Acts 3:16
What's in a name? We are studying the names of God in our LIFEgroups on Sunday nights, and have learned that God revealed Himself to us by many different names in order to teach how He wants to relate to us through His multi-faceted character. God has always become for man whatever His greatest need required.
"The name of Jesus" speaks less to social identification and more to character identification. It refers to His authority, ability, truth. Faith in His name is recognizing that Jesus is who He always described Himself to be: Christ, Lord, Immanuel, Son of God...
Naming the name of Jesus isn't what healed this lame man, but faith in his name. In other words, this man exericised faith in all that Peter proclaimed to the crowd...Jesus is Messiah, you rejected Him and traded Him for a murderer; God selected Him and exalted Him (He is Christ and Lord) and this man's faith in that fact brought about this healing. The real miracle was faith in who Jesus was. He exericised faith and became a living illustration of Peter's sermonic point: Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.
What does Jesus' name describe for you? What does Jesus' name mean to you? What refreshment do you find when you operate your life under the Lordship of Jesus Christ?
In this passage there are four different descriptions, or names, of Jesus: 1) His servant Jesus (i.e. suffering servant); 2) Holy and Righteous One; 3) Author of life; 4) prophet like Moses. If you get a minute or two, I'd like to host a discussion on what these names mean to you and what heavenly refreshment we might find from them.
