No Other Name
Opening Prayer
Jesus Christ, give me the courage to stand for You today. Give me the words to share Your hope with those around me.
Read ACTS 4:1–12
The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. 2 They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 3 They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. 4 But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.
5 The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. 6 Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family. 7 They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is
“‘the stone you builders rejected,
which has become the cornerstone.’
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
“Do you really believe that Jesus is the only way to salvation?” How would you respond if someone asked you that?To say that Jesus is our only hope is no more popular today than it has ever been. The lame man’s healing led to some success for the new teaching (4). But to the religious leaders (5), Peter and John increasingly looked like a problem. Something must be done.
The problem was not so much their popularity as their message. Peter and John were teaching about Jesus (2,10). Again, Peter didn’t shy away from reminding the people about who had killed Jesus. Worse, he was teaching about the resurrection of the dead (2,10). Most of the Temple authorities were Sadducees, who didn’t believe in resurrection (Luke 20:27). The night in jail (3) might have been the least of Peter and John’s worries.
Why did they keep teaching this message? Perhaps the authorities believed that it was a power play—they were certainly successful (4). But it boiled down to one thing: they had no alternative. As witnesses to the resurrection, they knew that Jesus is our only hope (12). How could they possibly stay silent?
Apply
Do you know of people who are suffering for being faithful to Jesus? How can you support them?
Closing prayer
God, encourage and help those who are suffering today. I pray that I will be faithful if I am put to the test.
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