Sermon 45-"Hallowed Be Thy Name"

Daniel 9

Psalm 20

Matthew 6

(Eph 1)?

1. God's Holy Name

When we were going through the ten commandments,

we saw that God's name is holy.

The third commandment warns us not to take the name of the LORD our God in vain.

God's holy name reveals his character and his attributes.

Throughout the Old Testament he revealed himself by various names:

To Abraham he proclaimed himself El Shaddai-God Almighty-

the God who has the power to do all that he promises.

To Moses he revealed himself as Yahweh-I AM who I AM-

the God who remembers his promises and is faithful to his covenant.

But when Jesus teaches us to pray "hallowed be your name"

which name is he referring to?

He is referring to the great name of God, previously revealed only in a general way:

"Our Father in Heaven."

As we saw last week,

God had revealed himself to be the Father of Adam, of Israel, and of David's seed,

but he had not yet revealed fully what that meant.

In the same way, it appears that Abraham and the patriarchs

knew that God's name was Yahweh,

but God did not fully reveal the power and meaning of the name, Yahweh,

until he revealed it to Moses.

Only at Mount Sinai do we discover fully what Yahweh means.

"Yahweh, Yahweh, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger,

and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,

keeping steadfast love for thousands,

forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin,

but who will by no means clear the guilty,

visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children

and the children's children,

to the third and the fourth generation." (Ex 34:6-7)

Only here does Israel learn the power and the glory of the name of Yahweh.

Likewise, while Israel had known that God was "Father,"

they did not understand the power and glory of that name.

Only in Jesus do we learn the true meaning of "Our Father Who Art in Heaven,"

because here we discover that our God is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

When Jesus teaches his disciples to pray,

we are only three chapters past his baptism.

This is Jesus' first sermon after he was baptized by John in the Jordan.

And at the Jordan River, when John baptized Jesus,

"behold the heavens were opened to him,

and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove

and coming to rest on him;

and behold, a voice from heaven said,

'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.'" (Mt 3:16-17)

Jesus has already been revealed as the Son of God.

He is the true firstborn of the Father

In the incarnation of Jesus Christ, we finally understand what it means to call God "Father."

If all you did was read the Old Testament,

you might come away thinking that the fatherhood of God was a metaphor;

but in Jesus Christ we discover that God has been Father from all eternity.

Indeed, Jesus himself declares to us this most marvelous name of God

at the end of Matthew's gospel,

when he commands that we baptize "in the name [singular]

of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

And so when we pray, "Our Father who art in heaven,"

we immediately add, "hallowed be thy name!"

Because in this name-the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit-

we have been incorporated into the family and kingdom of God.

You were once aliens and strangers,

but now you are not only citizens of the kingdom,

you are children of the heavenly Father-you have been united to his Son, Jesus Christ,

and so all that belongs to Jesus is now yours.

The inheritance that he has received, sitting at the right hand of the Father,

has now been promised to you-

and in your baptism you have received the firstfruits of that promise

in the gift of the Holy Spirit.

So now we know what is the holy name of God.

But that is not the entirety of what Jesus is teaching us here.

2. How to Hallow God's Holy Name

"Hallowed be thy name" is not just a statement that God's name is holy.

This is in fact a petition.

"Hallowed be thy name" is not the same as "Holy is your name."

Rather, it means,

"Let your name be regarded as holy"

"Let your name be treated as holy"

Q. 101. What do we pray for in the first petition?
A. In the first petition, which is, Hallowed be thy name, we pray that God would enable us, and others, to glorify him in all that whereby he maketh himself known;[212] and that he would dispose all things to his own glory.[213]

In our prayers, we are to pray that God's name might be regarded as holy.

If you want to know how to do that, take a look at some prayers from the Bible.

Daniel 9 is a good example.

"O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love

With those who love him and keep his commandments." (9:4)

Daniel here echoes the language of Exodus 34,

when Yahweh had appeared to Moses.

