I Have Called You by Name

Jim Clements · Tidal Church Moncton · April 5, 2026 · Easter series

Jim Clements looks at Mary Magdalene meeting the risen Jesus in John 20, where He speaks her name. The message reminds us that Jesus knows each of us personally, replaces the lies and labels we carry with a new identity, and invites us to follow Him.

More from Jim Clements · The Easter series

Topics: Identity, Discipleship, Easter

Transcript

[0:00] It's been a great morning. There's something about a name. When we think about names and how we've each gotten our names, and there's always some history usually behind when somebody receives a name. Like for me, my full name is James Dennis, and I got my name from my dad, who was James Dennis. And my grandfather named him James Dennis after a gentleman that was in the family that he really admired. That name was James Dennis. So when I had a son, I did what only should be done. I didn't name him James Dennis.

[0:46] His name is actually Dawson James Dennis. But he's named after my great-grandfather, Dawson Sweetapple. And so you think about the history that goes behind a name, and even just picking it by family lineage and just recognizing that from our family history. Even our daughter, her name is Dominique Mireille, and we picked that based on culture because we wanted to recognize my wife's culture as an Acadian and French language, so we picked a French name to go along with it. So there's lots of names that get picked and chosen throughout, and sometimes there's unusual names. When I went to university, there was a girl that went to university, her name was Crystal, which doesn't sound that weird unless your last name is Ball. And she was Crystal Ball.

[1:32] And so you think about those things as it goes through, and it doesn't matter how your name was chosen or whatever way or why it was chosen the way you are, a name matters. And for me, even in casual settings, when I'm out and about, if I'm at a retail situation or food service situation, I always ask the people their name. And if they got a name badge on, I always use their name. And in the whole interaction that we have and the conversation that we're having, I use the name the whole time. And it just lets them know, "I see you, and you matter." And you can tell the difference. Even you sitting here today, if someone calls you by your name when you're in a situation, it matters, and it makes you feel like you're recognized. And as we look through the Easter story, and we think about Jesus, whose name's the most powerful, the most wonderful, the most holy name above all names, we kind of recount the Easter story.

[2:24] The chronicles, if you would have, that led to the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus. The journey begins with the triumphal entry back into Jerusalem, and then as that unfolds on that Palm Sunday, then we quickly move to the Last Supper, to them being betrayed by Judas, to them being arrested. And it just continues, the story, to the point where we get where Jesus stands in front of the Romans and is accused and is set to be crucified. But on the third day, there's a great victory and celebration that comes when He defeats the grave and death so that we could have that freedom that He has for us. So today we celebrate, for He has risen, and we celebrate a risen King, is why we're here.

[3:14] The Easter story also has in it a reminder that it's not just about groups or crowds, but it's really an individual thing. He calls us by name, and one of the examples in the story is Mary Magdalene. And if we look at the quiet mornings of Easter, for as Mary arrives and a rock is removed from the tomb, and the experience that she has when she arrives there. Because just picture, it's cool, it's dark, and somebody that you love, someone that changed your life immensely, is gone. And you're arriving at this place. See, she had a personal connection with Jesus. She walked with Jesus. It tells us in Luke 8:2, "So afterwards Jesus began a tour of nearby towns and villages, preaching and announcing the good news about the kingdom of God. He took His 12 disciples with Him, along with some women who He had cured of evil spirits and diseases.

[4:13] Among them was Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out several demons." Mary had experience in her life that led to deep spiritual struggles before she met Jesus. She had some demonic possessions that Jesus healed her from. See, the thing is, some of these possessions, some of these deep spiritual struggles, you've written down. A lot of you have experienced them on the tiles that you've filled out over the last number of weeks. See, Satan is the father of all lies. He never tells us anything factual or stuff that we can look up and disprove. What he does is he tells us lies: rejected, weak, not good. He tells us those things because they're about us and identity, and eventually we begin to absorb those or think that they're true because we've heard a little inkling of it somewhere or might a little bit about it, and we begin to let that define who we are.

[5:14] He is the father of all lies. But when Jesus comes, He can remove those things for you. When you accept Him as your Lord and Savior, He replaces those lies with truths, truths that He speaks into you. He does that for Mary. He speaks truth into her life, what she was meant to do and what the call was on her life. Mary had a past. We all have a past. We all have challenges and struggles that we go through, things that move us away from Christ. We all have a story. Mary had a story. Jesus knew her story. Jesus knows our stories. Jesus knows your story. Jesus did not define her by what controlled her, what she struggled with, and He didn't let her be held back. Instead, He restored her dignity.

