Courage That Comes From Christ

Scripture Reading - Acts 4:1-22

Salvation is found in no one else, 

for there is no other name under heaven 

given to mankind by which we must be saved.

 Acts 4:12 

Peter and John had done nothing but good—healing a lame man and preaching hope through the risen Jesus—yet they were arrested and dragged before the Sanhedrin, the very court that had condemned Jesus. Their courage in that moment did not come from training, position, or human strength. It came from one source: they had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13).

When asked “by what power or what name” they had performed the miracle, Peter, “filled with the Holy Spirit,” replied without hesitation: “It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead” (Acts 4:10). The name of Jesus wasn’t just a word—it carried the power of resurrection.

Their fearlessness astonished the religious leaders. These were “unschooled, ordinary men” (v.13), but they had encountered the Risen Lord and been transformed. The same Peter who once denied Jesus to a servant girl now stood in bold defiance before powerful rulers. Why? Because he was filled with the Spirit and convinced of the truth: “We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (v.20).

We are called to this same boldness today. The world may oppose, silence, or ridicule—but the Spirit who empowered Peter and John empowers us too. Paul reminds us, “The Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7). And Jesus Himself promised: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses…” (Acts 1:8).

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank You that Your Spirit fills us with boldness and truth. Help me to speak of You with courage and compassion, even when it costs. May it be said of me, as it was of Peter and John, that I had been with You. Amen.