Advent Day 39: Jesus, Name Above All Names | The Amen

The Fruit of the Spirit, Michael Schrauzer, 1986–1987. Acrylic on linen, 34.5 x 46.75 in. Used with permission of the artist.

Hope of All Nations, Rachel Pearsey, 2006. Oil and fabric on canvas, 30 x 40 in.
Used with permission of the artist.

“Forever Amen” from the album Forever Amen, performed by Steffany Gretzinger, composed by Steffany Gretzinger and Jason Ingram.

“Amen” performed by Amira Willighagen and Ndlovu Youth Choir, composed by Franna Benadé.

Poetry:

from “Holy the Firm”
by Annie Dillard

A name, like a face, is something
you have when you’re not alone.
There is no such thing as an artist:
there is only the world, lit or unlit
as the light allows. When the candle is burning,
who looks at the wick?
When the candle is out, who needs it?
But the world without light is wasteland and chaos,
and a life without sacrifice is abomination.

My Forever Amen

Advent and Christmas have once again come and gone. Suddenly we find ourselves at the final day of this year’s project. What a wonderfully rich and diverse feast we’ve enjoyed together!

Today’s name is one that Christ himself proclaimed to the lukewarm Laodiceans in Revelation chapter 3: “These things say the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness.” In this passage Christ warns the “naked,” bankrupt Laodicean Christians to turn from their ignorant, self-confident complacency and humbly open the door to the abundant spiritual wealth Christ so freely offers to all his followers.

We’re familiar with and frequently utter the word amen. We use it to emphasize a particular point, to signal that we agree with something that has been said, as a communal expression of worship, and to seal our prayers. The term amen is universal, one of the only words consistently the same across a wide variety of cultures and religious traditions. In Hebrew the word means “to support” or “to be faithful and true.” In Greek it refers to a “solid foundation.”

In the Gospels, Jesus used amen not at the end of his statements but at the beginning. There are at least fifty verses in Scripture where he did this. Whenever Jesus started a statement with “Verily, verily I say unto you” he was essentially saying “Amen, amen,” my promises are sure—trustworthy and full of the deepest integrity. In 1 Corinthians 1:20 Paul writes, “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.”

Songwriter/singer Stephanie Gretzinger talks about her intimate relationship with Christ in the song, “My Forever Amen.” Written in the throes of the Covid Pandemic, a time of mass confusion rife with misinformation, “My Forever Amen” became a clarion call to embrace the sure, fundamental truths found in Christ. Gretzinger's raw amen riff at the end of her song is a vulnerable cry for deep union with our Lord.

Franna Benadé’s “Amen” performed by Amira Willighagen and South Africa’s Ndlovu Youth Choir gave me chills the first time I heard it. My spirit soared. The juxtaposition of a classically trained voice with elements of Zulu chant momentarily lifted me to the gates of heaven as I reflected on those who are Christ’s redeemed—gathered from every tribe and tongue and nation, joyfully joining their voices together in ceaseless praise to the one Eternal Amen. Today’s art also reflects this idea. Both Schrauzer’sThe Fruit of the Spirit painting as well as Pearsey’s Hope of All Nations depict the raising of holy hands in sincere worship as believers around the globe join in magnifying “The Way, The Truth and The Life.”

In her poem Annie Dillard exclaims, “A name, like a face, is something you have when you’re not alone.” Here she beautifully states why God created the human race—to give himself deep pleasure and to bring glory to his matchless name. We long for the day when this will happen completely—when “every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11). Then the deafening shouts of Amen, like a jolting, rolling thunder, will issue from the lips of billions, as the reverberating praises to the “Faithful and True Witness” crash through the resplendent realms of heaven. The great English preacher Charles Spurgeon wrote, “[Christ] hath God exalted, and he has exalted all his saints in him. He joys not for himself alone; the meanest Christian has a part in all the glories of the Savior. The enthronization of Christ is God’s solemn declaration and Amen that he will bless all his people, and make them kings and priests to reign for ever and ever.”

“Even so, come Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
AMEN and AMEN!! (Revelation 22:20-21).

Prayer:
Jesus, we adore You, the Eternal Amen!
In Your graciousness accept this, our song of praise:
O Most High, King of the Ages,
Great I AM, God of wonders,
by Your blood You have redeemed us.
Spotless Lamb, mighty Savior,
You lived and died, and rose victorious.
Now to the Lamb upon the throne—
be blessing, honor, glory, and power
for the battle You have won. Hallelujah!
With every tribe and every tongue,
we join the anthem of the angels
in the triumph of the Son.
Hallelujah to the Great Amen!
Who was, and is, and is to come!
World without end. Amen!!

Adapted from“Christus Victor (Amen)”by Keith and Kristyn Getty

Barry Krammes
Artist and Professor Emeritus
Art Department
Biola University

For more information about the artwork, music, and poetry selected for this day, please visit our website via the link in our bio.