Daniel acknowledges who Yahweh is-he is the covenant-keeping God.

But there is a problem,

because Israel has sinned.

And so Daniel confesses, "we have sinned and done wrong."

He details the sins of the people in rebelling against Yahweh,

and admits that God's judgment against them is just.

Moses had promised that Israel would go into exile

if they continued to rebel,

and sure enough, in Daniel's day, Israel is still in exile.

But now, Daniel recognizes that the promised time has come.

The faithful, covenant-keeping God has said that he would restore Jerusalem,

and so Daniel prays that God's holy name would be vindicated:

"We do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness,

but because of your great mercy.

"O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act.

Delay not, for your own sake, O my God,

because your city and your people are called by your name."

As we look at the broken-down character of the church in our day-

as we endure yet another Babylonian captivity of the church,

as the city of God appears to lie in bondage to the false glory of the city of man-

we must pray that God's holy name would be vindicated.

"O God, have mercy upon your people,

not because of our righteousness,

but because we are called by your name!

Your reputation-the sanctity of your name, O God, is at stake!

Let your name be regarded as holy!

And this will only happen as the nations are converted to your will,

and as your church grows in the grace and wisdom of Christ!"

We need to have the same confidence as Daniel.

Daniel remembered God's promises,

and he prayed that God's name would be glorified.

He was confident that God would act, because

1) God had promised

and 2) "your city and your people are called by your name."

We are now citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem.

But more than that, we are children of our heavenly Father.

We should therefore pray with boldness and confidence

that what he has promised, he will do,

because we are called by his name.

God has placed his name upon you in your baptism.

The reason why God will answer your prayers is not because of how good you are.

It is because you are called by his name.

His reputation is at stake.

And so there is also a sense in which the petition "hallowed be thy name"

is also a prayer that we might treat God's name as holy.

It is to pray that God would re-orient our hearts to sanctify his glorious name!

As you can see from Daniel's prayer,

prayer is not primarily "about" us.

We do not pray that our name would be set apart.

We do not ask that we would receive glory and honor.

We pray that God's name would be honored.

We pray that he would receive glory and honor.

As Jesus is teaching us in Matthew 6,

our focus needs to be turned around.

We must turn away from our self-centered emphasis,

and turn towards our heavenly Father.

It is not our name, our glory, our future,

that is the most important thing in our lives,

it is that God's name would be honored.

As Jesus says in 6:33,

seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,

and all these things will be added to you.

That's one reason why we have a hymn of repentance and a prayer of confession

at the beginning of every worship service.

We need to turn away from ourselves and be reminded who we are in Jesus Christ.

We begin our worship by remembering that we are not the center of the universe.

Jesus is!

In the later petitions we will begin to learn how to speak about ourselves,

but the first lesson of prayer is that we must learn how to speak about God.

We must learn how to pray that God's holy name would indeed be revealed in its full glory,

as Psalm 72 concludes:

"Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,

who alone does wondrous things.

Blessed be his glorious name forever;

may the whole earth be filled with his glory!

Amen and Amen."

Let us pray.

Baptismal Exhortation

Jesus Christ has sent me to make disciples of all nations. There are two things which he told his ministers to do, baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey all that he has commanded.

1. the meaning of the sacrament,

Baptism is a sacrament of the new testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, not only for the solemn admission of the party baptized into the visible church; but also, to be unto him a sign and seal of the covenant of grace, of his ingrafting into Christ, of regeneration, of remission of sins, and of his giving up unto God, through Jesus Christ, to walk in newness of life. Which sacrament is, by Christ's own appointment, to be continued in his church until the end of the world.

