As I get older, I often find myself asking people, “Have you heard this story before? If you have, please tell me, and I won’t repeat it.”
Let’s revisit a wonderful story you may already know. A man who had been unable to walk for forty years was begging at the Beautiful Gate of the temple when he was miraculously healed. Afterward, Peter preached a powerful sermon that received an overwhelming response.
You know the old saying: “No good deed goes unpunished.” Even though a lame man was healed and roughly 5,000 people were added to the church, the religious authorities were deeply troubled by what was happening. They arrested Peter and John, bringing them before the Sanhedrin council to face charges (see Acts 4:1–4).
After spending the night in jail, Peter and John were placed in the center of the council and questioned:
“By what power or by what name did you do this?”
— Acts 4:7
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus was repeatedly interrogated about His authority. Now, His representatives faced the exact same scrutiny. Authority ultimately asks, “Who is in control here?” Those who view themselves as the ultimate authority cling tightly to power and resist anyone who challenges it.
Peter’s Defense
No one could claim Peter was an educated scholar. He was a simple fisherman standing before the most influential leaders in the land. Yet he had something far greater on his side: the Holy Spirit spoke through him, granting him remarkable poise, courage, and eloquence.
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 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, 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.”
— Acts 4:8–10
You have likely heard the sports maxim: “A good offense is the best defense.” Peter went on the offensive. He reminded the council that the man who had been crippled for four decades was standing right beside them, completely whole.
Peter directly declared that this healing occurred through the name of Jesus of Nazareth—the very man they had condemned and crucified, but whom God had raised from the dead.
The Cornerstone
Following the rabbinic custom of his day, Peter grounded his witness in Scripture:
“This Jesus is
‘the stone you builders rejected,
which has become the cornerstone.'”
— Acts 4:11
A cornerstone carries two significant architectural meanings:
- The Foundation Stone: The primary stone set at the base upon which the entire building rests and aligns. Jesus is the true foundation of the world—the solid rock upon which we build our lives.
- The Capstone: The crowning stone at the top of an arch that locks the entire structure together. This, too, describes Jesus. He unites every facet of our lives, giving us purpose and meaning.
No Other Name
Peter concluded his defense before the Sanhedrin with a definitive declaration of who Christ is:
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
— Acts 4:12
In the biblical world, God’s “name” signifies His presence, character, authority, and reputation.
When Peter proclaims there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved, he reminds us that we need God’s saving presence—a presence anchored in His holy nature and faithfulness.
Jesus honored and revealed the Father’s name unlike anyone else who ever walked the earth. Today, we share the sacred responsibility of honoring that same name through how we live.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed Acts 4:1–12 today on YouTube.
