February 07, 2023 | Be On Mission
Salvation in No One but Jesus
Scripture: Acts 4:5-12 (NIV)
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.”
Devotional
A few months earlier, when Jesus was arrested, the first two people who confronted Him were Annas and Caiaphas. Here they are again, this time harassing Peter and John. Perhaps they had made Jesus into some sort of hero martyr. Now this Jesus thing was getting out of control. They wanted to get to the bottom of how they healed the crippled beggar, so they asked, “By what power or what name did you do this?”
The answer of these jailed apostles was straightforward, “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.” In this statement they were putting their lives at risk.
First, Peter declared His name, Jesus of Nazareth, a name that was well known to the former high priest Annas and his son-in-law the current high priest Caiaphas. These men pressured the Jewish and Roman authorities to have Jesus of Nazareth crucified, and Pontius Pilate put that name on a sign above Jesus’ head on the cross (John 19:19). It was a name they would never forget.
Second, Peter referred to Jesus as Christ, which is the Greek word for the Hebrew word Messiah. It was a bold declaration that Jesus is the anointed Son of God, the very truth of which the high priests refused to believe and for which they had Jesus put to death.
Third, Peter boldly proclaim that the man they painstakingly crucified didn’t stay dead. God raised Jesus to new life. It was in the power of this resurrected Jesus that the crippled man stood before them healed. Any one of these statements would have ticked off this high priest family with mob-like powers. But making all three at once had to make their blood boil.
And finally, Peter concluded with a straightforward truth about Jesus: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Salvation could not be found in their religious rituals or legalistic laws, but only in the name of Jesus Messiah, the resurrected Son of God!
Poem
How Many Times
Acts 4: 5-7
How many times must the gang assemble—
Rulers, elders, scribes, high priests,
Annas, Alex, John, Cai’phas,
To question, guilty conscience soothe
To kick against the goads of truth
How many will they throw in jail
And beat with rods, pierce hands with nails
While flinging lies
And dealing bribes
Rebury risen Savior
How many times will Christians stand—
Peter, Andrew, James and John
Thomas, Matthew, Paul and I
To answer, o’er and o’er to tell
The mystery, Salvation’s well
Of Living Water, Risen King,
Of full atonement offering
From Jesus’ blood
Grace from above
Proclaim our risen Savior
As many times as God allows—
The strong, the weak, the small, the proud
In secret or from pulpit loud
Announcing Good News to the poor
Forgiveness, peace as central core
The Spirit’s gifts and holy fruit
Unlocking chains, uncovering truth
The church’s call
For one and all
Extol our risen Savior