[6:10] He restored the fullness of how she was created, and then invited her to follow Him. That's the Mary that Jesus saw. He gave her a new definition and new fulfillment. And it's important for us to know, even for ourselves, the importance of the truth that comes from Jesus. See, He knew her past, and He knows your past. He knew her pain, and He knows our pain. He knew her struggles, and He knows your struggles. He knew her challenges, and He knows your challenges. He knew her name, and He knows your name. This is the Jesus that we serve, and He still today calls us by name.

[6:57] The people around us might label us with failure, hurt, awkward, stupid. Whatever we have heard, they're nothing but lies, and they cause nothing but hurt, pain, and separation from those around us, and from a complete relationship, a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus calls us by our name, not by our mistakes. Jesus calls us with His love, not through a world of despair that's telling us what we need to believe. Jesus sees us as His sons and daughters, not what the world or others would see us. Reminding us of the resurrection story for Easter that we celebrate here today, is Jesus met people where they were broken, where they were hurting, where they were suffering, where they had challenges, where they had struggles, in the failure, shame, regret, fear.

[7:56] He meets people still today there, but He doesn't call us by any of those names. We receive a new name, a new identity in Christ when we accept Him as our Lord and Savior. It tells us in John 1:12-13, "But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God. They were reborn, not with physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but from the birth that comes from God." Those who receive Christ become children of God. He restores our identity. He changes the way that He sees us, and He moves. We move. We move from outsider to family.

[8:41] We move from lost to known. We move from being fearful to being courageous because we accept Him as our Lord and Savior. Mary Magdalene's life was transformed. She was not just healed, but she became a devoted follower of Jesus Christ. When Jesus calls us, He restores our lives. He redefines it, He gives us a purpose, and then He breathes new life into us that only comes from Him. The labels that people give in the past to us, not worth, even some people, temper, overlooked, fear, fat, sin.

[9:30] You're not good enough. Those all come from people. They come from situations. They don't come from the One we serve. They're given by others. How does that change? Because the God that we know calls us His children when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and He calls you by name. Not by group, not by a room full. He calls you by name. Our true identity is determined by the one and only Jesus Christ, and not by anybody else, and not by any other situation. The resurrection story brings transformation.

[10:15] Brings transformation even before in history. Before the crucifixion, Jesus was addressing people and calling them by name and giving them new definition, new identity. There is only one name that conquered death and the grave, and that name is Jesus. The invitation that He gave and that He represents when He asks people to follow Him, He still gives today. And He's saying, "Do not let this earth, this world, these people, this society, this culture, give you any other name than the name that I give you as My followers. Be part of the family. When I come back, I'm going to give you an opportunity, if you have not received Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, to do that this morning."

[11:10] Because what's on these tiles doesn't define you. And maybe you didn't complete a tile, but you can see the words up there and you go, "Yeah, I feel that. Yes, I think that." This is not how you're defined. We serve a mightier God than the words that are on these tiles, and I'll give you an opportunity to know Him and to hear Him call you by name. Holy forever. As Mary approaches the tomb and she sees the stone rolled away on that morning, her heart aches as she thinks forever is lost, the Jesus that she knew. And so she leaves and she runs back to tell the disciples what she has seen.

[12:01] And Simon Peter and another disciple, they begin to race to the tomb. The other disciple arrives there first and peers inside and sees what is in there. But then Simon Peter arrives and walks inside the tomb, and he sees the cloth that covered the head of Jesus, folded nicely and laid where His head once was. And the rest of the linens are down at the other end. The other disciple comes in behind him and sees, and then they leave. And Mary peeks inside, and this is what the Scripture tells us in John chapter 20. "Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in.

[12:48] She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus was lying. 'Dear woman, why are you crying?' the angels asked her. 'Because they have taken away my Lord,' she replied, 'and I don't know where they put Him.' She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn't recognize Him. 'Dear woman, why are you crying?' Jesus asked her. 'Who are you looking for?' She thought He was the gardener and said, 'Sir,' she said, 'if you've taken Him away, tell me where you've put Him, and I will go get Him.' 'Mary,' Jesus says. She turned to Him and cried, 'Teacher!' 'Don't cling to Me,' Jesus said, 'for I haven't ascended to the Father yet. But go and find My brothers and tell them I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.' Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, 'I have seen the Lord.' Then she gave them the message."

