Acts 4:1-31

 @ Tamworth Community Presbyterian Church 12/6/16

When I’ve been teaching a Scripture class I’ve seen a kid who I have found to be a trouble maker suddenly become the perfect student, simply by saying his name.  The question I would like to ask you is "What’s in a name?"  Names are powerful, especially if you have ever been on the receiving end of a bullies name, they can sometimes be the way we start thinking about ourselves.  So often we find ourselves taking on names, that weren’t the ones our parents gave us; like those who experience shame, often say that their name is shame, or hold onto the name wronged, or forgotten.  We can even rehearse our names when we speak, the truth is that we are more transparent before others than what we think we are.  So it is right here we locate ourselves in Acts 4 with the name of Jesus who does something remarkable.  Do we see how Jesus gives us a new name to identify ourselves with.  Jesus knows your name and will also give you his.[1]  What we get pointed to is how well God knows you and me, so how do you hear the name of Jesus used today?  With Peter & John when they stand before the temple leadership we see there is no other name but Jesus.

As we in Acts 4:1-4

1 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.

The priests, captain of the temple guard, and Sadducees are all the men who had a vested interest in the continuing operation of the temple in Jerusalem, and who are behind the arrest & imprison Peter & John.  The priests were responsible for what went on in the temple;The Sadducees were the ruling elite who didn’t’ want to rock the boat with Rome.  The response to what Peter & John are doing by them, is the same as we see in our world right now.  The way in which we are seeing all opposition silenced.  Peter & John are arrested, placed in jail, and dragged before the ruling council, the same group who had been at the trial and death of Jesus.  This ruling council of religious men only have one question for Peter & John, as we see in verse 5 "By what power or name do you do all this?"  There was no denying what they were seeing, at Pentecost everyone heard a call to repent and believe, the message is this Jesus who had been killed by them,  has risen again.  It's brought out by Peter & John who in name of Jesus, made a crippled, begging man, at the temple steps well.  This now healed man was standing right next to them, and so they could not deny it.  Here’s the thing, the leaders of God’s people these teachers of the law, these people trying to keep the temple central, simply have no idea of what the God they profess to worship is doing.  God keeps pointing the way to make sense of life is all about Jesus, or how we see Jesus, respond to Jesus, repent and believe in Jesus.  How we do that shapes the way we see life.  It is the reality that all the promises of God are 'yes' in Christ Jesus; and real change only comes about in us, when we see Christ in us, that we become grace givers to other people.  The way repentance works is more than coming back, it is about us having an honest reckoning with God.  Peter & John stand before the tribunal, and Peter will speak not like someone who stands accused, as he launches into a three point sermon.  These three simple pointers to explain what God is doing:  

Point 1, see verse 10

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. 

The healed paralysed man didn’t’ heal himself; it was Jesus Christ from Nazareth who did and you can see the result of that he’s standing right in front of you.

Point 2, see verse 11

11 Jesus is   “ ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’

Jesus is alive and he is the one who sits in the place of authority, the gospel is about: the birth, life, death, resurrection, ascension present assistance and promised return of Jesus.  See also the mention of the cornerstone in verse 11 is taken from Isaiah 28:16.  This cornerstone or capstone mentioned here, is the stone that sat at the top joining the sides of an arch.  A cornerstone is a stone essential for construction.  Peter tells them that this Jesus they have rejected, is the basis for the restored people God is calling together

Point 3, see verse 12

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.”

 Jesus is a unique saviour, and it is Jesus who has risen again from the dead.  Jesus is the only one qualified to bear our sin and shame, and deal with our guilt.  Jesus is the one who leads God’s people to the centre of all God’s promises and purposes.  Jesus will not only come towards us, with grace and mercy, he will also pour out his spirit into our lives, to experience a restored relationship with God, that enables us to be oriented towards others. There is only one way to God and Jesus is that way, and so to reject Jesus is to reject God.  So how often do we and in our lives how often do we see: unbelief erases God, or how pride exalts ourselves, or how a fear of man exalts others, or an inordinate desire pushes out everyone and everything else as our object of worship rather than God?

In the face of the hostility by temple police and priests and Sadducees they simply have no idea of what the God they profess to worship is doing.  Peter & John respond with the clear message about Jesus, verses 14-15

 13  When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say.

They release the pair of them with this warning, verses 18-22

 18  Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges!  20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” 21 After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened.  22 For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.

We see in the hearts of the religious leaders unbelief, that when all the time they were being pointed to Jesus, they can't move towards him.  It stands in contrast to the truth that God’s mercies are yours in Jesus, and how Jesus is on the scene in our lives with powerful and necessary help.  Jesus is the only one who can make all things right while coming to us with necessary joy.  Following their release notice what Peter & John do, they get along side with the church to pray, and they focus us in on the sovereignty of God.  There is a prayerful dependence and a refusal to be silent.  The disciples teach us to see God’s love as well as asking God for the strength and confidence to stand up under the coming pressure and waves of persecution they face for sharing the name of Jesus, in verses 29-31

29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.’ 31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

 In the Bible we see God continually encourage, comfort, convict and reorients us. Instead of handing us a manual on emotional self-transformation, he patiently and tenderly invites us to simply come to him with all our feelings. This makes our emotions one of the premier opportunities to deepen our relationship with him![2]  We live in an age where hostility towards the gospel is real, so how will we respond in the face of that heat?  Are you confident that In Jesus there is no other name?

Let’s pray…