Study of ACTS 4:1-12

Read Acts 4:1-12

Intro: There were tense times for the people of Israel. Rome was tightening her grip on the little nation, insurrections and rebellions against Rome were growing and a rag tag group of people were creating a stir in the name of a man named Jesus. It seems that an amazing thing is happening in the city of Jerusalem. Thousands of people are turning from their Jewish beliefs to embrace a man name Jesus Christ, Acts 2:41; Acts 4:4. Of course, this is upsetting to the leaders of the Jewish people. After the second of these events, two of the ringleaders Peter and John are arrested, 4:3, and called to give account for their actions and for the radical, new message they are preaching.

To fully understand where we are in these verses, we need to look back for just a moment. In chapter 3, Peter and John were going up into the Temple to worship at the time of the evening sacrifice, about 3 PM. As they were passing through the Beautiful Gate, they met a crippled man who had been lain there so that he might beg for pennies from the people who were headed to the Temple to worship. Instead of giving this man a few coins and passing right on by, Peter takes him by the hand and heals him in the name of Jesus. When the people, who knew this was the lame man, see this man leaping and jumping and praising God, they gather and inquire as to what is going on. Peter seizes upon this opportunity to tell them about Jesus. While he is preaching, the leaders of the people, the Sanhedrin, come on the scene to see what the ruckus is all about. When they hear Peter preaching about that Jesus Whom they had crucified they are livid. When they hear that Peter is claiming that this Jesus arose from the dead, they are absolute furious and they arrest the two preachers. But, the message had already been delivered and 5,000 men were saved by the grace of God that day!

After spending the night in jail, Peter and John are brought before the council to explain their actions to the council. We are told in 4:7 that this question is asked, "By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?" Friends, that was the wrong question to ask a Spirit-filled preacher! That question opened the door for Peter to preach a fresh message to these Jewish leaders. It was a message all about a man named Jesus. It is that message and that man that I have the privilege of sharing this morning. So,. Let's listen in as Peter preaches about the Lord. As he does, there are some precious truths revealed about the Person of the Lord Jesus that we need to hear today.

I. V. 10 WE ARE TOLD OF HIS PERSONALITY

(Ill. His personality is written in His Name! Without even realizing it, every time His name is mentioned, whether it be in cursing or in blessing, His glory if revealed. Just the mention of His Name tells us much about Him. This double Name for our Lord, used 256 times in the New Testament, tells of His dual nature and His glory.)

A. The Name Of His Humanity - Jesus - this name means "Jehovah Is Savior". It is the equivalent of the Old Testament name Joshua. This is the name Jesus bore while He was here on earth. It is the name that identifies Him with humanity. It could be said that this is the name of His humiliation. The name Jesus was a very common name in those days. In fact, thousands of Jewish men were named Jesus. This name reminds us that He was a man. A man Who knew His share of sorrow and rejection, Isa. 53:3; John 1:11. A man Who walked in poverty and loneliness, Matt. 8:20. It was this name that was chosen for Him by His Heavenly Father, Matt. 1:21. This was the name worn by the Man Who came into this world for one purpose: that of going to the cross to die for our sins, John 18:37. You see, God cannot die, yet men die every day. Therefore, God became a man that He might die for men, so that men might be free from the wrath of God. That is why the name Jesus is so special. It reminds us that He was a man and that He died for all men on that cross, Rom. 5:8.

(Ill. The name of Jesus is a name that thrills the souls of the believer. A name at which the devils tremble. A name that gains man access to the God of Glory. A name that moves mountains. A name that convicts the sinner. A name that opens the door to the blessings of God. A name that is above every name. A name that causes sinners to bow in repentance. Yes! There is something about that Name!)

