“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

The urgent need for all people to see Jesus clearly is revealed in verse 12, “there is no other name.” The world must know about this Saviour because there is no other way to be saved by God. Jesus is not one option among many. He’s the only one who is able to fully rescue and save through his perfect life, sacrificial death, and triumphant resurrection.

And that conviction that there is no other name leads to courage. It wasn’t that long before this that Peter had denied Jesus three times in the lead-up to his crucifixion. And yet now, filled by the Spirit, with a clear conviction that Jesus is the only way, Peter stands with courage.

The council are already astonished by the boldness of Peter in verse 13. But because everyone in Jerusalem knows about the healing, they decide to silence them instead, demanding that they cease speaking and teaching “in the name of Jesus” (Acts 4:17).

They can no longer remain silent. They’ve seen too much. They’ve heard too much. It only leads to further courage in verse 20, “for we cannot but speak.” They are compelled by conviction. Not by fear. Not by pressure. Not by guilt. Not by technique. Their clear convictions about Jesus compels them to courageously proclaim the name of Jesus, no matter the cost.

The same pattern continues in Acts 5. More signs and wonders. More opposition. More demands to stop speaking about Jesus. But after being flogged and beaten, they rejoice that they were “counted worthy to suffer dishonour for the name” and they “did not cease” talking about Jesus.

Their continued clarity, conviction, and courage to proclaim “there is no other name” (Acts 4:12) led to this repeated result: “many of those who had heard the word believed” (Acts 4:4).

God’s Spirit can empower that same clarity, conviction, and courage in us today. That courage is needed even more today as we know from God’s Word that tribulation, even great tribulation, precedes Jesus return to rescue Israel and to restore righteousness.