The Source of Healing and the Answer to Your Questions
5 On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem,
6 with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family.
7 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?”
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders,
9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed,
10 let it be known to all of you 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 is standing before you well.
Acts 4:5–10 ESV Read More
I love how direct Peter is. He isn’t trying to completely change their culture or settle the political disputes of a corrupt family’s rise to power. He isn’t t getting into the controversy of resurrection vs. non-resurrection with the Pharisees and Sadducees.
They got arrested because they healed a crippled beggar, and that’s what Peter draws their attention to. The court can’t even bring themselves to admit they did it. “By what power and what name did you do this?” Peter and John know that the court they stand before is the same court that killed Jesus a few months earlier. They know that saying the name of Jesus to this court is equal to blasphemy and will probably get them killed.
So Peter goes for it. “Do this thing? You mean HEAL a CRIPPLED MAN?! Oh That? Is That why we’re here today?”
There were regulations and rules (no surprise) about what names healers could use to heal people. Sometimes they would call on the names of the patriarchs or even the name of King Solomon. Peter might be able to fudge his way through this by mentioning God or the patriarchs. But he doesn’t because that’s not the name that healed this man.
Not only does Peter name Jesus as the source of this miracle, but he throws sat on it by confirming which Jesus. It’s the Jesus that you all crucified. Remember Him?
He’s alive and actively healing people. Thanks for asking.
It is a too easy to get caught up in a bunch of minutia and worry about side things. Peter did the best thing and took the whole message straight to Jesus. Jesus is the source of the questions and He’s the answer at the same time.