Jesus is in the business of giving people new names. He did it in the Old Testament, he did it in the New Testament, and he's still doing it today:

Jesus gave Abram the new name of Abraham; Genesis 17:5 

Sarai became Sarah; Genesis 17:15,16  

Jacob became Israel; Genesis 32:28   

John and his brother James were called Boanerges; Mark 3:17  

and Simon was renamed Peter. Matthew 16:17,18 

The early Christians followed Jesus' example, and they gave some of their members new names: Saul became Paul; Acts 13:9  Joseph became Barnabas; Acts 4:36  and a disciple named Judas was mercifully renamed Barsabbas. Acts 15:22  Name giving is still something that Jesus does, and in fact one of the rewards he promises to Overcomers is a new and special name:

"To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it."  Revelation 2:17

Why does Jesus give people new names? One reason is to stir up and encourage faith. Abraham means "Father of Nations," and Jesus called Abram that even while he was still barren! In fact, Paul specifically refers to this renaming of Abram as an example of God "calling things that are not as though they were" for the very purpose of stirring up faith. Romans 4:16,17  Jesus also gives out new names to reveal our character, which is what he did when he started calling John and his brother "Boanerges," which means "Sons of Thunder." Mark 3:17  This nickname was meant to remind John to be careful about his anger, and it worked, because later John was renamed "The one Jesus loved." John 20:2  

Christians are also a mouthpiece for the Lord, and I have no doubt it was the Holy Spirit's urging that caused them to give the new name "Barsabbas" to a member named Judas. Acts 15:22  The name Judas had previously been a perfectly good name in Israel, but Judas the Traitor changed all that, so out of mercy the Holy Spirit released a new and better name to that man. Jesus also gives his followers new names as expressions of his magnificent love for them. I'm sure you can imagine how honored John must have felt when people started calling him "The one Jesus loved."

It is a great blessing to be renamed by Jesus the Namegiver, and the really exciting thing is I see evidence that he is still doing this today! A few years ago I used to write bitter and painful poems under the penname of "Physical Borg," but then when I got the fullness of the Holy Spirit in 1989, my Jesus gave me the new and better name of "Spiritual Borg." 

And that's not all. One night this past year I was at a men's group, and I was in a bad mood. When they asked me how my week had gone, I started ranting and raving about all the crummy things that had happened. They graciously listened as I poured out my anger and my pain, and when I was finished, they prayed for me. As they did so, I saw in my spirit a beautiful picture of Jesus. He was tall and strong and dressed in his beautiful white robes. And then I saw me: I was a little tiny golden lion, about four inches tall, crouched by his feet, and I was trying to act fierce as I let out a roar that was just a tiny squeak.

I had to laugh at myself as I saw this comical image, and then I was especially delighted as I watched Jesus look down at me, and he said with a loving voice filled with beautiful joy, "You are My Little Lion." You don't have to wait until you get to Heaven to get a new name from Jesus! All it requires is that you ask Jesus the Namegiver to reveal his love names for you. I know that you will be as delighted by his special names for you as I have been with mine.

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