There Is Salvation In No One Else

 

God saves by His own name.

Reflection on Today’s Readings, Friday of Easter Octave, Year B, April 5th, 2024
Texts: Acts 4:1-12; Psalm 118:1-2,4,22-27; John 21:1-14 

What does the name of Jesus mean to me? What does the name mean to you? For Simon Peter, it means salvation. He says, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." How does Simon Peter know this? It is by his faith in the words of God. The post-resurrection teaching was to make disciples understand that Jesus fulfilled the Scripture. He suffered, died and rose from the dead to save us. 

The knowledge also comes to Simon Peter by experiencing the saving power Jesus’ name in his life. His faith in the name of Jesus has transformed his life. In the name of Jesus he asked a lame to stand up and walk and it was so. He says, “Be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, ... by him this man is standing before you well.” The lame who could now walk is a testimony that there is salvation in the name of Jesus.  

God saves by His own name

Simon Peter assures us, today, that our faith in Jesus Christ cannot but save us. But to come to this knowledge we need to have faith in the word of God. We cannot believe in the saving power of Jesus without faith in God’s word. The salvation must also be evident in our own lives; we must allow our faith in Jesus to transform our lives.  

It is true that there is no any other name under heaven given by God through we can be saved. However, whoever worship God in spirit and truth shall be saved. God does not save in the name of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob or Moses; God saves by His own name. Hence, people do not say ‘in the name of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob or Moses’; people call the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to save them. The name, Jesus, saves because it is the name of God the Son.  

Prayer 

Almighty ever-living God, who gave us the Paschal Mystery in the covenant you established for reconciling the human race, so dispose our minds, we pray, that what we celebrate by professing the faith we may express in deeds. Amen  

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke