Acts 4:10-12 – 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.”
“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.” Peter and John have already given full credit to Jesus as the one who healed the man who was lame from birth. Again, as he had previously done in his Pentecost speech (Acts 2:14-41), Peter reminded his questioners just whose power was on display. He proudly said that it is by the power of the “name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.” This time Peter was not content to, as in his Pentecost speech, use solely the name Jesus, but he includes His full description with it (Jesus is His name. He is the Christ, meaning the Messiah. He is from Nazareth.) Being that Jesus was not an uncommon name during that period, Peter wanted to make sure that both the accusers of him and John, and all who were listening, understood exactly who they were speaking about.
Then, to drive the point deep, he states to all who could hear that they were the ones who had murdered Jesus. They had assessed Jesus to be a liar. They who opposed Jesus did not call Jesus a prophet and they even did not call Him a good man. They called Jesus a liar, a evil heretic and then planned and carried out the murder of innocent Jesus. Family, this is not something that impassively played out, no not at all. The persecution and murder of Jesus was done by fearful men who hated Him because what Jesus had preached was that the people of God no longer needed priests to approach the great Shekinah glory of God, but that He Himself would live within them and remind, teach, and guide them in His will for them. The priests thought that their livelihood, the way they lived their lives and tradition of their elders was at stake. Those who killed Jesus impassionedly pursued Him, spied on Him, sought out something to accuse Him of and finding nothing, falsely accused Him with lies they had manufactured. They ignored their own laws to bring Him to an illegal court. They could not stomach that their power might move from them to Him. The wanted this man to be humbled and to stand before them, to answer to them. He who said that they would answer to God demanded that He would answer to them. When Jesus would not kowtow to them they were infuriated and realized that unless they kill Him they would no longer have their jobs, as they knew and understood them. What is so terribly tragic is that they did not consider that Jesus had said that He had come not to abolish, or end the law, but that He had come to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17-19). Family, if a Jewish Rabbi converts to Christianity, he does not lose His job but rather what he begins to teach the people the full and beautiful meaning of the Old Testament and the New Testament combined, the whole truth of God. If they had received the full message of God through Jesus, they would have been used to teach the full message to the people. How beautiful would that have been? But they did not, they rejected the “Cornerstone” and so they fell from their self-built pedestals. All, even today, who worry about protecting their pedestals more than about doing the will of God, are in error. Peter drove home the point that they had not stopped Jesus. No-one and nothing can stop Jesus. Both Pentecost and the miraculous healing of the formerly lame man were proof that Jesus was both man and God and that He was not dead. Being driven home was that Jesus was the Savior and Lord, and that Truth was on full display before them. Those who opposed Him thought they had buried Him away never to be bother them again. Peter let them know that Jesus was indeed alive and ruling from His throne in heaven. Whom they had rejected, was indeed the Cornerstone, they key piece by which salvation for all men was offered. Just the mention of the name of Jesus, glorifying who He is, is enough to save and heal all mankind.
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Family, what this verse says is the key thought that the world hates about our faith. The world does not want to believe there is only one way. They want to believe that there are multiple ways. They make up their own slogans that state that we must all agree that people can define their own divinities, including self, and that we should respect and honor that. But the Word of God, but God Himself, denounces that. This verse boldly declares that Jesus is the only way to be at peace with God. Succinctly stated, if there was any other way for men to find peace with God than through Jesus, then Jesus stepping down from divinity to walk as a man was unnecessary. If there was another way, then the Father was cruel and mean to Jesus to have Him suffer and die for no reason because if there is another way, then Jesus need not have come, suffered and died. But there was, and is, no other way! No, forever that thought is a lie from hell! There is only one way to be at peace with God and that is through Jesus. All religions that teach anything other than the gospel are a lie from hell. Family think how evil any thought or teaching is that does not lead to Jesus. The one who does not have Jesus does not have God and thereby will suffer eternally. The Word clearly teaches that the enemy hates us and wants to destroy us (John 10:10). The enemy knows that however he labels the lie is insignificant as long as it does not lead to the Gospel. The way to eternal peace and life with God is only through Jesus, or Jesus died for nothing. And Family, Jesus did not die for nothing. He died for everything. It is the point that Peter was making. Let us, as Peter did, do all we can to bring glory to God! Thank You Jesus! Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.