If we remember last week, what has happened in chapter 3 is that a man who had been lame from birth had been made well in Jesus’ name. Peter and John had walked by him, and I said that I believed Peter had received a gift of faith for this man’s healing. Therefore, as Peter gazes in his eyes, he tells him to stand up and walk. The man does and begins leaping and praising God.
Then, however, as people began to be amazed, Peter stopped and began to preach Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected. One reason he did this is because the people were looking at Peter and John as if they had performed the healing from their own power.
What happens in chapter 4 is the Sadducees and others in the temple come and grab Peter and John in order that they might take them to jail. The reason the Sadducees were upset is because (as verse 2 tells us) “they [Peter and John] were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.” And the problem with this was that the Sadducees denied the possibility of a resurrection from the dead. Therefore, Peter’s preaching was really getting under their skin.
The next day, the Scripture tells us, the elders and rulers gathered around Peter and John to ask them by what power they had done this. Peter answers that they did it by the power of Jesus. And true to form he adds, “whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead.” (He was always trying to show men their sin and God’s endorsement of Jesus.) And Peter begins to preach Jesus again with boldness.
Verse 14 tells us that the combination of Peter’s boldness, recognizing the men had been with Jesus, and the healed man standing left the rulers and elders with nothing to say. So they threatened Peter and John a couple of times not to speak anymore in Jesus’ name—to which the disciples did not submit—and sent them away because everyone was glorifying God for the miracle that happened because the man who had been lame and was now walking was forty years old.
Tonight I want to look at this whole passage in context of one thought given in Peter’s preaching about Jesus. It is in verse 11-12 which says as Peter says of Jesus, “He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the very corner stone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been give men, by which we must be saved.”
So, from that, let me point out one thought that will stand as my thesis, and then I will give you five supporting reasons for why the thesis is correct. The one thought and truth is that we, like Peter, must constantly preach and teach that salvation is only through Jesus Christ, alone. And, yes, I realize the redundancy of my wording, but I do that to emphasize the fact that there is no other way. We must purposely and intently and continually preach and teach salvation in Christ alone.
Why? Let me give you five reasons I see by simply observing the text.
Do we here what Peter says in verse 12, namely, “there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved”? Jesus alone is the way to salvation. He says Himself in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes to the Father but through Me.” Any other message is not the gospel and, therefore, is not the power of God unto salvation.
Men are saved by believing on Jesus Christ. They are not saved by sincerely believing in what they think to be God. In other words, if a man is raised Buddhist his entire life and sincerely believes in the God he has been taught, but does not believe in Jesus Christ, that man is not saved. Those who believe this to be wrong have misunderstood sincerity for truth.
Let me give you an example of this. If I in utmost sincerity believed that I were the President of the United States to such a degree that I told people I was, and thought in all seriousness that I really was, would that make me President of the United States? No! Because no matter what I think, that does not change the truth. And of course we know that. But when it comes to salvation in Christ alone, it is as if we forget that truth is truth. Salvation can only occur through Jesus Christ. Otherwise, men are not coming to God. Rather, they are worshipping something that is simply not the real thing.
Therefore, the first reason we must preach it is that any other message, no matter how sincerely believed will only comfort men as they are on their way to hell.
In verses 13-16 the rulers and elders see Peter and John’s confidence, the healed man, and cannot deny the power of Jesus Christ. However, listen to their words in verse 16. They ask, “What shall we do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.”
I am amazed as I read this. These men admit that a miracle has taken place. They know that there is great power in the name of Jesus, and yet order Peter and John to stop speaking because they want to believe a lie. And I think this is representative of the nature of all men everywhere. One reason I say that is because Romans 1:18 says, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is know about God is evident within them; for God has made it evident to them.” Men know the truth, because God has made it evident. They have simply suppressed it in their wickedness. And such will forever be done because men want to exchange the truth of God for a lie in order to uplift themselves.
Paul told Timothy to preach the word because there would come a time when men would not want to endure sound doctrine but would want to simply have their ears tickled and will turn away from the truth (2 Timothy 4:1-5). That time is now. And so the charge needs to be heard by us.
In verses 17-20, Peter and John are threatened lest they continue to speak in the name of Jesus, to which they respond, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard” (v. 19-20). On the other hand, our greatest threat is that men would think we are mean, cold, and bigoted. Good grief, who cares?! We must decide who we fear more—men or God. And if our answer is God, then it requires that we proclaim that salvation is only through Jesus Christ.
You are going to be very tempted in our day and age to compromise this message out of fear of men. We all are. Don’t! But in order not to, we need to constantly remind ourselves of the majesty and holiness of God or we will lose a holy fear for Him that we need to be faithful to His word.
After Peter has unashamedly preached salvation in Christ alone, verse 21 says that the people were all glorifying God for what had happened. The only way men will glorify the true God is by preaching Jesus because He is the God who is.
But I also want you to know that when men believe that salvation can occur outside of Jesus Christ, they are saying that there is a power that supercedes the plans of God. It is as if we think men can demand to God that he save those who sincerely believe in another God. But we must remember who is the creator and who is the creation.
God wants us to be reminded of His ability to rule because He is God. Listen to God’s word in Isaiah 40:12-18: “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, And marked off the heavens by the span, And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, And weighed the mountains in a balance And the hills in a pair of scales? Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or as His counselor has informed Him? With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding? And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge And informed Him of the way of understanding? Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; Behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust. Even Lebanon is not enough to burn, Nor its beasts enough for a burnt offering. All the nations are as nothing before Him, They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless. To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him?”
We must always remember that the Lord sits in the heavens and does whatever He pleases (Psalm 115:3), therefore, we must yield to His glory. He has declared that no man comes to the Father except through Jesus Christ. And as we preach this we glorify His greatness as the only one able to save men
Jesus suffered and died in order to provide salvation for those who would believe. And I’ve said before that we have the opportunity to show the world Christ’s sufferings as we choose to take the gospel to men and endure suffering. Want I want to show you is that by enduring the suffering of delivering this message (no matter to what degree the suffering is) we are in fact hitting at the very source of His affliction.
What I mean is this: Why did Jesus die? Now, when I ask that question I am looking not for a theological answer, but simply a historical one. Well, according to John 5:18 it is because that by calling God His Father, He was making Himself equal with God. For this reason the Jews were seeking to kill Him. They thought He was committing blasphemy, when, in actuality, they were, by their actions.
In the same way, we are now to take the message to the world that Jesus is the only one equal with God. There is no other name that equates with salvation from the hand of God. And as we take that message to the world, they will hate and despise us. Much of the “church” hates and despises this thought, but in preaching this, we are delivering the very message of Christ. And though those opposing us might think we are evil in showing God in this way, they will be the ones showing disdain for God’s glory.
May we, therefore, (like Peter and John) always remember and always teach that salvation is only through Jesus Christ, alone—for the sake of His glory. Preach the word! Amen.