Do Names Matter?

“There is no other name under heaven given among men

by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12, NKJV).

            When we were young (or maybe not so young) and people called us derogatory names, it hurt our feelings. If we ran home crying about it, our parents may have tried to make us feel better by telling us that names don’t matter. But is that true?

            In many cultures, names matter a lot. Parents don’t choose their children’s names based on current trends or popularity contests. The names they assign to their offspring mean something, whether the name of an older relative or a name denoting the parents’ dreams or wishes for their child’s future.

            God didn’t pick a name out of a hat for His only Son. He called Him Yeshua (Jesus), meaning “God’s Salvation” or “Rescuer/Deliverer from God.” Later, in the Book of Acts, we see Peter and John confronted by the Jewish religious leaders and asked in whose authority they preached. Peter proclaimed the name of Jesus as not only his authority but as the ONLY name given by God and carrying the power of salvation for mankind.

            No other name. None. Only one. Exclusive? Absolutely. Not Buddha or Mohammed or Moses or anyone else. Only Jesus. Do names matter? They certainly do. And the enemy of the souls of mankind knows this full well. It is the reason you never hear people use the names of other religious leaders as curse words—only Jesus. It is the devil’s attempt to mock and denigrate the only Name that can bring salvation. May we, as Christians, be found faithful to not only honor that Name when we speak, but also in our everyday lives and actions. For names truly do matter—especially the Name above all names, the Name of Yeshua/Jesus.