H 16.

The power of the Name.

I  16.

Perfect soundness before all.

b J1 17,18.  Fulfilment. Mouth of prophets. Suffering.

K1 19-21. Repent; refreshing; restitution.

J2 21. Fulfilment. Mouth of prophets. Glory.

K2 22-24. Hear ... if not ... destroyed.

B 3:25 to

a D 25. The God of our fathers. Abraham.

E 26. Raised up His Son Jesus.

F 4:3-7. Detention and opposition to apostles.

G 2.

Witness to resurrection.

H 8-10. The power of the Name.

I  10.

Whole before all.

b J1 11. The rejected Stone becomes Head.

K1 12. Neither THE HEALING in any other.

J2 12. None other name under heaven.

K2 12. Whereby saved (healing of nation).

There is an insistence in this record on the fact that the Lord's name, in the power of which the lame man was

healed, is `Jesus Christ of Nazareth'. The choice of this name out of the many borne by our Lord is as inspired as

any other part of Scripture, and has a definite bearing on the teaching of the passage. Most readers will know that

the title never occurs in the epistles written to the Church. Five times in the Acts we meet the title `Jesus of

Nazareth', but on the two occasions when it is used by Peter in connection with this miracle, it is `Jesus Christ

of Nazareth'. This is important, because it stresses the Messiahship of the rejected One, the acknowledgment

of which is closely connected with the prophetic interpretation of the miracle. John, who was with Peter in the

working of this miracle, has told us that Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross:

`And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS' (John 19:19).

And he is careful to remind us, before the story of the crucifixion is ended, of the prophecy: `They shall look on

Him Whom they pierced' (John 19:37). When this takes place, Zechariah tells us that Israel's restoration will

follow; and this same Jesus of Nazareth, so long despised, shall once more stand upon the Mount of Olives and

accomplish all the purposes of grace that are awaiting Israel's repentance (Zech. 12 to 14).

The changed attitude towards `Jesus of Nazareth' which brings about the healing of the nation is seen in Isaiah

`He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and He hid as it were His face

from us (margin); He was despised, and we esteemed Him not' (Isa. 53:3).

This is the Jewish estimate of `Jesus of Nazareth'; but immediately following, the prophet reveals to us the

surprise which will be expressed by Israel when they look upon Him Whom they pierced:

`Surely HE hath borne OUR griefs, and carried OUR sorrows: yet we did esteem HIM stricken, smitten of God, and

afflicted. But (and here note the dawning revelation of truth) HE was wounded for OUR transgressions, HE was

bruised for OUR iniquities: the chastisement of OUR peace was upon HIM; and with HIS stripes WE are healed'

(Isa. 53:4,5).

This passage must be read aloud to be appreciated. The stress must be put upon the pronouns `HE' and `OUR'.

Israel rejected Jesus of Nazareth and esteemed Him stricken and smitten of God. But when at last they repent and

believe, they will acknowledge that it was for their sins, not His own, that He died, and they will then gladly give

Him the title which Peter uses in Acts 3 and 4.- `Jesus the Messiah of Nazareth' (Acts 3:6 and 4:10).

Peter's words in Acts 3:19-26 are a direct prophetic exposition of the meaning of this miracle. He urges

repentance, with a view to the times of refreshing and of restitution that will be brought in by the return of the Lord