In The Name
Mike Biolsi
Acts • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Last week we read about an unexpected gift - the lame man was healed - and he was walking and leaping and praising God.
While I have never experienced anything like THAT before, I do remember the day after I had laser surgery on my eyes. I remember specifically standing in the shower and seeing every droplet of water and being amazed at the new reality of sight!
If you were never able to walk you would be an adult that has not passed the toddler stage! You would have no reference point, no concept of balance on those legs. Could you imagine?!? EVERY bit of it was a new sensation -> standing, then stepping, then leaping. After being a ground magnet, sitting in the dirt begging, you would experience something new -> launching yourself off the ground, on your own strength, and landing… something you have never done before.
I think Luke’s description of the man “holding on to Peter and John” was under emphasizing the fact that this was all new, and even balance was a new function. Of COURSE he was hanging on to them!
And then we read the sermon that Peter gave.
By way of intro I want to read that section together:
11 While he was holding on to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astonished, ran toward them in what is called Solomon’s Colonnade. 12 When Peter saw this, he addressed the people: “Fellow Israelites, why are you amazed at this? Why do you stare at us, as though we had made him walk by our own power or godliness? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and denied before Pilate, though he had decided to release him. 14 You denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer released to you. 15 You killed the source of life, whom God raised from the dead; we are witnesses of this. 16 By faith in his name, his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know. So the faith that comes through Jesus has given him this perfect health in front of all of you.
17 “And now, brothers and sisters, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your leaders also did. 18 In this way God fulfilled what he had predicted through all the prophets—that his Messiah would suffer. 19 Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out, 20 that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send Jesus, who has been appointed for you as the Messiah. 21 Heaven must receive him until the time of the restoration of all things, which God spoke about through his holy prophets from the beginning. 22 Moses said: The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to everything he tells you. 23 And everyone who does not listen to that prophet will be completely cut off from the people.
24 “In addition, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those after him, have also foretold these days. 25 You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors, saying to Abraham, And all the families of the earth will be blessed through your offspring. 26 God raised up his servant and sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your evil ways.”
That powerful speech will cause two reactions, and it MUST -> for every time the gospel is shared it puts the listener at a crossroads. She or he must choose to accept and repent or, reject and resent.
We see this play out in today’s passage… ⭐
1 While they were speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple police, and the Sadducees confronted them, 2 because they were annoyed that they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 3 So they seized them and took them into custody until the next day since it was already evening. 4 But many of those who heard the message believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
Peter and John are interrupted. While they are continuing to speak to the people in Solomon’s Colonnade, a small mob approaches them. It was made up of 3 people groups:
Priests
The Captain of the temple guard/police
The Sadducees
So why these three?
Well, the priests were the ones who would be the teachers of the Law. They were responsible for the day to day running of things in the temple. So, if someone was teaching in the temple, the priests had a right to know what authority gave them that right.
At this point, they are contorted, not necessarily converted. But as teachers of the Law one would hope that they would take the things said and compare them to the Law and Prophets.
NOTE: one of the things I love about Peter’s sermon is that it mentioned that they leaders (these guys) killed Jesus IN IGNORANCE, so that God’s will could be accomplished and they STILL had the chance to repent and believe. THIS is the hope of the gospel -> no matter what you HAVE done, you still CAN repent and believe.
The captain of the temple was responsible for order in the temple. A mob is forming, and if I was in charge I would want to know what was going on and would want to make sure things did not get out of hand. The Captain was the second most powerful person in the temple complex, with only the High Priest above him. Apparently, there were about 200 priests and Levites in the temple guard that this man was in charge of.
Then there are the Sadducees.
Acts Explanation of the Text
They have aristocratic status. They deny the afterlife. They deny the role of fate (predestination) in human actions as they insist on the freedom of the will and on individual responsibility for personal conduct. They reject the oral law and the legal traditions of the Pharisees; they accept only the written Mosaic law as binding. They are more severe than others in stipulating punishments for breaking the law. In the New Testament they are described as a group who belong to the élite (Acts 4:1; 5:17), and as people who deny the resurrection of the dead as well as the existence of angels and spirits (Acts 23:8).
