I Will Change Your Name

I am greatly encouraged by the story of Peter who followed our Lord Jesus as His disciple for three years but denied even knowing Him on the night Jesus was betrayed and crucified. Jesus had prophesied that all the disciples would be tested by Satan, that Peter would fail, but that he would return to Him and become the leader of the other disciples. ‘“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren”’ (Luke 22:31-32, KJV). When Peter had protested and declared that he was willing to die for Jesus, Jesus told him clearly that he would deny Him three times.

Before that night, Jesus had already prophesied about Peter’s role as a leader. He was given a new name. His name was changed from Simon to Peter, meaning ‘a rock’. It was not just any old rock, but the one Jesus would build His Church on, and Satan would not be able to stop that (Matthew 16:17-18).

The risen Lord Jesus gave Peter a new commission in His Kingdom. ‘So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs”’ (John 21:15. NKJV).

In a similar way we can all be given a new name by our Lord Jesus. On the last day of a three-day healing retreat at Ellel Grange, we often used to love sing this beautiful song: ‘I will change your name. You shall no longer be called wounded, outcast, lonely or afraid. I will change your name. Your new name shall be confidence, joyfulness, overcoming one, faithfulness, friend of God, one who seeks my face’ (D. J. Butler, 1987).

When we come to Jesus with many problems and in need of healing, we can have a life-changing encounter with Him as Lord of our life. We can come to know God as our loving heavenly Father, and receive the healing touch of His Holy Spirit.

We may have made mistakes and feel that we are a failure, but God still has a plan for our life. ‘For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago’ (Ephesians 2:10, NLT). We can stop regarding ourselves as failures. We can learn from our mistakes. We can go ahead and fulfil the plan God has for our lives.