Have you ever heard of a man named Polycarp? Don’t feel badly if you haven’t. Polycarp’s not exactly a household name, at least in most houses.

Yes, it’s an odd name, to our ears anyway. The name conjures up for most people today a product that’s manufactured from something made of plastic that tastes like freshwater fish. In the history of the church, the name lived through one century after another, and the person who bore it gave good reason for people to keep on mentioning the name.

Because of the story behind the name, Polycarp has significance for us as we worship. It’s a name rich in meaning when we think about the Christians who died as martyrs. They died because they devoted themselves exclusively to Jesus Christ. John had them in mind when he wrote about the Lamb. He wrote abou…