THERE IS POWER IN HIS NAME.
THE name “Jesus” means “Saviour.” “Thou shalt call His name Jesus; for He shall save His people from their sins.” Matt. 1:21. He was also called Emmanuel, which means “God with us.” On the day of Pentecost, when many were convicted of sin by the power of the Holy Spirit, and cried out, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost.” Acts 2:37, 38. Shortly afterward Peter and John were called before the council and questioned concerning the healing of a certain man who had been lame from his birth. Then Peter declared that “by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth” the man had been made whole. And to this testimony he added the further declaration that “neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:7-12. Dr. Banks tells of an early missionary to Africa who, for over two years, was at a loss for some expression by which to make known the idea of a Saviour. At last he heard a native tell some others how his master had saved him from being killed by a lion. After listening to the adventure, he asked the man what he would call the one who had saved him from death, when, to his great joy, he found the long-desired and powerful word. At once he told the man about Jesus his Saviour in a way to make it clear to him; and the poor native, having caught the full meaning of the message, was surprised to learn what the missionary had been trying all that time to tell the people. In telling of his joy because of the discovery and its result, the missionary said: “I spent four years in Africa. For fourteen months I never saw bread; for months I have lived on African beans and sour milk; I have eaten everything from ants to rhinoceri; thirty times I had fever; I have been attacked by native bands, three times I have been attacked by lions, and four times by rhinoceri; but I would go through it all again for the ineffable joy of that moment when I heard the word Saviour, and saw the light of that man’s face at the message it conveyed to him!” The wonderful power of the name of Jesus, a power sufficient even to forgive sin, is available to every one who will believe in Him and implicitly trust Him. His assurance is: “Whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in My name, I will do it.” John 14:13, 14. The only conditions are that we shall ask believing, (Mark 11:22-24), and in a spirit of obedience (1 John 3:21, 24). It is into this name that the true believer is baptized, thus becoming a recognized member of the heavenly family, with all its privileges and blessings and promises. See Gal. 3:26-29. “Take the name of Jesus with you,
Child of sorrow and of wo;
It will joy and comfort give you,
Take it, then, where’er you go.”