Thursday – To allow us to have life in His Name
READ: John 20:30-31; John 3:14-15
SOAP: John 20:31
“…but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:31
For His name, early Christians died terrible deaths in arenas fighting lions and wild animals with their bare hands. For His name, many faced persecution, were crucified, and exiled from their homes. For His name, men and women all over the world face persecution today. For His name, many Christians today go to foreign lands and raise their kids away from their love ones in remote countries in order to serve God as missionaries and deliver the message of salvation. Why? Because there is power in the name of Jesus. At His name, every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth. At His name, every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11).
Have you noticed how Satan has tried to erase the name of Jesus from every public place? He has banalized and mocked Jesus’ name so that fewer and fewer people know who He really is and how they can be saved? That didn´t happen by chance. Satan robs, kills, and destroys. And that´s precisely why we need to lift high the name of Jesus during Christmas!
Heavenly Father, it´s amazing to learn about Jesus through the Scriptures. I praise You for giving us the Holy Bible and allowing us to see the life and miracles of Jesus. Thank You for giving us salvation through His name. Amen.
Fun fact: Do you know why the name of Jesus is sometimes depicted inside of a fish? A simple fish was the secret symbol of the early Christians because the word “fish” in Greek (ΙΧΘΥΣ you can read it like ichthys), is an acronym of the name of Jesus. Let me try to explain it – “Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, Θεοῦ Υἱός, Σωτήρ” (Iēsous Christos, Theou Yios, Sōtēr), which translates into English as ‘Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior’. If you put together the first letter of these five Greek words, you get ἸΧΘΥΣ, which means “fish”.
Mini challenge: How creative can you get with the name of Jesus? Make some fish with whatever materials you have at home and include the name of Jesus, then find a fun way to include them in your Christmas decorations.