[13:54] There are many times in our life that Jesus may be walking with us and we have an encounter, but we don't recognize Him in that moment because of our grief, our fear, maybe even confusion and pain that we're going through, and sometimes we just miss Him. The resurrection becomes really a real thing for Mary in that moment when she sees Him, and He says her name. And for us, that maybe when we hear our name said, we've responded the same way. But there's times when, I said, we don't recognize Him, and we ask questions kind of like, "Where's God in this situation?"

[14:43] We've heard questions like that before. Why is this happening? Or maybe even you found yourself saying or heard somebody say, "Why has God abandoned me?" When the reality is He's right there. He's present each time, even when we don't recognize Him. Our life can throw lots of curves at us, can make things very difficult at times. But the decision to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior is one of the most important things that you'll do in your life that will transform you in incredible ways. Because there's power in words that are spoken, or they wouldn't have gotten written on these tiles. Somebody has been given power, a situation has been given power through the words that were spoken, enough for you to write them on the tile.

[15:37] But there's one name that gets spoken above all names that's the most powerful, and that name is Jesus. And in that moment with Mary, Jesus just speaks a single word, and it's her name. And He just goes, "Mary." I know growing up, my mother would say my name in many different ways. If it was the full name, I was usually in trouble, James Dennis Clements. Or if it was high-pitched and excited, usually I was going somewhere that was dangerous, and she was trying to call me back from it. But we can tell a lot. I just picture in this moment when Mary is just so lost in her sorrow and mourning, but when He says her name, and He goes, "Mary," she immediately recognizes Him.

[16:29] And I think that is the way it is for us. That maybe in your moments in life as you've gone through, and even now sitting in here, you've heard Him whisper your name. For me, it would be Jim. Mary. You pick your name, and He says it. The time when He called you to Himself, you heard your name said by Jesus. And maybe you're sitting in here today, and you've heard that for the first time. And it changes everything when that moment happens, and you accept Him as your Lord and Savior. For Mary, that sorrow turned to being recognized and heard by Him, and her hearing Jesus.

[17:14] Her confusion turns to a strong faith, and her sorrow turns to an incredible hope for what was about to unfold that He had promised. Why do these things happen? It's because we have a personal relationship with Jesus. It's meant for each one of us to say yes to Him as Lord and Savior and to receive what He has in store, the purpose that He has in store for us. And Mary knew that He was the one who changed her life, that transformed her life from where she was to what she is now. It's not proof He gave. He just said her name.

[18:01] And if you're in here today, and you've never heard Jesus say your name until today, then what I want you to pray with me. In a second, I'll take you through a prayer, but if you're in here and you've heard Him whisper your name, and you received Him as Lord and Savior, I celebrate that with you today. That's what Easter is about, is a risen King who's defeated death and the grave so that we can be free for eternity and live a full and purposeful life of spreading the gospel. Part of Mary's story was her purpose wasn't just to tell the disciples, but it highlights for us that what we know is not for us to keep to ourselves, but for us to go and tell people so they can experience that same transformation, they can experience the same hope, the same Jesus that all of us who call Him our Lord and Savior have experienced.

[18:59] Is He calling you today? Have you looked at the titles? Maybe you've written the titles, and you've let that define you for way too long. They're just lies. All of them are lies. Weeping at the tomb, and the empty tomb, and discovering that Jesus is alive, and that Jesus will give us that personal invitation to receive Him as Lord and Savior is an incredible moment. The resurrection is not only a biblical event, it is a personal invitation for every individual to hear the gospel and to know Him in this way as a risen Savior.

[19:46] He's still calling people today. He may be calling you this morning. You've got to give in and just say, "Yes." On the wall that's behind me are nothing but lies that we've held on to, that we've thought are truth, but are not truth. The names that He knows us by are loved, known, chosen, worthy, masterpiece, delightful, precious, sufficient in me, forgiven. These don't matter anymore. These don't matter anymore.

[20:44] Those don't define us anymore. Only God defines us. The name of Jesus, and only Jesus, defines us.