All these graces are conferred upon us when God is pleased to incorporate us into his Church by baptism. For in this sacrament he testifies to us the remission of our sins. And for this cause, he has ordained the sign of water, to signify that as by this natural element the body is washed of its bodily odors so he wishes to wash and purify our souls. Here we have a sure witness that God wishes to be a loving Father, not counting all our faults and offenses. Secondly, that he will assist us by his Holy Spirit so that we can battle against the devil, sin, and the desires of our flesh, until we have victory in this, to live in the liberty of his kingdom. Those two things are accomplished in us, through the grace of Jesus Christ: it follows that the truth and substance of baptism is comprised in him. For we have no other washing than in his blood, and we have no other renewal than in his death and resurrection. But as he communicates to us his riches and blessings by his word, so he distributes them to us by his sacraments. (Confession 28.1; Geneva, 1542)

2. significance of baptism for the congregation,

As Heinrich Bullinger said:

"For as the water washes away all the dirt of the body, the stains and spots and any kind of impurity, so also the one over whom the baptismal waters have been poured, is received by God's grace, washed by the blood of Jesus, and obligated to live a new life."

The needful but much neglected duty of improving our Baptism, is to be performed by us all our life long, especially in the time of temptation, and when we are present at the administration of it to others; by serious and thankful consideration of the nature of it, and of the ends for which Christ instituted it, the privileges and benefits conferred and sealed thereby, and our solemn vow made therein; by being humbled for our sinful defilement, our falling short of, and walking contrary to, the grace of baptism, and our engagements; by growing up to assurance of pardon of sin, and of all other blessings sealed to us in that sacrament; by drawing strength from the death and resurrection of Christ, into whom we are baptized, for the mortifying of sin, and quickening of grace; and by endeavoring to live by faith, to have our conversation in holiness and righteousness, as those that have therein given up their names to Christ; and to walk in brotherly love, as being baptized by the same Spirit into one body. (Larger Catechism 167)

3. the reason for baptizing children,

Acts 2

Infants as well as their parents, belong to the covenant and people of God, and through the blood of Christ both redemption from sin and the Holy Ghost, who works faith, are promised to them no less than to their parents. Therefore they are also by Baptism, as a sign of the covenant, to be ingrafted into the Christian Church, and distinguished from the children of unbelievers, as was done in the Old Testament by circumcision, in place of which in the New Testament Baptism is appointed. (Heidelberg Catechism 74)

As John Calvin said:

"Infants are renewed by the Spirit of God according to the capacity of their age, till that power which is concealed within them grows by degrees, and becomes fully manifest at the proper time."

4. and to pray that the reality will accompany the sign

Let us be mindful that God, our savior, wills that all men come to a knowledge of the truth, through the only mediator, Jesus Christ, who gave himself as a ransom for all men. It is also his will that we should pray for one another that we come to one and the same faith and knowledge of God's Son our savior. Therefore, let us pray God that N. receive a true and living faith and that the outward baptism be, through the work of the Holy Spirit, inwardly accomplished with the cleansing water of grace. (Strasburg, 1525-37; Zurich, 1526; etc.)

As our Confession says, the efficacy of baptism is not tied to that moment of time wherein it is administered; yet, notwithstanding, by the right use of this ordinance, the grace promised is not only offered, but really exhibited, and conferred, by the Holy Ghost, to such (whether of age or infants) as that grace belongeth unto, according to the counsel of God's own will, in his appointed time (Confession 28.6)

Jesus Christ has ordained baptism as a means of grace, whereby God offers, exhibits and confers the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit to his people. This does not have to happen at the exact moment of baptism, but we are to pray that as the sign is performed upon earth so indeed the thing signified will be accomplished in heaven.

Let us pray:

Baptismal Invocation (silent prayer, then):

Almighty, merciful God and Father, who has promised us in Abraham,

the father of us and all the faithful,

that it is your will to be not only our God but the God of our children as well.

So also your Son, our Lord Jesus,

received the children which were presented to him,

graciously accepting them, bestowing upon them his blessing

and declaring that to such belong the Kingdom of Heaven.

O good God and Father, trusting in this your promise and your example,

we presume to appear before the sight of your divine majesty

in the name of your Son, our Lord Jesus,

and pray that you forgive us for never having been truly thankful

for your grace toward us and the redemption of your Son

which you have imparted to us in baptism

and that we have never really striven to die to ourselves

and to live alone to you our heavenly Father.