B. The Name Of His Honor - Christ - this name means "Anointed One". This name identifies Jesus as the Messiah. He is seen as the fulfilment of all the promises of the Old Testament. He is:

Genesis - The Seed of the Woman

Exodus - The Passover Lamb

Leviticus - The High Priest

Numbers - The Cloud by Day and Pillar of Fire by Night

Deuteronomy - Prophet like unto Moses

Joshua - The Captain of the Lord's Host

Judges - Messenger of Jehovah

Ruth - The Kinsman Redeemer

1 Samuel - The Faithful Priest

2 Samuel - The Tower of Salvation

1 Kings - A Greater Than Solomon

2 Kings - The Reigning King

1 Chronicles - The Ark of the Covenant

2 Chronicles - The Blood on the Mercy Seat

Ezra - The Return from Captivity

Nehemiah - The Awesome God

Esther - Our Mordecai

Job - The Risen and Returning Redeemer

Psalms - King of Glory

Proverbs - The Friend that sticketh closer than a Brother.

Ecclesiastes - The Giver of Life and Breath

Song Of Solomon - The Altogether Lovely One

Isaiah - The Suffering Substitute

Jeremiah - The Lord our Righteousness

Lamentations - The People's Portion

Ezekiel - The River of Life

Daniel - The Ancient of Days

Hosea - The Former and Latter Rain

Joel - The Refuge for His People

Amos - The Rescuer of Israel

Obadiah - The Deliverer upon Mount Zion

Jonah - The Buried and Risen Savior

Micah - The God Who Pardons

Nahum - Our Stronghold in the Day of Wrath

Habbakuk - The Anchor of our Faith

Zephaniah - In the Midst for Judgment and Cleansing

Haggai - The Smitten Shepherd

Zechariah - The Branch

Malachi - The Son of Righteousness Risen with Healing in His Wings.

In the New Testament His story continues:

Matthew - King of the Jews

Mark - The Servant of Jehovah

Luke - The Perfect Son of Man

John - The Son of God

Acts - The Ascended Lord

Romans - Our Righteousness

1 Corinthians - The Firstfruits of the Resurrection

2 Corinthians - The Exalted Son of God

Galatians - The End of the Law and our Redeemer

Ephesians - The Head of the Church

Phillipians - The name above every Name

Colossians - The Preeminent One

1 Thessalonians - Our Returning Lord

2 Thessalonians - The Returning Judge

1 Timothy - The Mediator

2 Timothy - The Bestower of Crowns

Titus - Our Great God and Savior

Philemon - The Father's Partner

Hebrews - The Mediator of the New Covenant

James - The Lord of Glory

1 Peter - Chief Cornerstone

2 Peter - The Bright and Morning Star

1 John - The Propitiation for our Sins

2 John - God's Son come in the Flesh

3 John - The Truth

Jude - The Believer's Security

Revelation - The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords

(Ill. That's Who He is in the Bible record!. There is none like Him anywhere. He is the Anointed One, He is the honored One. He is the fulfillment of all the promises, plans and types of God!

I. We Are Told Of His Personality

II. V. 10 WE ARE TOLD OF HIS PROVISION

A. He Provided A Payment - Peter reminds them of the death of this name named Jesus Christ. He reminds them that is was a death on a cross. The most horrible of deaths known to men. Jesus suffered this death so that He might pay the sin debt of humanity. He did on that cross because we are sinners and stand in need of a Savior, Isa. 53:4-6; 2 Cor. 5:21.

(Ill. When Jesus completed His mission on the cross, He was able to lift His voice and declare that He had paid the price, John 19:30! He suffered our penalty on the cross so that we might go free by the grace of God, 2 Cor. 5:21.)

B. He Provided A Proof - Then, Peter declares the part of the Gospel that bothered them the most. He reminded them that this same Jesus, Whom they had crucified, had been raised from the dead by the power of God. This was a documented fact and they could not deny the resurrection, Matt. 28:1-6; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Cor. 15:6.

(Ill. Beyond that, the resurrection of Jesus from the dead was proof positive that God the Father had accepted His sacrifice as payment for the sins of humanity, Acts 2:24; Psa. 16:10.)