Some of what this group stood for I applaud. Some is a bit off base. We would expect this group to be “annoyed” or “distressed” that some uneducated men attracted a large crowd and were saying that the power of the miracle come from a man who was resurrected from the dead.
There is reason for each of these 3 groups to be a bit annoyed or disturbed, and to show up to this gathering. They arrest Peter and John so they can deal with them in the morning.
I mentioned people have a choice with the gospel, they accept and repent or they reject and resent. The verdict is still out on the arresting mob. So far, it seems they heard and were upset. But that is not how everyone responded. ⭐
4 But many of those who heard the message believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
Some translations like the CSB leave it open to interpret that the group grew from the 3,000 in Acts 2:41 to 5,000 here. Other translations seem to imply that 5,000 more were added. Yet other imply that it was 5,000 men - which would possibly NOT include women and children.
Acts (Explanation of the Text)
The numerical summary (cf. 1:15; 2:41) which gives again an approximate figure (ὡς) for the number of believers is difficult to interpret. It is unclear whether the estimated 5,000 people included only men or also women, and whether the figure includes all believers in Jerusalem or refers to new conversions on this occasion.
I think the significant thing here is NOT the exact number - and we would be advised not to take too much stock in numbers. The problem with numbers is that they can foster pride, like when David numbered the armies of Israel, and/or complacency.
I remember when we use to keep attendance and offering numbers in the bulletin. It was back when we were running 20-30 people in attendance each week. I took the numbers out of the bulletin and people just assumed it was me being forgetful. When someone approached me about it I asked them what they liked about them. They said it gave them an idea of how we were doing. I asked them when we are doing OK and they said when attendance was about 30 people. The problem is that, statistically, there are about 3,000 people in Carthage alone that do not know Jesus. Add Lowville, Watertown and Fort Drum and that number climbs into the 10s of thousands. So, when are we really doing well as a church? When that number reaches ZERO.
NOTE: I did offer to put the number back in -> I told them we could put in 3,000 and every time someone accepts Jesus we could subtract it form the total until we reach zero. 😉
I love that Luke just rounds it off to something like, “it was a LOT of people”. Why? Because it is a reminder that there are a LOT of people in every generation - even today - that might come to Jesus if only someone would tell them about him.
Expect Opposition
Expect Opposition
I think this passage is also a great reminder that when you are bold enough to tell people about Jesus, you will most likely face opposition from those whose lifestyles and teachings are contrary to Jesus. It might even be hostile.
A very real example of this in the US would be the overturning of Roe vs Wade and the leak of the Supreme court opinion.
According to the study from the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC),⭐ there were 135 attacks against pro-life groups between May and September of 2022. During that same four-month period, there were just six attacks against abortion groups or supporters. [image]
https://www.liveaction.org/news/pro-life-pro-abortion-violent-attacks
⭐Approximately 70% of abortion-related threats of violence in the US since the Dobbs decision have been against pro-life groups, according to the head of the FBI. [as of November 17, 2022]
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/pro-life-centers-targeted-70-abortion-related-violent-threats-dobbs-decision-fbi
If you value life the way God values life and you make a public stand for it, you could face some very real and even violent opposition. If you stand up for God’s truth regarding any matter of life or salvation that contradicts the current culture (spiritual or secular) you will very likely face opposition.
However, throughout the book of Acts, the opposition and threats are not able to stop the spread of the good news… it becomes more of a wind that fans the flame of the gospel and the fire keeps growing. The apostles are arrested, and the church grew.
Do NOT consider opposition to the good news as anything that can hinder it. We will soon see that Peter does not see opposition as an obstacle, but as an opportunity.
The Word of God is powerful and the message of the gospel is good news, life and light to a darkened world. ⭐
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.
And the darkness CANNOT overcome it, for even if there is a season of darkness, we know that in the end the light will overcome it.
RECAP: ⭐
⭐Share the good news. Do it with gentleness and respect 1 Peter 3:15 “but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.”
