Acts 4:8-12   Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people!  If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is “`the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

Do you know why you have the name that you have? Parents sometimes pick names because they like the way they sound, or someone else in the family has the same name, or in some cases it is because of the meaning of the name.

My name is Michael, which was the name of an angel, but I’ve been called a lot of different things. Sometimes people call me “Pastor” but that was my job and not really my name. When I was a little boy, my dad always called me “cowboy.” My mom called me Mikie. My wife calls me “Mike” with a deep west Texas accent that still makes my heart go pitter patter. I have three daughters who call me “Daddy” and the most recent name I was given is “Papa” which is one of the sweetest ones to hear.

In Biblical times, names were chosen for their meaning. Abraham means “exalted father.” Israel means “struggle with God.” Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew “Yeshua” which means “Savior.” There was a significance to the names given. Names today may not even have a meaning.

But even if we do not know what a person’s name means, just the thought of some names can evoke strong emotions. What do you think of when you hear Adolph Hitler or Charles Manson? What about Martin Luther, Martin Luther King Jr., Ghandi, Mother Theresa? What about Taylor Swift of Kanye West? How about Donald Trump or Joe Biden? Those names make you think certain things. A name is more than an arbitrary title or a series of letters and sounds. A name stands for the one who bears it.

The most significant name in all Scripture is that of Jesus, the only Savior of the World. In the Old Testament, God promised to make His name dwell in Jerusalem (Dt. 12:5), where the temple was built for His name (I Kings 18:16-20). But now and forever the name of God is bound to the person of Jesus Christ, the one He sent to bring us salvation. There is no other way to the Father, no alternate route, no other option. Those who will not use the name of Jesus will not be saved. But those who call on His name and trust in the person it signifies will receive God’s gift of forgiveness. Jesus is the most important of all names. It is our task to proclaim that saving name because:  salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.

That name has been attached to you as a believer in a very special way: Baptism. God’s name was place on you, and as a believer you bear the name of Jesus Christ. Just as you are concerned about your own reputation, you should be concerned with what others will think of Christ because of your actions. Since you have the name of Jesus in your possession, bear it proudly and try to help others come to know Him as well.