“The Power of the Name”

Scripture: Acts 8:4-13 (Chi-Rho)

Throughout the Gospels and the other writings of the New Testament, we read that there is power in the name of Jesus. “Whatever you ask in my name…” is far more than just a call to prayer – it’s a call to faith and trust in the NAME of Jesus, and from there, to lift up our burdens and praises to the Lord (John 14:13-14). For Israel, your name was more than just a personal identity – it indicated who and whose you were, it showed relationship with your family, it established your relationship to the nation. And for us, without hope in the name of Jesus, we have no eternal family, no unbreakable identity, no one who will be able to help us in our struggles.

In Luke 4:16-30, we read of Jesus’ experience in his hometown of Nazareth. He read the scriptures and he spoke of his mission, but it was too radical for the leaders of the synagogue, and they were ready to kill him. But as much as they wanted that to happen, they had no power or authority to carry their desires through to completion. The name of Jesus, and the truth of God that rests upon that name, is more powerful than anything the world could ever conceive.

Today, we consider the Christian symbol Chi-Rho, which represents the name of Jesus. This two-part symbol consists of the first two capital letters of the Greek word for Christ. As a bit of historical trivia, the first letter, our “X”, would be used as an abbreviation in the word Christmas – or Xmas! Interestingly, the “X” doesn’t represent the unknown – it very specifically represents the name of Jesus! Now I am not advocating for a return to wishing our friends a “Happy Xmas”! It is just that I want folks to understand that the word itself does not imply a pagan understanding of Christmas. In its original context, it was Christian through and through.

Tradition also tells us that the Emperor Constantine had a dream one night in which he was being told to put the Chi-Rho symbol on the shields of all his soldiers. The next morning he ordered that very thing, and when the time of battle arrived in his conflict with the Roman Emperor Maxentius, on October 28 in the year 312, the Roman army was soundly defeated. The symbol would remain on the army’s shields, and in some instances, it may even have been placed on their battle flags.

Anyway, our symbol today is Chi-Rho (“ki” or “kee”) – a representation of the name of Jesus which proclaims the power that rests in that holy name.

Read Acts 8:4-8

Following the stoning of Stephen, persecution of the followers of Jesus began in earnest. Torture and execution of the faithful became everyday events, and to escape the attacks, the faithful fled Israel in order to make new homes, primarily in Gentile lands. It’s a lot like hitting a piece of mercury – you can never destroy it, but it will spread in numerous small blobs all over the place! But mercury is mercury, and even when it is hit hard and abused, it never changes. It just splits and spreads. And when it does touch, it reunites once again.

In our passage from Acts, Philip has followed some of these folks to Samaria. Now we have to remember just who the Samaritans were – they were half-breed Jews who Israel had proclaimed as the ultimate sinners and that they were the most unworthy of all people on the face of the earth. In John’s gospel (John 4:1-26), we see Jesus tearing down these boundaries when he had that conversation with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, and it is important to realize that his disciples were following in his footsteps. The power of that holy name works, not only in lives to bring new believers into the family, but also in the hearts and minds of the faithful to enable them to do all that the Spirit would have them do.

In our passage, we can see just what Philip has been led to do. He begins by sharing the life of Messiah – who he is, and all that his life can mean for those who believe. The truth of God becomes the impetus for unlocking the power behind the name of Jesus. By proclaiming him as Messiah, Philip is able to cast out demons, to heal the lame, and probably many other unnamed miracles.

But no matter what the Spirit does for us, and no matter how much joy he may enable within us, there is always someone who thinks that they are even better and more powerful than the Lord.

Read Acts 8:9-11

Simon the sorcerer had no compunction whatsoever in proclaiming his own greatness. Scripture tells us that Jesus was humble and never “tooted” his own horn. He was certainly worthy of great honor, but he left that word up to those whose lives had been changed through his presence. The power and authority of Jesus came from God – as for the abilities of Simon, we have no idea of the source of his abilities. However, he had so impressed the people that they all decided that his power must have come from Almighty God.

In Matthew 24:23-28, Jesus tells us that we must be wary of “false messiahs and false prophets”. He says that they will “perform great signs and wonders” with the express purpose to deceive us, and that even the faithful will fall for his lies. These are Satan’s disciples who work to deceive, to confuse, to bring doubts to bear on our lives. Satan has that power, but he will never have the power to build up and to bring worthiness to our lives. He can’t forgive, he can’t proclaim Jesus, he can’t open the way to eternal life, and he has absolutely no truth within him. He can only tear us down, and he rejoices in that!

In verse 11, we read that the reason that people had begun following Simon is that he “amazed them”. Not that they believed that he was right, but that they couldn’t explain how he did what he did. Of course, “amazement” was also part of Jesus’ way, but on its own, that could never hold the attention of anyone very long. Jesus’ life was about the truth of God, and as strange as some of his teaching was, some would realize that his way was exactly what their lives needed.

The lure of amazement will last only so long, but eternal truth will bring revival to our lives. And that is what Philip had come to bring to the people of Samaria.

Read Acts 8:12-13

Did Philip proclaim signs and miracles? No! He brought the Good News of heaven and the name of Jesus Christ, and the people believed. They were baptized in their new found faith, and that is the change that the power of Christ can institute in our lives. It wasn’t amazement, it wasn’t the signs that brought them to Christ – it was divine truth.

And who else came to that realization? SIMON! Go Figure! A new believer, forgiven for his errant ways, committed to Christ in baptism, and leaving his previous life behind. He began following Philip, learning from his teaching about Jesus, and he was amazed – not through the power of the signs he saw, not because he envied Philip’s ability to do miraculous things, but at the power that will come through faith in the one Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Chi-Rho – the name of Jesus – had been imprinted on his life – not on his worldliness, but on the faith that he now possessed. It is the power of the name that brings salvation to all who believe; it is the power in his name that can free us from bondage to the ways of the world; it is the power of faith in that wonderful name that can heal our every ill and infirmity; it is the power that Philippians 2:5-11 says will take every knee down and every tongue up in honor and proclamation of the power that lives within the name of Jesus.

And all we have to do to allow this incredible and amazing power to begin working in our lives, is to believe in the precious and powerful name of Jesus.