⭐Expect opposition. See opposition as a proper response by those whose beliefs, teachings and lifestyles are threatened by it - and do not be surprised or discouraged.
⭐Have hope. View your opposition as opportunities. Know that God is in control and that he will build his kingdom even if your circumstances seem dire.
And that is where we pick up with Peter and John. They shared and they faced opposition. But what about these two guys that have been arrested? There is no telling what the outcome could be, right? Their leader was arrested in Jerusalem just a few weeks earlier and was crucified. As they sat in that prison it would have been easy to wonder if the same fate would await them. We do not know what they did that night, but I am guessing they were praying! ⭐
5 The next day, their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem 6 with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all the members of the high-priestly family. 7 After they had Peter and John stand before them, they began to question them: “By what power or in what name have you done this?”
Let’s look at this all-star cast, shall we?
Annas. This is Caiaphas’ father-in-law. He was the High Priest, appointed by Quirinius, the Governor of Syria, in 6 AD and served until about 14-15 AD. He was not High Priest at this time, but was still involved and still held power. He was the first High Priest appointed by a Gentile ruler - the Romans.
Caiaphas. The son-in-law of Annas who was appointed High Priest about A.D. 18 by the Roman procurator, Valerius Gratus. He was adamant that Jesus needed to be dealt with: ⭐
3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the courtyard of the high priest, who was named Caiaphas, 4 and they conspired to arrest Jesus in a treacherous way and kill him.
Caiaphas wanted Jesus dead and was a key player in having him crucified. What about these other two men?
John (Ἰωάννης) may be Jonathan, son of Annas, who was high priest after Caiaphas from AD 36–37, and who may have been the captain of the temple... Nothing is known about Alexander (Ἀλέξανδρος); most of the (first-century) individuals with the name Alexander mentioned by Josephus are members of the royal family.
So we have 4 high ranking officials of the Sanhedrin - which is the the highest ruling body and court of justice among the Jewish people in the time of Jesus.
Both Annas and Caiaphas were Roman appointed, and their loyalties were divided at best. Both of them were active players in the arrest, trial and murder of Jesus. The other two we do not know much about, but the Sanhedrin had not been kind to Jesus (to say the least).
Their one question is revealing. ⭐
By what power or in what name have you done this [miracle]?
WHY is that question significant? Well, first, it shows that the primary concern of the Sanhedrin was to remain in power and to carry all authority. They were not about to let anyone take away the authority they have assumed.
Second, it was a way to trap them. If they claimed that they did it in their own power it would be blasphemy. We’ve walked this road before with Jesus when we studied Matthew’s gospel account.
The NAME
The NAME
But there is a phrase that is significant: “the name”.
Peter is going to answer, and he will respond to both the question of power and name but he will do so by focusing in “the name”.
Acts 4:5–12 (CSB)
5 The next day, their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem 6 with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all the members of the high-priestly family. 7 After they had Peter and John stand before them, they began to question them: “By what power or in what name have you done this?”
8 Then Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders: 9 If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a disabled man, by what means he was healed, 10 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 and whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing here before you healthy. 11 This Jesus is
the stone rejected by you builders,
which has become the cornerstone.
12 There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.”
Peter and John are on trial. I wondering if Peter was thinking, “Well, I told Jesus I would die with him… today is just as good a day as any!” Filled with the Spirit of God, he preaches the same gospel message to the Sanhedrin that he did to the crowds.
Peter’s message is clear:
Jesus healed this man
The same Jesus YOU crucified
The same Jesus YAHWEH raised from the dead
This Jesus made this man healthy.
Jesus
Whom YOU rejected
Whom GOD made the cornerstone
This Jesus is the only means of salvation
In this short address, Peter managed to accuse the Sanhedrin of murdering Jesus AND he also was teaching a doctrine contrary to their beliefs -> resurrection. And then, this uneducated Galilean with no formal training in the Torah, quotes Psalm 118 to them.
WHY this Psalm?
WHY this Psalm?
Psalm 113-118 are referred to as the Hallel Psalms or Psalms of Praise. These Psalms were recited at the Passover, Pentecost and the feat of Tabernacles. It was Passover when Jesus was sacrificed. It was Pentecost when the spirit of God came up on them. The feast of Tabernacles recognized the exodus from Egypt and God saving his people.
