s in a name? JESUS IS THE NAME ABOVE EVERY NAME. JESUS IS THE KING OF KINGS, THE SUPREME “REX” OF THE UNIVERSE.

Join me in praying to our God for one thing first and foremost, “We want to see Jesus and live in the beauty and wonder of His glory every day of our endless lives” (Psalm 27:4).