Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Whom ye crucified, Whom God raised from the dead, even by Him doth this man stand before you whole. Acts 4:10
The Jewish leaders had asked a question, and they got an answer. Today’s text is Peter’s response to their question about what power or by what name a lame man had been healed. The Jewish leaders knew who the apostles were. They knew they were followers of Jesus of Nazareth. It is difficult to know exactly what they were looking for when they asked their question. But they received far more than they expected. Peter’s response destroyed all the arguments they might have. The Word of God is still able to do that today.
Peter simply told the truth, although he did so fearlessly and with a powerful challenge to those who had demanded the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. It was the Sanhedrin, the Jewish leaders, and the chief men of Jerusalem, who were responsible for the crucifixion. And Peter told them so. And now, with the proof of the power of the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, in the presence of the healed man, the leaders were tongue-tied. Most of those men were Sadducees, who did not believe in a resurrection, and they are being told that Jesus of Nazareth is alive, raised by God from the dead. And there is nothing they can say, although they refused to believe it. We don’t see miracles like the healing of the lame man these days, despite the claims of the charismatics. But we do see even greater miracles in the saving of lost souls. And those who see the miraculously transformed lives of Christians have no answer. The testimony of those who have been changed by the Gospel is a loud voice that has always spoken effectively to those around. That is why we need to tell to all who will listen that it is Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the One Who they are rejecting, who has given to us eternal live and enabled us to live godly and holy lives.
Where did Peter get this powerful response to the Jews’ question? How did he come up with such effective words? If we go back a couple of verses, we read that Peter was filled with the Holy Ghost. Allowing the Holy Spirit to lead Him, Peter became a stick of dynamite that the Jewish leaders could not handle. But it is no different with us. The same Holy Spirit is within us as was within Peter. And He still is able to lead us to victory. He is still able to give us the words of response when we are questioned about our faith. He is still able to give us strength to stand up for truth and right amid a world of lies and wickedness. He is still able to guide us into all righteousness and to guard us against all our enemies. He is able, but we must be willing.
Peter, the disciple who had denied his Lord, was a brave man. Despite all of our failures, we can be brave for our Lord, too. -Jim MacIntosh