JESUS NAME IS ABOVE EVERY NAME!
Acts 4:8-12 - April 14, 2002
8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people! 9If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, 10then 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. 11He is " `the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.
12Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
Dearest Fellow-Redeemed and Saints in the Lord:
What’s in a name? We hear our name spoken often from day to day and week to week, and we may not even know the meaning of our name. We feel sometimes there is not that much importance in a name. In our text we are reminded of the very fact that what is in a name is everything. We are reminded that in the name of Jesus we as believers find salvation. It is a name that is above every name. Paul re-minds us from the Book of Philippians when we are told: "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name"(PHILIPPIANS 2:9). The next two verses say, "At the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue con-fess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
So what’s in a name? Today we learn that everything is in a name. We are reminded, "Jesus’ Name is above every name." I. This Jesus is a name which many reject; and yet II. This Jesus is the only name that saves.
I. JESUS IS A NAME WHICH MANY REJECT
To remind us of the setting of our text: Peter and John were spending time in Jerusalem after the resurrection. They had healed a beggar who was crippled from birth. After that, many people were anx-ious to listen to Peter and John and the message of the resurrection. We are told that many of the people who came and heard them believed. So they went around the city preaching more and more about this Jesus of Nazareth. Then they were put into prison, because not everyone was excited to hear about this message of salvation. There were many who rejected that name of Jesus, mainly the leaders.
We find Peter and John brought out of prison, and now they were standing before the Sanhedrin. Members of that ruling council or church council were the elders and teachers of the law and also the high priests of the day. As Peter stands there, we are given his defense or his address in our text. Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people!" Peter realized that he was not standing before this ruling council alone. Once again the promise of God had been fulfilled; for Jesus had told the disciples that when they were brought before leaders and authorities, they would not have to worry because the Lord God would give them the words to speak and the things to say. Now as Peter stood before this ruling council, these leaders and authorities, he was filled with the Holy Spirit. He was given the words to speak and the things to say.
What does Peter say? He was not going to stand accused for doing something that was right, but he was going to lay the blame where it needed to be placed. ?If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are 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." This Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom they thought was out of their lives forever because they put Him to death. That was the name they had rejected. Peter reminds the leaders and all the people of Israel were the ones that rejected Jesus. He includes in that name the title "Christ," which meant the Messiah, which meant Anointed One. He also includes what they despised the most--Jesus Christ of Nazareth. For they were always under the assumption of what good could come from Nazareth? It was this Jesus, this Savior, the Anointed Messiah of Nazareth whom they crucified. If they didn’t understand, he tells them, "He is the stone you builders rejected." He was the one they rejected. He was the stone that was to be used as the cornerstone. In-stead, they rejected Him and put Him to death on the cross. We find it appalling; find it unbelievable that anyone would reject Jesus. Yet, we know that according to God’s great plan of salvation, this is exactly what needed to take place in order for sins to be forgiven. Jesus of Nazareth needed to be rejected by many.
Sadly, many still reject him today; because just like the people of the New Testament and just like people anywhere, they look at Jesus who takes a stand on the truth and see someone who is threatening. They look at Jesus who takes a stand on the truth and want to reject what Scripture has to say. Like Peter says in his epistle, this stone, which is the cornerstone of Christianity, becomes a stumbling block. He says, "’A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. They stumble because they disobey the message--which is also what they were destined for"(1 PETER 2:8). We, with our sinful nature, at times, also disobeyed God’s message. We don’t like to be told that we are sinners, sinners who turn against God and reject Him. Yet, with our sinful nature that is what we do. We disobey God’s message. Whether we realize it today or not or want to admit, the reality of the matter is that there are many more who reject the name of Jesus than accept it in our society. True, the United States is called a Christian nation; and yet to look to Jesus alone for salvation is something difficult, something that many do not like to preach because it is not very appealing to the masses.
We live in a society where we are brought up with the philosophy of "pulling ourselves up by the bootstraps" and accomplishing great things in our life. Thankfully, in this nation we can. With this en-grained in us, sometimes that idea of accomplishment or working out our own destiny in life carries over into spiritual matters. Some feel they can work out their own salvation. After all, we feel good when we can do something good. Each one of us feels good when we listen to what God has to say and do what He says. The Lord tells, though, we can’t work out our salvation. That detracts some from the straight and narrow path, which God has placed before everyone. In the Book of Romans we are given the example of Israel but it applies to anybody who uses that idea of working out his or her own salvation. "But Israel who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the ’stumbling stone’" (ROMANS 9:31,32). Time and again it is good for us to hear that we cannot work out our own salvation, because our salvation is so im-portant that it does not depend on our own works or efforts.
