MAY 27, 2015
Marked By His
Name
The
disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. —Acts 11:26
Read:
Acts
11:19-26
In July 1860, the
world’s first nursing school opened at St. Thomas Hospital in London. Today
that school is part of the King’s College, where nursing students are called
Nightingales. The school—like modern nursing itself—was established by Florence
Nightingale, who revolutionized nursing during the Crimean War. When
prospective nurses complete their training, they take the “Nightingale Pledge,”
a reflection of her ongoing impact on nursing.
Many people, like Florence Nightingale, have had a significant
impact on our world. But no one has had a greater effect than Jesus, whose
birth, death, and resurrection have been transforming lives for 2,000 years.
Around the world, Christ’s name marks those who are His
followers, going back to the earliest days of the church. “When [Barnabas] had
found [Saul], he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they
assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples
were first called Christians in Antioch” (Acts 11:26).
Those who bear Christ’s name identify with Him because we have
been changed by His love and grace. We declare to the world that He has made an
eternal difference in our lives and we long for that in the hearts of others
too.
Father, give me the grace and wisdom to honor You. May my life
be so marked by the person of Christ that His great name—and salvation—will be
embraced by others as well.
Followers of
Christ—Christians—are marked by His name.
INSIGHT:
Antioch was a significant city for the early church. An assembly of believers
was birthed there, and Barnabas (“the son of encouragement”) was sent from
Jerusalem to help them (Acts 11:22). Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament,
stayed with this growing church for a year, which helped prepare him for his
role as an apostle.
Source: Our Daily Bread 2012
