Heart Meditations

Scripture – Acts 4:5-12 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. 11 This Jesus[a] is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.[b] 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men[c] by which we must be saved.”

Observation – The phrase ‘there is Salvation in no one else’ jumped out this morning.

Application – There is salvation in no one else.  This is an interesting way to express what Peter is saying.  Why doesn’t he say “salvation is only in Jesus” or “only Jesus saves”?  Why does he say it in the negative way?  I am not sure this was Peter’s intention but I have often noticed that people (including myself) are willing to try to find salvation in almost anyone else before they try Jesus.  We turn to politicians, celebrities, scientists, lovers, children, work, leisure, money, etc almost anything to try and escape that emptiness that we all feel.  To try and bring some meaning to life and some consolation in death.  But there is salvation in no one else.  Nothing can bring peace and hope like Jesus can.

It was difficult for the chief priests and rulers to accept this truth since they were responsible for killing Jesus.  We also may find it difficult to accept this truth when we have spent our life trying to do things our own way.

It must have been humiliating and humbling for those builders of Solomon’s temple to realise that the one stone they ignored and rejected happened to be the cornerstone upon which the weight of the building was designed to rest upon.  It is humiliating and humbling to realise that I have often ignored and rejected the most important part of my life, my marriage, my family, my health, my exercise,  my ministry, my money, Jesus.  I need the humility to accept this truth day by day, moment by moment.  When ever I find myself trying to fit something else into HIs place as cornerstone I need the Spirit to convict me and the humility to confess.  Christ alone, cornerstone.

The good news is ‘there is salvation’.  There is hope if we will admit and accept our reality we can be saved from it.

Prayer – Father, I try to build my life on so many things, my ministry, my family, my health, but the only thing that I can be my cornerstone is Jesus.  This is salvation in no one else.

Amen