Acts 19:11-22

The song “What a Beautiful Name” by Hillsong Worship contains the following refrain in its chorus:

““What a beautiful Name it is
What a beautiful Name it is
The Name of Jesus Christ my King
What a beautiful Name it is
Nothing compares to this
What a beautiful Name it is
The Name of Jesus””

Certainly, the Name of Jesus is beautiful - beautifully strong, I might add. The song continues on to describe astounding entities associated with the Name of Jesus, such as God’s “hidden glory in creation,” the revelation of God’s love being greater than our sins, and heavens roaring.

This passage describes the outcome when the Name of Jesus interacts with our physical, broken world. This effect is two-fold. Primarily, Jesus’s name incites a violent reaction from an evil spirit possessing a man in Ephesus. When seven men command the spirit to come out of the man, the spirit responds that it knows Jesus and of Paul, but not the seven men. The spirit then proceeds to violently attack the seven men. Clearly, Jesus’s name holds such incredible power if it demanded such an extreme counteroffensive from the demon.

Secondly, as a result, the people of Ephesus are inspired and begin to hold the Name of Jesus in high honor. Many people repent of their sinful, wicked ways, even going so far as to burn scrolls associated with witchcraft. As a result of this, the word of God continues to spread and grow in power. The Name of Jesus also holds the power to revolutionize the ways of an entire community.

This is mirrored in the present day. Not only does the Name of Jesus have real impacts in the moment, but lives can also be radically changed when people hear the stories of Jesus’s impact. This Name is so powerfully beautiful that it produces a ripple effect across our lives and societies. And, in my opinion, that is certainly a sublime form of beauty.