The Christian poster “And He shall be called” was created twenty years ago and at that time we had no idea that it would become so popular, becoming the best selling Christian poster that it is today.
At first glance it is just a poster of all the Names of Christ we find in the New Testament. Simple enough.
I am not sure why we even called it “And he shall be called.” Why didn’t we just call it the Names of Christ?
Most people refer to it as the Names of Christ poster.
We didn’t even put the Names of Christ in any order, neither alphabetical nor in order that they appear in the New Testament.
Yet as it turned “Advocate” is the first name on this list and “The Way, The Truth and The Life” ends the list.
Looking back maybe that was a God thing. You know those events that happen in your life that you can’t explain, somehow they just happen and when you look back at them you realize there was a purpose and it then makes sense to you sometimes it’s years later.
“And He shall be called” poster has had a profound effect on me and my life over the last 20 years.
And if sales of nearly 1.5 million copies means anything the poster has had an effect on many and I think partly because each of the names on the poster have the bible reference printed right below the name so that you can dig deeper into the meaning of each of the names.
“And He Shall Be Called” – Names of Christ by InspirationArt
It’s interesting that with this poster, over time, the names take on new meanings as we grow in our faith our understanding of God and our relationship with Jesus Christ, the Names of Christ become more meaningful to us.
I always thought that the name “Rose of Sharon” had such a nice ring to it.
The meaning of Jesus Christ being called the Rose of Sharon comes from “The Song of Solomon” in the old testament.
The Rose more accurately called the crocus or genus of flowering plants in the iris family and Sharon is the rich coastal plain south of Carmel between the Mediterranean Sea and the mountains of central Palestine.
The Song of Solomon is a collection of poems or fragments of poems that remind us of human love and many are sung at weddings.
We think of Christ as the husband to humankind and the church being the bride so the Rose of Sharon expresses this love of Christ for each of us.
So where in the Bible do we find “And He shall be called,” in reference to Jesus Christ and the poster.
Most of us would be reminded of the passage in Matthew 2:20 when the angel appeared to Joseph telling him that Mary would bear a son and “you shall call his name Jesus” and then Matthew quotes from the book of Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold a young woman shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel.”
In the book of Psalm 41:2 “The Lord will protect him and keep him alive, and he shall be called blessed upon the earth.” And in Matthew 2:23 “He shall be called a Nazarene.”
Probably the Name of Christ that has the most power for me and is the best summary of the relationship I have with Christ is the last line on the poster “And He shall be called” that comes from the book of John 14:6, starting with Thomas saying to Jesus, “Lord we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” And Jesus responds by saying, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
For me it’s really pretty simple. Doubting Thomas isn’t really sure what Jesus is talking about and raises the issue in a question, we don’t even know where you are going Lord, let alone how to get there.
I think at times we all ask that question.
Where are you Lord?
And how do we get there to be with you?
Jesus responds by saying in effect, I am the way just follow me, follow me in truth, and I will leave you to eternal life.
I think Jesus also is saying “just trust me, I will lead you there in truth, and it will be forever.”
And the Jesus get really direct when He says, no one comes to the Father but through me.
No one.
Absolutely no one.
In my mind that leaves no question about how we get eternal life.
Each of the Names of Christ on the poster “And He shall be called” has a deep and significant meaning.
I’ve given you just two of them.
More to come…