By connecting Jesus to Psalm 118, Peter was connecting Jesus to the CLIMAX of the psalms of praise and connecting him with the Passover, Pentecost and feast of Tabernacles and part of God’s provision to redeem his people and draw them once again to himself.
Psalm 118 is about God restoring the nation back to it’s original intent -> to be the people of God living in the presence of God and in freedom from oppression and then to be a LIGHT TO ALL NATIONS.
Peter was implying that Jesus was the Passover lamb, that Jesus was the sacrifice that protects from death. Peter was implying that Jesus was the Fruit of the Harvest - a bountiful provision from God that was needed to sustain life. And that Jesus was the one who carries captives into freedom giving new life and freedom to worship God.
I encourage you to read Psalm 118 this week - at least a few times, and see how Jesus is the fulfilment of that Psalm.
For all three of these reasons [accusing them of murder, refuting their teaching, and saying they do not understand the Psalms] Peter could have, and normally would have, been disciplined. Remember, this same group killed Jesus for the same things, and now Peter is continuing what Jesus was doing and doing it in the NAME of Jesus.
OK, so back to this “name”. WHY is the name so important?
THE NAME.
THE NAME.
I think it is interesting that we use “the name” so much. We often end our prayers, “in Jesus’ name” - and there is nothing wrong with that. It can, however, lead to a very simplified and incomplete understanding of “the name”.
A “name” is a person, his works, his reputation. ⭐
1 A good name is to be chosen over great wealth;
favor is better than silver and gold.
If you read that in the NLT it will translate “name” as reputation:
1 Choose a good reputation over great riches;
being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold.
We are most familiar with this concept from the 10 Word: ⭐
7 Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God, because the Lord will not leave anyone unpunished who misuses his name.
How can we misuse God’s name? Some would argue that even saying the name Yahweh is misusing it. Others will not spell it out of fear of misusing it. While that may show a reverence for the name, it is not the scriptural definition of misusing God’s name. ⭐
12 Do not swear falsely by my name, profaning the name of your God; I am the Lord.
When we act in a way that is contrary to God’s nature, while claiming to be God’s children, we misuse or profane God’s name.
In contrast, when we say and do the things that bring the focus and praise to God, when we do things that protects his reputation and points people to him, we bring honor to the name of God.
When David faced Goliath, the Philistine giant that mocked the people of God and the God of Isreal. When David confronted him, here is what he said: ⭐
45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with a sword, spear, and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of Armies, the God of the ranks of Israel—you have defied him. 46 Today, the Lord will hand you over to me. Today, I’ll strike you down, remove your head, and give the corpses of the Philistine camp to the birds of the sky and the wild creatures of the earth. Then all the world will know that Israel has a God, 47 and this whole assembly will know that it is not by sword or by spear that the Lord saves, for the battle is the Lord’s. He will hand you over to us.”
David was acting in the name of Yahweh. In other words, he was acting in a way that was in the authority, power and praise of the one who sent him -> Yahweh, the God of Israel.
Solomon, David’s son, built a temple to Yahweh, and at the dedication he said this: ⭐
41 Even for the foreigner who is not of your people Israel
but has come from a distant land
because of your name—
42 for they will hear of your great name,
strong hand, and outstretched arm,
and will come and pray toward this temple—
43 may you hear in heaven, your dwelling place,
and do according to all the foreigner asks.
Then all peoples of earth will know your name,
to fear you as your people Israel do
and to know that this temple I have built
bears your name.
The temple wold bear the name. That does not mean there was a carving of the name Yahweh over the doorpost, but that it was the place that represented God, his power and his rule.
This same God chose to accept the temple that Solomon built for him, in Jerusalem (the one that was destroyed by the Babylonians) as the place for “his name to dwell”. ⭐
1 When Solomon finished building the temple of the Lord, the royal palace, and all that Solomon desired to do, 2 the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time just as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. 3 The Lord said to him:
I have heard your prayer and petition you have made before me. I have consecrated this temple you have built, to put my name there forever; my eyes and my heart will be there at all times.
