Diecimila anni ai nostro Imperatore!

May 20, 2026

This week I am on vacation in Bergen, Norway, so I thought I would share a blog I wrote several years ago when I was visiting my son when he studied at Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia.

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July 4, 2015

Today I had the unbelievable privilege of going to the Sydney Harbor and Opera House with my son, Nate.  We were able to see Puccini’s opera, Turandot.

The opera takes place in China.  The law has been set that any man who wants to marry the beautiful princess Turandot must first answer three riddles.  If he fails, he will be beheaded. 

The Prince of Tartary falls immediately in love with Turandot after seeing her only once.  The Prince of Tartary answers the three riddles correctly but the princess falls at the Emperor’s feet and pleads to him not to give her away in marriage to the Prince.  The Prince having compassion tells her that if she can guess his name by morning he will give up his life and she will not have to marry him. 

In the last scene of the final act there is a tremendous song as the Princess is frustrated and distressed not knowing the Prince’s name.  She is a woman filled with ice for a heart, having sent dozens of men to their deaths over the years.  But the Prince awakens something in her and fearful of falling in love with him tells him to leave. 

The Prince reveals his name to her and puts his life into her hands.  She can destroy him if she wants.  In the last scene, her heart melted by his love and sacrifice, the Princess declares she knows the Prince’s name.  Diecimila anni ai nostro Imperatore! – “It is love!”

The entire last song I was mesmerized and all I could think about was Jesus.  Jesus comes to us and He takes our heart of ice…our hearts which have had so much built up around them over the years…and He begins to melt our hearts.  Jesus begins to strip away the hurt, the anger, the hatred, the pain in our lives. 

I Peter 2:24 tells us, ‘He himself bore our sins’ in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by his wounds you have been healed.’”  Jesus strips our sin away.

Like the Prince, Jesus does not force Himself on us. 

Revelation 3:20 states, “Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” 

He reveals His name and then it is our choice whether we accept Him or push Him away.  He shows us His love through His sacrifice on a cross, not only willing to die for each of us but actually allowing His hands and feet to be nailed, His body broken. 

Romans 5:8 reminds us, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 

Jesus gives up everything for us.

In John 10:18, Jesus says, “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.”  When we realize what He has done, His amazing love, how can we not declare His name? 

It is then our hearts become His and we realize His name is LOVE. 

I John 4:8 tells us, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

You and I serve an amazing God.  We are loved by a beautiful Savior.  He is the Prince of Peace and we do not need to solve riddles to have a relationship with Him.  We do not need to guess at His name.  We simply need to hear Him knocking on the doors of our hearts, open the door, and allow Him to come in and dine with us.  He loves us so! 

And, yes, we already know His name.  It is the “name that is above every name” (Philippians 2:9). 

His name is JESUS.