O merciful Father, we pray and beseech you,

grant to us and increase in us your Holy Spirit

that we may recognize more and more your unspeakable grace,

demonstrated in baptism, whereby you have accepted us as your children,

that we be truly thankful and show ourselves to be your people and children.

Graciously accept from us Emily Anastasia Tsipis

born of your own people,

whom you have given to them and whom you have created in your image.

Since no one can be pleasing to you except that your Spirit live within him,

we pray that you grant your Holy Spirit to this child.

and with that same Spirit establish and seal her heart.

Also grant that as I, your servant and minister of the new covenant,

do now administer this holy baptism according to your command and promise,

so may you grant to Emily inner renewal of spirit and true regeneration,

making her your child.

Through your name bestow and bequeath that Emily be baptized into the death of Christ Jesus,

that she be buried with him,

that she die to all sins, and through Christ be raised up to life,

to the service of righteousness and all that is good.

As we baptize her in your name,

we ask that you completely forgive all inherited sin through our Lord Jesus Christ

and never reckon it to her.

Truly impart to her sonship and in all things receive her as your heir

-a fellow heir of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Heavenly Father, grant in such faith,

that as we baptize this child we might be inclined and impelled

to receive her as a fellow members of the body of Christ,

to faithfully pray for her, and earnestly educate her,

that through her your name might be glorified, your Kingdom increased

and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

And to these spiritual graces grant to Emily physical health,

minister to all her needs and grant to her your fatherly protection,

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Admonitions

To the church:

The Reformers didn't like the practice of having godparents stand up front with the parents. Because if the child is baptized into Christ and becomes a member of his church, then the whole congregation becomes the godparents. All of you are responsible for Emily, and for all other baptized children who will ever come into this church. Whenever a child is baptized into the one body, that child becomes a part of the body-he or she becomes a part of you. Christ calls you to receive this little child as a member of His Body-for Jesus said, "whoever receives this child in my name, receives me." If you will receive this child in Jesus' name, then please stand.

To the parents:

Because this child is being received into the church of Jesus Christ, you are to promise to teach this child in the holy doctrine of our Lord, what we are to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of us.

Therefore teach her the faith and confession of true Christians, instructing her in the principles of our holy religion as revealed in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, and as summarized in the Confession of Faith and Catechisms of this Church.

Apostles' Creed

Also teach her all that Christ has commanded us, to love the Lord his God with all her heart, all her soul, all her mind and all her strength, and to love her neighbor as herself.

The Ten Commandments (TH 724)

Teach this child also to put her whole confidence in God, to honor and serve him alone, and as a true Christian renounce the world, the flesh and the devil, denying herself and abandoning all to follow Jesus, bearing her cross. Do you so promise?

To the child:

God did not say to Abraham, "would you like me to be your God"? But rather, "I will be your God and the God of your children after you." And because God has called your parents to be his people, so now he calls you to be his own.

Baptism

Emily Anastasia Tsipis, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Baptismal Thanksgiving

Almighty God, Heavenly Father, we give you eternal praise and thanks, that you have granted and bestowed upon this child your fellowship, that you have born her again to yourself through your holy baptism, that she has been incorporated into your beloved Son, our only Savior, and is now your child and heir. Grant, most loving and faithful Father, that we in the whole course of our lives might prove our thankfulness for your great grace, faithfully bring up this your child through all the situations of life and that we with this child as well, might more and more die unto the world, and joined to the life of your Son, our Lord Jesus, daily grow in grace, that we might ever praise you and be a blessing to our neighbor, through our Lord Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray, saying, Our Father.... Amen.

Benediction to the child

"May God grant to you that, as you have been cleansed by water and the Word, that even so you may at the last day appear before Christ the judge with a pure conscience. Amen"

Closing Hymn "To Jordan Came Our Lord, the Christ"