SPANISH VERSION »
IN NO OTHER NAME
Fr. Steven Scherrer, MM, ThD
Homily of Friday, Easter Friday, April 05, 2013
Acts 4:1-12, Ps. 117, John 21:1-14

"There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. He did not become incarnate in any other country or culture. Moreover, he died, executed and punished as a criminal and sinner on a cross to take our part, for it was we who should have been crucified in punishment for our sins. He was punished instead of us for our sins to make just reparation and satisfaction for them, thus expiating them, propitiating divine justice. Because death entered the world as a punishment for the sin of Adam (Gen. 2:17; Rom. 5:12-21), Christ was sent to take on himself this punishment and suffer it instead of us, on our behalf, to free us from our sins and burden of guilt, for he served our death sentence for our sins for us. Thus God was able to forgive us in all justice, as is fitting for an all-just God. And since Jesus is God, God himself suffered our punishment for our sins instead of us, showing his infinite mercy and love.

All this happened only once in history, and it happened for the entire human race, for people of every culture, language, people, nation, and religion. All one needs to do is to hear this proclamation of salvation and put his faith in Jesus Christ to be saved, with all his sins forgiven and with Christ henceforth dwelling in his heart, shining in him with the splendor of his own righteousness, making him truly righteous and holy.

There is no other Savior in this world. There is no other incarnation of the Son of God. There is no other sacrifice that made satisfaction and reparation for the sins of the world. Christ alone was sent by God to do this for all mankind. Jesus Christ, therefore, is for everyone. This is why he gave his followers a mission to proclaim this good news of salvation, this gospel, unto the ends of the earth, in all the languages of man, so that every person might hear it in his own language and come to believe in Christ for his salvation. All should hear of him and have the opportunity to believe in him, for "there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). Only Christ was sent for this, "that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

It is the mission of the Church, given to her by Christ, to preach the death of Christ for our salvation in all parts of the world, using all means of communication, including the internet, to invite all to believe in him, be baptized with water, and enter into the community of the Church in order to have the fullness of the grace, revelation, and life of God in this present life, and a clear hope of eternal life in heaven with him in splendor and light, embraced by his love.

It is therefore supremely important to believe in Christ, for "he who believes in the Son has eternal life; he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him" (John 3:36). "He who has the Son has life; he who has not the Son of God has not life" (1 John 5:12). "He who believes in him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God" (John 3:18). "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned" (Mark 16:15-16).