MONDAY 25th
Reading – Acts 4:13-31
We will continue today on the theme of the name of Jesus, but today from the book of Acts. As I did yesterday, I will give an overview of the verses that have reference to his ‘name’, you will need to turn to them if you want to find the context. ‘who calls upon his name’ (2:21), ‘every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ’ (2:38), ‘In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth’ (3:6), ‘And his name – by faith in his name’ (3:16), ‘or by what name’ (4:7), ‘that by the name of Jesus Christ’ (4:10), ‘there is no other name’ (4:12), ‘to anyone in this name’ (4:17), ‘teach at all in the name of Jesus’ (4:18), ‘through the name of your holy servant Jesus’ (4:30), ‘not to teach in this name’ (5:28), ‘not to speak in the name’ (5:40), ‘worthy to suffer dishonour for the name’ (5:41), ‘and the name of Jesus Christ’ (8:12), baptised in the name’ (8:16), ‘who call on your name’ (9:14), ‘to carry my name’ (9:15), ‘for the sake of my name’ (9:16), ‘who called upon his name’ (9:21), preached boldly in the name of Jesus’ (9:27), ‘preaching boldly in the name of Jesus’ (9:28), ‘forgiveness of sins through his name’ (10:43), ‘baptised in the name of Jesus’ (10:48), ‘risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (15:26), ‘I command you in the name of Jesus Christ’ (16:8), ‘baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus’ (19:5), ‘invoke the name of’ (19:13), ‘and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled’ (19:17), ‘die in Jerusalem for the name’ (21:13), ‘calling on his name’ (22:16), ‘opposing the name’ (26:9).
In our reading for today we discover that it was not long after the day of Pentecost when the authorities began to be concerned about the ‘name’. Even though they had seen tremendous evidence of the power that is to be found in the name of Jesus, they sought to ban any activity based around his name, verses 17-18 ‘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.’ But what did the disciples do? They prayed for boldness, and after being filled again with the power of the Holy Spirit they went out and continued to speak the word of God boldly. (4:31) But it got them in trouble again, in Acts 5:28 ‘We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching . . .’ The apostles replied we must obey God rather than men.
The disciples had come to know the tremendous power and authority that was involved in the name of Jesus. Power and authority that was present in the name and through the name because of who Jesus was, the obedient and conquering Saviour, the one who God had declared to be Lord over all. And Jesus had commissioned the disciples or sent them to ‘go in his name’, this means that they had been given authority to exercise authority in the name of Jesus.
To attempt to use an illustration, a poor one I know, in themselves the disciples could do absolutely nothing, they would be like you or I going as a civilian and attempting to enter a property to do a search. It just would not happen. What we would need is a warrant, a document that gives us authority to go and to enter and search. And when Jesus gave the disciples authority to use his name it is as if he issued them a warrant, a document ‘his name’ that gave them the authority. If we look at the period of time between Acts 4:18 when the disciples were charged not to teach or speak in the name of Jesus and the second time in Acts 5:28 ‘We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, we will see verses 12-16 in which we see how they exercised that authority. ‘Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.’ Wow what amazing results. Brothers and sisters, we need to collect our warrant!
As I have gone through these various Scriptures, there are many things that have been highlighted to me, things we know about and readily proclaim, the power in the name to save, the power that is in the name to heal, and the power in the name to deliver and set free.
In Acts 9, we find that Saul who later became Paul was going about with authority (a warrant) to bind those who call on the name, (verses 1-2 and 13-14) and yet as he who hated the name of Jesus was intent on causing suffering toward those who loved the name of Jesus, God was at work with a plan that in turn meant that Saul himself would end up suffering for the sake of the name. The name hater, the name despiser, the one who wanted to obliterate the name would himself become a carrier of that name, he would hold a better warrant, not a warrant that would lead to death for the believers, but a warrant ‘the name of Jesus’ that would lead to life for the unbelievers. (9:15-16) What an amazing evidence of the power in the name of Jesus to save and to transform a life. So much so, that he came to love the name of Jesus so dearly that we hear Paul saying many years later that he was willing himself to be imprisoned or even to die for the name. (21:13)
We are living in relatively safe times in the UK to be a believer in the name, sadly there are many nations where this is not so. We can so easily sing or say that we love the name of Jesus, that Jesus is the name we honour, Jesus is the name we trust because at this moment in time there is no risk involved in saying so. But what if? What if we were told that we were not to teach or preach the name? What if the authorities had warrants to arrest those who follow the name? What if our believing in the name means we would have to suffer many trials, or be imprisoned or be put to death? A lot of ‘what ifs’, but the challenge is for the now, we can believe freely on his name, we can declare freely about his name, maybe, the person God keeps placing into your heart and mind is someone who needs to know about the name, and you are to be the one who is to carry the name to them.
The name of Jesus is so sweet,
I love its music to repeat;
It makes my joys full and complete,
The precious name of Jesus.
Jesus! oh, how sweet the name,
Jesus! every day the same;
Jesus! let all saints proclaim
Its worthy praise forever.
I love the name of Him whose heart
Knows all my griefs and bears a part;
Who bids all anxious fears depart,
I love the name of Jesus.
That name I fondly love to hear,
It never fails my heart to cheer,
Its music dries the falling tear;
Exalt the name of Jesus.
No word of man can ever tell
How sweet the name I love so well,
Oh, let its praises ever swell,
Oh, praise the name of Jesus.
W C Martin CCLI788682