We cannot buy our salvation. Yet, we may sometimes be guilty of that very same idea that we hear all too often that God certainly won’t keep us out of heaven because of the good life, which we have led. After all, we tried hard. Doesn’t that count for something? In God’s eyes it counts for nothing. What counts for everything is the fact that Christ is the only source of salvation, that He has paid the price, which He has worked out for our salvation. Jesus has earned for us the eternity of heaven, which we do not deserve.
Paul puts this beautifully in the Book of Ephesians when he says: "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding"(EPHESIANS 1:7,8). So we are saved by God’s grace according to God’s wisdom, not the wisdom of the world, not the wisdom of our human nature, which says we have to try hard to get into heaven. It is the wisdom of God that says by grace you are saved; by faith in the name of Jesus which is the name above every name.
Even though many rejected it, it still does not take away the power of God’s grace of salvation. Today, we celebrate the fact that also Jesus’ name, which is above every name, is the name for us, which is the only name that saves.
II. JESUS IS THE ONLY NAME WHICH SAVES
Going back to our text about the crippled beggar who sat in the temple waiting, looking for help, asking for money, we remember what Peter said to him: "Silver and gold I do not have; but what I have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth walk." The man got up and walked and jumped for joy. That is his defense. As he is brought out of prison and brought before the council, he says "If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, and everyone else in Israel, it is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth who you cruci-fied and whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you completely healed." Again, he reminded those who rejected Jesus’ name that it was by that very name of Jesus, the Anointed Messiah, who came from Nazareth that this man was saved. He was completely healed by the simple power of Je-sus. It was power enough to heal this cripple. Because of that Peter says this makes Jesus the corner-stone. He is the stone you builders rejected which has become the cornerstone, not just the cornerstone of healing, but also the cornerstone of salvation.
Peter gives his summary statement to which there is no argument. Verse 12 of our text, "Salvation is found in no one else for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Peter says it is by Jesus alone that this man was healed. It is by Jesus alone that you and I are saved. There is no other name. His name is above every name. There is no other way but by Jesus. There is no other cornerstone but Jesus.
We dare not water down that message even though the world around us might try to do it. The world says, "Well, the philosophy of today is not necessarily what one believes, but how sincere they are." It is worth repeating?for there are even churches that teach that it makes no difference what you believe but if you are sincere in your belief, whatever it might be, salvation is yours. How sad! It is sad for those people because salvation is not theirs. Christ is the Savior of the world. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. None other, not man’s efforts, not the sincerity of peoples? false beliefs, but Christ alone. From the Old Testament to New Testament to the very end of time, we are reminded of that over and over again. Listen to Isaiah: "So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: ’See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dis-mayed’"(ISAIAH 28:16). In each and every one of our lives whether they have been long or short or in between, we realize that when we put our trust in God, we never are disappointed. When we put our trust in God, we never have been dismayed.
That is opposite of the trust we put in people around us or in ourselves, we realize that our trust in God is our sure foundation, that our trust in God is indeed our eternal salvation. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians: "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ"(1 CORINTHIANS 3:11). There are some churches that have come and gone over the years be-cause they had laid their foundation on the cornerstone of men. We think of some of the cults that have come and gone to disastrous results to their followers. They ended putting themselves to death, not in the name of Christ, not in the name of Christianity, but in the name of their leader of that time.
For the Holy Christian Church, the invisible church will stand forever; because Jesus Christ is the cornerstone. With Jesus Christ as the cornerstone, the gates of hell cannot prevail against it. That’s the message that God gives to us: Jesus is the name above every name, a message from the very beginning of time to the New Testament times to the very end of time that Jesus is the only name that saves. Listen to this from John: "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life"(JOHN 3:14,15). Everyone who believes in Jesus has eternal life.
So what is in a name? There is everything in a name. The name of Jesus, who is our cornerstone, the very foundation of our Christian church and our faith, means everything to us. Oh yes, Jesus is a name that many reject. It was rejected in the New Testament times and still rejected today. Jesus is also a name that is precious and dear to us. It is that name, the only name which saves. We learn that from His life. We learn that from His death. We learn that from His resurrection and ascension. We will see it and rejoice on the day He returns. But it never really was a mystery, was it? We should have known it from the very beginning. Even before He was born, we are told in Scripture just as the angels of God told Jesus? parents themselves. They came to Joseph and told him. Then, really, as they told Joseph the an-gels were also telling all mankind about Jesus. The angels said, "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, (and he tells them why) because he will save his people from their sins"(MATTHEW 1:21). Jesus is the name above every name, because He has saved us from our sins. Amen.
