No Other Name
The honeymoon was over. The same powers that killed Jesus now turned on His followers. Peter and John were preaching the risen Christ when they were suddenly arrested—mid-sermon—and thrown into prison overnight.
The Book of Acts reminds us that opposition doesn’t mean defeat. In fact, persecution often marks the moments when the church is most alive. When the apostles stood before the same council that condemned Christ, Peter—once a fearful denier—now stood filled with the Holy Spirit and declared, “It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you well.”
That’s boldness. Not arrogance, not bravado—but Spirit-filled courage.
The Offense of the Gospel
The gospel always offends human pride. It tells religious people their rituals can’t save them and tells irreligious people their rebellion can’t satisfy them. Like the Sadducees who denied the resurrection, our culture resists anything that challenges its self-sufficiency. But the gospel does exactly that—it humbles us before a holy God and exposes our need for grace.
The Exclusivity of the Gospel
Peter’s words are clear and unpopular: “There is salvation in no one else.” Christianity is not one path among many—it’s the only way because Jesus is the only Savior who conquered sin and death. That’s not arrogance; that’s mercy. God Himself provided the one way of salvation. The exclusivity of Christ is what makes the gospel both offensive and beautiful—offensive to human pride, but beautiful to every heart that’s tired of trying to save itself.
The Boldness of the Gospel
When the council looked at Peter and John, they saw “uneducated, common men”—literally, “idiōtai” in Greek. Yet they recognized something unmistakable: “They had been with Jesus.” That’s the source of true boldness. Not personality or education, but proximity to Christ. The more we walk with Him, the more His courage shapes our own.
Boldness is not natural—it’s supernatural. And it’s what the church needs most in an age of fear and compromise.
So, is it worth it to stand for Jesus when the world says “be quiet”?
Yes. A thousand times yes. Because He is worth it all.
