Daily Devotions for Saturday, January 3, 2026: The Name That Makes Us Leap

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The Daily Devotional

Saturday, January 3, 2026

The Name That Makes Us Leap

“Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." — Philippians 2:9–11

Introduction

Today marks the 10th Day of Christmas, celebrated in the carol with "Ten Lords a-Leaping." While folklore often associates these lords with the Ten Commandments, there is a deeper resonance today as we stand at the intersection of history and liturgy. January 3rd is traditionally the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus—the day we remember when the Incarnate Word was formally named Yeshua, "God Saves."

It is a day of authority and identity. Just as Alaska gained the status of statehood on this day in 1959, entering a new identity within a union, and just as the "Lords" of the song leap in exuberant service to their King, we are invited to meditate on the power, identity, and joy found in the Name of Jesus.

Reflection

Names are far more than convenient labels; they are containers of essence and destiny. No one understood this better than J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of The Lord of the Rings, who was born on this day in 1892.

Tolkien was a philologist—a lover of words. Before he wrote his famous stories, he often invented the languages and names first. For him, the name preceded the narrative. He believed in "mythopoeia," the idea that when we create or name things truthfully, we are echoing the "True Myth" of the Gospel.

Consider the act of signing a legal document or a check. You might spend hours negotiating the terms of a contract or days working to earn the money in your account, but the power to execute that will or transfer that wealth is contained entirely in your signature—your name. Without the name, the paper is just pulp and ink. The name validates the promise.

In a similar but infinitely greater way, the Name of Jesus is the signature of God upon humanity. When the angel told Joseph to name the child Jesus, it wasn't just for identification; it was a declaration of intent. It was God signing His name to the contract of our salvation. The "Ten Lords" of the law may demonstrate God's standard, but it is the Name of Jesus that fulfills the promise. We do not just resolve to be better people in this New Year; we invoke the Name that empowers us to be new creations.

Application

As we move away from the holiday season and back into the routine of daily life, it is easy to leave the joy of Christmas behind. The challenge for today is to carry the Name of Jesus into your "secular" spaces.

When you sign an email, answer a phone call, or greet a neighbor today, remember that you bear the name "Christian." You are a carrier of the Holy Name. Let that reality shape your tone, your patience, and your ethics. Just as Tolkien believed that a true story reflects the Creator's light, your life is a sub-creation that tells the story of the Name you bear.

Conclusion

The 10th Day of Christmas reminds us that the Law and the Prophets—and indeed all of history—leap for joy at the arrival of the King. We are not defined by our past failures or our future anxieties, but by the Name that has been given to us. We begin this year not with a wish, but with the certainty of "God Saves."

Prayer

Gracious and Holy God, who gave Your Son the name Jesus to be a sign of Your saving love, grant that we may honor this Name not only with our lips but with our lives. As we step into this new year, may our hearts leap with the dignity of those called by Your Name. Help us to be authors of peace and truth in our own circles, reflecting the light of the True Myth in a world that longs for Your reality. We ask this in the Name above every name, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Devotional by: Kenny Sallee, ThM — Deming, NM, USA

The Bible texts are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) Bible, copyright © 1989, 1993, the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.