In Antioch, something happened that couldn’t be contained in a private faith. As Barnabas and Saul poured a year of steady teaching into a growing church, the watching world noticed a distinct people—and gave them a name that stuck.

Community That Makes Jesus Visible

Acts 11:26 says, “The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.” That label wasn’t manufactured by a branding strategy; it was recognized because a real community was forming around a real Savior. It’s sobering and thrilling: people should be able to look at our shared life—our tone, our priorities, our mercy, our courage—and conclude, “Those people belong to Christ.”

Jesus told us what the giveaway would be: “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). Love isn’t vague sentiment; it shows up when we forgive, when we tell the truth with gentleness, when we keep showing up. “And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds. Let us not neglect meeting together…” (Hebrews 10:24–25). A Christian identity isn’t meant to be carried alone.

A Year of Being Shaped, Not Just Inspired

Antioch wasn’t built on hype; it was built on formation. “For a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught large numbers of people” (Acts 11:26). There’s a big difference between being impressed by Jesus and being instructed by Him. Discipleship takes time—steady truth, repeated repentance, practiced obedience, and patient growth.

God’s aim isn’t to make us more informed sinners; it’s to make us renewed worshipers. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). And that renewing comes as Scripture takes up residence: “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, as you teach and admonish one another…” (Colossians 3:16). The name “Christian” fits best on a life being continually taught.

Living So the Name Isn’t Empty

Being called Christian is not merely being “nice” or “religious.” It’s being so united to Christ that His life shows up in ours. “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). That changes what we do with our bodies, our words, our money, our screens, our ambitions—because we’re not our own anymore.

And it sends us outward. “Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ…” (2 Corinthians 5:20). Antioch didn’t just get a nickname; it became a witness. God still loves to put His people in public places where the world can’t help but notice a different King. “You are a chosen people… that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

Father, thank You for the name of Jesus and the privilege of belonging to Him. Fill me with Your love and renew my mind by Your word today; help me live in a way that makes Christ unmistakable. Amen.

In reading Second Corinthians, it is difficult to restrain a feeling of real pity for the noble old man as he sweats under the bitter lashings of the enemy. But such pity is wasted now. He has long been where the wicked cease from troubling and the toilworn are at rest. For many long years, his eyes have gazed upon the vision beatific in the land where The red rose of Sharon Distills its heartsome bloom And fills the air of heaven With ravishing perfume.

He walks now with the noble army of martyrs and shares the goodly fellowship of the prophets and the glorious company of the apostles. He does not need our pity.

But from Paul and his afflictions we may learn much truth, some of it depressing and some altogether elevating and wonderful. We may learn, for instance, that malice needs nothing to live on; it can feed on itself. A contentious spirit will find something to quarrel about. A faultfinder will find occasion to accuse a Christian even if his life is as chaste as an icicle and pure as snow. A man of illwill does not hesitate to attack, even if the object of his hatred be a prophet or the very Son of God Himself. If John comes fasting, he says he has a devil; if Christ comes eating and drinking, he says He is a winebibber and a glutton. Good men are made to appear evil by the simple trick of dredging up from his own heart the evil that is there and attributing it to them.

There I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy-seat. - Exodus 25:22

Seeking God does not cover our heads from the storm of external calamities, nor arm our hearts against the darts and daggers of many a pain, anxiety, and care; but disturbance around is a very small matter if there be a better thing - rest within. Do you remember who it was that said, " In the world ye shall have tribulation . . . but in Me ye shall have peace"? Then we have, as it were, two abodes - one, as far as regards the life of sense, in the world of sense - another, as far as regards the inmost self, which may, if we will, be in Christ. A vessel with an outer casing and a layer of air between may be kept at a temperature above that of the external atmosphere. So we may have round us- and, if God so wills, let us not kick against His will - the very opposite of repose; we may have conflict and stir and strife, and yet a better rest than that of King Asa and his people (Chron. 15:15) may be ours. "Rest round about" is sometimes good and sometimes bad. It is often bad, for it is the people that " have no changes " who most usually " do not fear God." But rest within, that is sure to come when a man has sought with all his desire for God, whom he has found in all His fulness, is good only and best of all.

We all know, thank God! in worldly matters and in inferior degree, how blessed and restful it is when some strong affection is gratified, some cherished desire fulfilled! Though these satisfactions are not perpetual, nor perfect, they may teach us what a depth of blessed and calm repose, incapable of being broken by any storms or by any tasks, will come to and abide with the man whose deepest love is satisfied in God, and whose most ardent desires have found more than they sought for in Him! Be sure of this, dear friend, that if we do thus seek, and thus find, it is not in the power of anything "that is at enmity with joy" utterly to "abolish or destroy" the quietness of our hearts. " Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him." They who thus repose will have peace in their hearts, even whilst tasks and temptations, changes and sorrows, disturb their outward lives.

Thus we may have the peace of God, rest in and from Him, entering into us, and in due time, by His gracious guidance and help, we shall enter into eternal rest. Whilst to seek is to find Him, in a very deep and blessed sense, even in this life; in another aspect all our earthly life may be regarded as seeking after Him, and the future as the true finding of Him. That future shall bring to those whose hearts have turned from the shows and vanities of time to God a possession of Him so much fuller than was experienced here that the lesser discoveries and enjoyments of Him which are experienced here, scarcely deserve in comparison to be called by the same name. " He was found of them, and the Lord gave them rest round about," as well as within, in the land of peace, where sorrow and sighing, and toil and care, shall pass from memory; and they that warred against us shall be far away.