The Name Above All Names: What Will You Do With Jesus?

Watch the full Palm Sunday service and sermon from Acts 4:5–12, “The Only Name That Saves,” and be challenged to boldly proclaim Jesus—the rejected cornerstone and the only name under heaven by which we must be saved. The name of Jesus that the world questions and rejects is the only name that can save you, and today you must decide what you will do with His name.

The streets of Jerusalem erupted in celebration. Palm branches waved in the air. Cloaks carpeted the dusty road. Voices rose in joyful proclamation: "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"

But beneath the celebration, hearts were divided. Some saw only a prophet. Others hoped for a revolutionary. Still others saw nothing more than an interruption to their day. Religious leaders watched with seething contempt, already plotting their next move.
Every single person, regardless of their reaction, faced the same unavoidable question: Who is this man?

That question hasn't changed in two thousand years. Today, as then, every person must answer: What will you do with Jesus?

The early church discovered quickly that proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ would come at a cost. In Acts chapter four, we find Peter and John standing before the Sanhedrin—the Supreme Court of Jewish law—after healing a disabled man in Jesus' name. These religious authorities, the very ones who had orchestrated Christ's crucifixion, now turned their scrutiny toward His followers.

"By what power or in what name have you done this?" they demanded.
It's a question that echoes through the ages. The world has always questioned, doubted, and wrestled with the authority of Jesus Christ. In courtrooms and classrooms, around dinner tables and in public squares, His name still provokes. It still divides. It still demands an answer.

No amount of human questioning can diminish who Christ is. You can question Him, but you cannot make Him less. You can reject Him, but you cannot remove Him from His throne. Or you can call on His name and be saved.

Peter and John weren't in ideal circumstances. They had been arrested by force. They stood before the most powerful religious court in the land, facing men who wanted to silence them permanently. These were hardly favorable conditions for sharing the gospel.
Yet something remarkable happened. The text tells us that "Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit" and began to speak.

This is a crucial truth: the Holy Spirit doesn't wait for perfect conditions to work. Being filled with the Spirit isn't about emotional experiences or special feelings—it's about submission and obedience. When we yield to God's power and walk in obedience, we are filled. And when we're filled, we can face anything.

The church cannot function effectively without the power of Christ. We cannot live victoriously, and we certainly cannot proclaim His name boldly, without submitting to His Spirit. When we neglect this power, we surrender opportunities to see God work in other people's lives.

Peter seized his opportunity. Standing before the very court that would never have granted him an appointment, he recognized God's divine timing. This wasn't man's arrangement—it was heaven's appointment. And Peter didn't waste it.

How we identify Jesus matters. Peter didn't offer vague platitudes or religious sentiments. He proclaimed Christ with precision:

Jesus of Nazareth—the man they knew, from a real place, in real history.

Jesus crucified by them—the one they had rejected and killed.

Jesus raised by God from the dead—the one who conquered death itself.

Jesus who is working today—"by him this man is standing here before you healthy."

This is the Jesus we must proclaim: crucified for sinners, risen to give life, and actively working in people's lives today. He died to give us life. He defeated death to offer us victory. This is no distant religious figure—this is the living Lord.

When we share Christ, we must share Him clearly. He's not merely a friend, a good teacher, or a path to prosperity. He is the Son of God, the Savior of the world, the only name by which we can be saved.

Despite overwhelming evidence—a man healed, standing before them as living proof—the religious leaders rejected Jesus. Peter reminded them of the prophecy in Psalm 118:22: "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone."

This reveals an uncomfortable truth: rejection of Jesus isn't ultimately an evidence problem. It's a heart problem. People don't reject Christ because they lack information. They reject Him because the sinful heart resists surrender.

These leaders had everything they needed to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. Yet they chose rejection. And the same choice confronts every person today.

Then Peter made the statement that offends modern sensibilities but remains eternally true: "There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved."

No alternative plan. No secondary option. No other way.

This exclusivity isn't narrow-mindedness—it's reality. Jesus Himself declared, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Paul wrote that there is "one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus."

The world will always offer alternatives. Religion promises self-salvation through good works. Culture suggests all paths lead to the same destination. But Scripture is unambiguous: salvation is found in Christ alone.

Yet this exclusive Savior is offered to all people. "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." "To all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

Anyone. Everyone. The invitation is universal even though the way is singular.

We stand before an unbelieving world just as Peter and John stood before the Sanhedrin. The world examines us, questions our faith, challenges our convictions. The question is: How will we respond?

Will we remain silent to avoid offense? Will we hide our faith to escape ridicule? Or will we, filled with the Holy Spirit, seize every opportunity to proclaim the only name that saves?

When someone mentions God—even negatively—that's your opportunity. When you encounter sickness, that's your opportunity. When you're around unbelievers, that's your opportunity. When you face opposition for your faith, that's your opportunity.

God is constantly opening doors. He's always providing opportunities. Our responsibility is to expect them, discern them, and seize them.

The same question that confronted Jerusalem on Palm Sunday confronts us today: What will you do with Jesus?

You cannot avoid Him. You cannot diminish Him. You must decide.

Will you worship Him and submit to Him? Will you live for the King today and forevermore? The choice is yours, but understand this: there is no other name by which we must be saved.

Believe in Christ, and you shall be saved.

Through this message, God reminds us that Jesus Christ is the only name by which we must be saved, the rejected yet exalted cornerstone and risen King who alone has the authority and power to give life—so how will you respond to His name today?

The sermon ended with this challenge: "What will you do with the name of Jesus?"

Take 2-3 minutes of silence for personal reflection:

• Have I truly placed my faith in Jesus as the only name that saves?
• Am I living in submission to the Holy Spirit?
• Where am I remaining silent when I should speak?