God chose to have that place represent his presence, power and person.
Back to Acts...
When Peter gave his reply to the Sanhedrin, he said that the man was healed “in the name of Jesus”. Jesus was not there. BUT, Peter and John were doing and saying things in “the name of Jesus” - under his authority and for his glory. Jesus commanded them to do this work, and they are doing it. They are not doing it for their name, or for the sake or name of the church, but for the name of Jesus. They are representing the presence, power and purpose of Jesus - and they are doing this at the temple in Jerusalem, the place where the name of Yahweh dwells.
When you and I PRAY in Jesus name, we are declaring that we are asking for things that are in alignment with the person and will of Jesus - of God. We are praying for his will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.
When Peter and John gave the gift of healing to the lame man “in Jesus name”, it happened because they were asking in the power and authority of Jesus to bring glory to the Father through Jesus.
Jesus explained this concept to the disciples ahead of time, before he was crucified: ⭐
12 “Truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
When we act in the authority of Jesus, in obedience to Jesus, for that sake of the kingdom, God will hear our prayers and answer because we will be praying for the things Jesus would have prayed for -> “in Jesus name”. This is not a “name it and claim it” verse, it is a reminder that we are to be yielded to the will and purpose of God.
Jesus then told them that they would know how to pray and what to do because they will be given the gift of the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-17)
We must act in “the name” in such a way that God is given glory through the works of the Son.
Keep that in mind as we read the conclusion of this confrontation together:
Acts 4:13–22 (CSB)
13 When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus. 14 And since they saw the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in opposition. 15 After they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin, they conferred among themselves, 16 saying, “What should we do with these men? For an obvious sign has been done through them, clear to everyone living in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17 But so that this does not spread any further among the people, let’s threaten them against speaking to anyone in this name again.” 18 So they called for them and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
19 Peter and John answered them, “Whether it’s right in the sight of God for us to listen to you rather than to God, you decide; 20 for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
21 After threatening them further, they released them. They found no way to punish them because the people were all giving glory to God over what had been done. 22 For this sign of healing had been performed on a man over forty years old.
People were giving glory to God for what had been done, because Peter and John were faithful to honor the name of Jesus (to NOT take the Lord’s name in vain).
NOTE: this section of verses is not the textbook on when it is right or wrong to defy authority. It is, however, a great reference for what it means to “take the name” of the Lord. To live for Jesus and the Kingdom.
Friends, we might be opposed or even threatened as we attempt to live boldly for Jesus, but the end goal is NOT to receive praise from men, but for God to receive praise through hoe we live for him - in his name.
I think verse 20 is a powerful “life verse” - a verse to live by for all Jesus’s followers: ⭐
20 for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
First of all, your testimony, the things you have seen and experienced first hand about Jesus, is the most powerful witness you and I have. Even if we feel we lack in our “bibleology”, we can certainly share our experience. This will be the only thing that some people will be willing to hear, and even if they do not agree, they cannot refute your experience.
So far we have heard from Peter, but I think John reminded us of the power of testimony in the intro of his first letter. He explains how his “experience” with Jesus is what he is passing on to others: ⭐
1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have observed and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—2 that life was revealed, and we have seen it and we testify and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us—3 what we have seen and heard we also declare to you, so that you may also have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
So as we wrap up, I want to encourage you: ⭐
Boldly share the good news of Jesus. Do so with gentleness and respect, and by all means do so by sharing what you have witnessed first hand about God (your testimony). Do not be ashamed, or afraid.
Expect to be opposed. If they rejected Jesus they may also reject you. Do not be discouraged and do not give up. Pray and trust that God will work it all out. View opposition as opportunity.
Live for the name. You do not need to fear nor to be ashamed if you are living for the name of Jesus. Living in his power and in his presence. Representing his will and his kingdom. Being above reproach and honor him with your words and actions. Your message will fall on deaf ears if your life does not back up your words.
When we live in light of these things, God’s kingdom is advanced, God’s people are blessed and God name is praised.