“…let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:10, 12
People who know me have heard me call the book of Acts the “Gospel of the Holy Spirit.” I call it this because Jesus ascends at the very beginning of the book after promising he would send the Holy Spirit. After replacing Judas with Matthias, the gang is overtaken by the Holy Spirit and they boldly move out in the world.
Our passage today is Peter speaking to the Council in Jerusalem after John, and he is dragged there for teaching and healing in Jesus’ name. He makes no bones about it that he will continue to preach Jesus and, in fact, does so with great passion before their captors and judges.
I wonder how many of us would have the hutzpah to do as they did, or would we be shrinking violets?
I have been rescued in and through the power of that name, Jesus of Nazareth! How about you?
SEARCHING FOR 42 