Image: "In The Name", 2020, Patapsco St. Park, Md.
Acts 3:15–16 ... and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. 16 And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
Acts 3:26 To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.”
Acts 4:10 let it be known to you all, 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 stands here before you whole.
Acts 4:11–12 This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ 12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Acts 4:29–30 Now, Lord, look on their threats and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30 by stretching out Your hand to heal and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”
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There is something magical about walking through deep woods when the leaf canopy deepens the shadows and imparts a sense of mystery to your surroundings. During such times one encounters a scene such as the image above when the sun lines up perfectly with a gap in the overhead ceiling and, like a spotlight, sends shafts of light down onto a pleasant little patch. If a person is not prone to meditation, they might not pause when they pass... but,... it will be noticed. The eyes are magnetically drawn to it. It may not be very spectacular but it is there, offering a bit of cheer to the journey.
Acts 3 & 4 offer a similar splash of light shining down from above on a little patch of believers. Other people might not have noticed them at all except when, through their presence, incredible things happened. A man who was born lame was healed through the ministry of Peter and the disciples. Peter had looked at him, saw that the Holy Spirit purposed to do a work in him and then said: Acts 3:6 “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”
Pay careful attention to the phrasing: "In the name of..." The "name of Jesus" is a recurring phrase in these verses. Peter says that it was through "faith in His name" that the man was healed. (3:16) Later he says it was "by the name of Jesus" that the man stood in their presence. (4:10) In 4:12 Peter declares that there is "no other name" by which any man can be saved. Peter's prayer (4:30) petitions God to empower healing, signs, and wonders to be done through the "name of Your Holy Servant Jesus." Clearly, these passages set forth the "name of Jesus" as a bright light shining down on those servants He has commissioned for His work.
What is this "name" business? We have to go back to John 14 (there are many other passages) for a little more insight. In vs. 13 & 14, Jesus tells His disciples that if they ask "anything in My name, I will do it." This is an incredible statement. If we believe, as I do, that it was not confined only to those immediate disciples, then we have to think that maybe God's spotlight is still shining down on His little patch of believers, the Church.
Does this mean that the "name" of Jesus is some kind of talisman or a magical phrase that, when wielded by a believer, he can get anything he wants? Self-evidently "NO!" There is entirely too much "magical thinking" in Christ's church. Rather, we must understand that we have been given Jesus' "name" in the sense of having a "power of attorney", the authorization to act on another person's behalf for the purposes of furthering that person's interests. A "medical power of attorney" allows a person to authorize treatment for the named person to the end of restoring his health.
We have been given the authority to invoke the "name" of Jesus for the purpose of furthering His work in the world. Peter saw this man as one whose healing would be directly used to glorify Christ. Both chapters tell the story of just how that was done. "Belief in His name" means embracing Him in terms of His "name": Messiah/Christ, the Savior of the world. That is why it is only "by His name" that salvation will come to any person.
Now, inherent in these things, is the underlying principle that Jesus is alive and, through His Holy Spirit, is actively at work in the world. Hence, "His name" also implies a "sphere of reality", a separate "patch" of light in the world which is the realm in which Jesus is ruling, visibly, in the darkness.
This is THE Name! It is the authority of Christ as sovereign over all things including the continuing good works of His people, the teachings that define His Kingdom, and His Person as the One to Whom every heart and eye should turn. There is no other Name under which any truly good can come.
Let's embrace that Name with reverence, use it as it should be used, and trust it for our own blessing.
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