C. He Provided A Promise - Peter doesn't mention this in his sermon here, but the Apostle Paul does in 1 Cor. 15:20. There, Jesus is called "the firstfruits from the dead." This is a reference to the Old Testament wave offering, in which the first of the grain harvest was waved before the Lord, Ex. 29. The firstfruits were a picture of the fact that more was on the way. In the same manner, when Jesus arose from the dead, His resurrection was a statement that more would follow. The fact of he matter is that every person who follows Jesus in salvation will one day follow Him out of the grave in resurrection, 1 Thes. 4:13-18. Ill. There will be what the old black preachers called "A great gettin' up morning.")

(Ill. This is what the Lord Jesus has provided for all men. He paid for our sins on the cross, offers us salvation through His name and promises us deliverance from death and destruction at the end of the way. The great question is, "Are you trusting Jesus for your soul's salvation?" Faith in Christ is the only thing that will save the souls of men!)

I. We Are Told Of His Personality

II. We Are Told Of His Provision

III. V. 10 WE ARE TOLD OF HIS POWER

(Ill. As Peter continues His sermon, He tells the Sanhedrin that the cripples man at the Beautiful Gate was healed through the power of the name of Jesus. This serves to remind us of the fact that Jesus has the power to change lives! (Ill. How the crippled man life's may have changed.) Jesus Christ is in the life changing business, 2 Cor. 5:17.)

(Ill. The Gaderene Demoniac, Mark 5; The Leper, Matt. 8:2; Bartimaeus - Matt. 10; The Thief on the Cross; Luke 23; Lazarus - John 11; Paul - Acts 9; Me - May 23, 1983; You - ?)

I. We Are Told Of His Personality

II. We Are Told Of His Provision

III. We Are Told Of His Power

IV. V. 11-12 WE ARE TOLD OF HIS PREEMINENCE

A. V. 11 He Is The Lofty Savior - Peter refers to Psalm 118:22, a noted Messianic prophecy, and applies it to Jesus. He is making the case that Jesus is the Messiah. He is the promised One. He is the One Whom God has exalted above all others. His is a name above every name - Phil. 2:5-11. His is a glory greater than any other - Col. 2:13-15. He is the preeminent One - Col. 1:18. He is worthy of our faith! He is worthy of our honor. He is worthy of our praise. He alone is worthy to be exalted! Therefore, let the redeemed of the Lord say so and magnify His Name!

(Ill. Friend, like Israel, you might turn your back on the word of God concerning Who Jesus is, but that will never change the fact that He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords! It will never change the fact that He is the Savior of all men and then He deserves your faith, your trust and your praise. He deserves nothing less than your all!)

B. V. 12 He Is The Lone Savior - Peter finishes his sermon by reminding these men that salvation can only be found in the Lord Jesus Christ! He and He alone is the source of salvation for all men. Note the word "must". If you will escape the fires of Hell and will enter into the glories of Heave, you will do so through none other than the Lord Jesus Christ! He alone can save the soul of man, John 14:6.

Conc: What do you believe about this man named Jesus? Is He the Savior of your soul? Are you trusting His death and resurrection to get you into Heaven?

These men to whom Peter was preaching were good men as far as their cleanliness of life was concerned. Yet, everyone of them was as lost as man could be. They needed to hear what Peter told them that day and if you are lost, you need to hear it today. Are you saved? Have you trusted Jesus? Will you today?

The Bible tells us that this man who was healed had been laid at this gate daily, 3:2. After he had been healed the Bible tells us that all the people knew who he was, 3:10. I gather from this that he had been coming there for a long time. Now, Jesus had only been gone for a couple of months at this time. Imagine how many times Jesus must have passed this man by and yet He hadn't healed him. Why didn't Jesus heal this man? The answer may be that Jesus was waiting for the precise time when God would get the most glory. That happened the day God healed this man through Simon Peter. His time had come!

I said all of that to tell you this. Salvation may have passed you by many times before. But, today, the Lord is dealing with your heart. Right now is your time! The Lord is calling. He is willing to save you if you will come. He wants to save you. If you need to be saved, come to Jesus now and call on Him.

If you are saved, you might just want to praise His for Who He is! If so this altar is open for your need right now. Will you just mind Him as He speaks to your heart?