Listen here.
Welcome to
Devotions for Worship where we meditate on the appointed Scripture readings for
the upcoming Sunday. I am Pastor Eric Tritten from Gloria Dei Lutheran Church
in Hudson, OH.
Thank you for
being with me today.
During the Easter
Season we replace the Old Testament lessons with readings from Acts. In these
readings we find Jesus’ disciples testifying as witnesses about His
resurrection. This reading is a continuation of last week’s reading. You might
recall that Peter and John were going up to the temple and a crippled beggar
asked them for money. Instead of giving him money, however, Peter commanded him
to get up and walk in the name of Jesus. This led to Peter telling the crowd
about Jesus’ power and resurrection. Today, we will read about the reaction of
the authorities from the temple – some of whom were the same people that
conspired to kill Jesus.
The reading for
the 4th Sunday of Easter is …
The Reading: (Acts 4:1-12 ESV)
And
as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple
and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 greatly annoyed because they
were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the
dead. 3 And they arrested them and put them in custody until the
next day, for it was already evening. 4 But many of those who had
heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
5
On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in
Jerusalem, 6 with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and
Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7 And when
they had set them in the midst, they inquired, "By what power or by what
name did you do this?" 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit,
said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are
being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what
means this man has been 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, whom God raised from the dead-- by him this man is standing
before you well. 11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by
you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is
salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among
men by which we must be saved."
Comments
I am always
struck by the boldness of Peter when I read this account. The lesson reminds us
that it is the Sadducees that have Peter and John arrested. We heard the names
Annas and Caiaphas in Jesus’ trial. The rulers and elders and scribes mentioned
here are the same body that convicted Jesus. Only two of Jesus’ disciples were
there at that time … and they were Peter and John. They knew that this crowd
was capable of violence and murder, but it didn’t soften Peter’s tongue at all.
“You want to know
how this man ways healed?” he asks. “Well, let me tell you! He was healed in
the name of Jesus of Nazareth, maybe you remember Him. He’s the guy you had crucified,
but whom God raised from the dead. Anyway, He’s the one who healed this man.
And there is salvation in no one else – and His name is the name God has given
by which we must be saved.”
You can be sure
the court did not want to hear that. You can also be sure that people today do
not want to hear that Jesus is the only way of salvation. I have had the
conversations too many times to count in which someone says that all religions
are equal, that there are many paths to God, that it doesn’t matter what a
person believes as long as they believe somethings. But that’s not what Peter
said … and in case you were wondering, Peter learned all this from Jesus and
from the Holy Spirit.
Jesus is the only
one who brings us salvation. We must be absolutely clear about that, and we
must never back away from that truth. Hopefully, we never find ourselves in an
dangerous situation like Peter and John did when they stuck by Jesus’ teaching
about being the only way to the Father, but we do sometimes find ourselves in
antagonistic situations when people don’t want to hear that Jesus is the only
way of salvation. Learn from Peter. Stand firm in faith and confess that Jesus
is the only name given under heaven, given among men by which we must be saved.
You don’t have to be angry or hostile about it, but do stand your ground, for
your sake and for the sake of the one who hears you.
Meditate on this
today: There is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved than
the name of Jesus. What if God really meant that? How important is it to hold
tightly to Jesus and to tell others about Him?
Prayers
Father, You gave
Jesus as the only way of salvation from sin and death. Peter and John knew this
and they boldly testified as witness of that fact in front of the very people
that had Jesus crucified. Thank You for their courage and faith in the face of
danger. Forgive us for the times we have shied away from speaking Jesus’ name
or acting as His witnesses at the mere thought that we might upset someone.
Fill us with the Holy Spirit so that we will trust You more fully, and lovingly
share the hope we have in Jesus’ salvation. Amen.
Memory Verse: 1 John 3:23 - And this is His commandment,
that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ / and love one another, / just
as He has commanded us. (1 Jn. 3:23 ESV)
Thank you so much
for using Devotions for Worship, I pray that our time together has blessed you
and given you something to meditate on – some reminder of God’s grace to rattle
around in your brain – for the rest of the day.
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favor? If you got something out of this devotional time, would you like and/or
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others.
God bless you!
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