Acts 4: The Name Of Jesus

The name of Jesus is different from all other names. No name is higher or greater. There is authority and power in the name of Jesus. Though the entire Bible points to this, we see His acts of authority and power throughout the gospels as He lived in human form. Jesus spoke like no one had ever spoken before (John 7:46). He worked many wonders. He healed people, He cast out demons, He calmed storms, He even raised the dead. Jesus taught the masses and many believed. His greatest wonder of all was conquering death and resurrecting from the grave. No one else could do such things - only God. The disciples were able to perform similar miracles only after the Holy Spirit of God came to them and in the name of Jesus, the Son of God, as we see in the book of Acts. But why is the name of Jesus so significant? Why does His very name have such power? It’s because Jesus Himself has all power.

We see an example of the power of the name of Jesus in Acts chapter 4, verses 5-12. After Peter and John healed a lame beggar and spoke in the temple, they were brought before the religious leaders:

“On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, with...all who were of the high-priestly family. And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, ‘By what power or by what name did you do this?’ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who you crucified, whom God raised from the dead - by him this man is standing before you well….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.” (Acts 4:5-12).

The religious leaders asked Peter and John, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, told them that by the name of Jesus Christ this man was healed. Look at Peter’s wording, though. He said, “Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who you crucified, whom God raised from the dead - by Him this man is standing before you well.” Peter said it was by the name of Jesus, and then said again in the same sentence that it was by Him, Jesus, that the lame man was healed. The power of the name of Jesus is the power of Jesus Himself. 

The elders and scribes conferred on what to do about this. They recognized that Peter and John were both acting and speaking with power, and they knew it was evident to the people as well. They addressed this in verses 17-18, where we read “But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name. So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.” The elders and scribes could not take the power of Jesus away, or make the power of His name inactive. No one can stop the power of Jesus, all power is His no matter what. The elders and scribes, like everyone, had to respond to Jesus’ power one way or another. They could either submit to the power of Jesus, or try to suppress the power of Jesus. They tried to suppress it by silencing Paul and Peter, charging them not to speak in the name of Jesus. “But Peter and John answered them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”’ (Acts 4:19). I love Peter and John’s response here. They said that they, having submitted to the power of Jesus, could not but speak of what they had seen and heard. Instead of suppressing Jesus’ power, they called on Jesus’ power by calling on His name. 

In the same way, we can call on the name of Jesus, because in calling on His name we’re calling on the power of Him. Verse 12 says, “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.” We call on His name for salvation, because no one else has the power to save. In John 14 Jesus says, “If you ask anything in my name, I will do it.” He tells us to ask anything in His name, because only He has the power to do anything. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him, and He’s our savior and our God. He’s on our side. By His power He saves us, keeps us, protects us, guides us, and provides for us. Let’s call on His name, knowing that all power is His. And let’s be women who cannot but speak of all that we have seen and heard.