Acts 4:7-12

After making Peter and John stand in their midst, they began to inquire, “By what power or by what name did you do this?”  Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, replied, “Rulers of the people and elders,  if we are being examined today for a good deed done to a sick man—by what means this man was healed—  let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, this man stands before you healthy.  This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, that has become the cornerstone.  And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved.”

Peter and John stand before the Sanhedrin. A man was healed and they began preaching the gospel in the streets. We’ve seen Peter react and respond in the past as he walked with Jesus. He drew a sword and injured someone when they tried to take Jesus. (John 18:10) He challenged Jesus when He said He must be killed and rise again. (Matthew 16:22). Of course, he also denied being associated with Jesus three times after He had been captured (Mark 14:66-72). The Peter we hear today, transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, is unashamed and concise about his communication of the gospel. He speaks about the Lord whom He loves and calls it like it is, giving full glory to Christ and crediting His power and name for everything. “God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”