Peter here stands before the Sanhedrin, the Supreme Court of Israel that a few weeks before had condemned to death as a false Messiah the now risen Jesus. Are these words of Peter a condemnation? Yes. But they are an invitation as well, an appeal. But not for a re-trial. This appeal is not looking to set aside Jesus' unjust condemnation, but rather the just sentence His enemies pronounced on themselves. They rejected Jesus as their Messiah. Now He returns from the dead and through Peter reaches out to them.
"There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
Human pride is affronted by these words. No other Savior? Only Jesus? How exclusive! Not at all. The Gospel includes all. Jesus is the Savior of every human being under the vault of heaven. He has paid the price for every sin of every sinner-- no exceptions, even those who mocked Him and abused Him and crucified Him are included. Even we are redeemed.
If a universal cure for cancer were discovered, would we complain because it was the "only one"? Would we object if it were discovered by some "foreigner" in a "backward" country? Or would we, should we, rejoice that God has provided an answer for all forms of a terrible disease-- and did it in an unexpected way from an unlikely source?
In Jesus we have God's provision, His cure, for the terrible consequences of a far worse disease than cancer, one that horribly disfigures the spirit as well as the body and results in eternal death. In His substitutionary life and sacrificial death Jesus is God's answer to sin and its terrible consequences. A cure for every form this terminal sickness takes, no matter where you live, whether you are great or small, rich or poor.
Let us never complain or apologize for the way God has come to the rescue of sinners. But let us rather say: "Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:57). |
