“Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner” (KJV, Acts 4:10-11).
“Be it known unto you all”
Father, I thank You for how You have helped me to know the truth. However, I recognize that I am still deceived at times. I see that sin, by its very nature, is deceiving. Some may wonder how Satan can think He will defeat You and foil Your plan. The answer is simple, sin deceives, and as a result, even Satan has been deceived.
The knowledge I possess is important. There is a wide array of knowledge in the world today. I must choose where to focus my attention. While matters of life may require me to gain knowledge outside of Your Word, I must never forget that essential knowledge is found in the Scriptures.
Therefore, I pray that You would help me to know more about You. Help me to learn more about how I could live a life that is pleasing in Your sight. You have been patient with me and have shown me an enormous amount of mercy along the way. However, I do not want to be idle and do not want to backslide. Therefore, may I always move forward and seek Your face.
In Jesus’ High-Priestly Prayer, He said that eternal life is knowing You. Thus, when I get to know You in this life, I am given a glimpse of eternity. Therefore, please help me to look heavenward. Thank You for desiring to help me grow.
“and to all the people of Israel”
Not only is it important that I know what is true, but Jesus has said the fields are ripe for harvest. So may Your Word go forth and bear much fruit. Help me to learn Your Gospel. I read that Paul was unashamed of the Gospel because it is the power of God unto salvation. While I would like to think that I am never unashamed of the Gospel, I am afraid that I must admit I am sometimes.
I can fear man more than You. I can desire to avoid what I would deem awkward situations. Nevertheless, I pray that You will help me to overcome my fears. Teach me what it means to be bold like those in the book of Acts. May I rise as Peter did in Acts 2 and proclaim the resurrected Christ.
“that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth”
Father, it is a blessing to know Jesus Christ personally. Thank You for Jesus. Thank You for sending your Son to come and save me. I was not righteous or worthy of having the Creator come and die for me. I was deep in sin and living outside of Your will.
Paul had said, “For yet when we were without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:6-8). Jesus, You gave Your life when I was without strength, hope, and God.
Thank You for coming to live upon this earth and dwelling in humble means. You took on flesh and became a servant. You grew up in Nazareth rather than Rome. You lived in poverty rather than in a palace. Therefore, You are worthy of being exalted.
“whom ye crucified”
Jesus, I believe that You were crucified and died on the cross for my sin. When I look into Deuteronomy 28, I am made aware of the requirements for blessing. Your Word tells me that I must do everything the law says to be blessed.
On the other hand, Deuteronomy 28 tells me that if I do not obey everything the law says, I will be cursed. Unfortunately, I have not followed Your law perfectly and thus deserve God’s curse. However, Paul has told me in Galatians that You took the curse upon Yourself, for everyone Who is hung on a tree is cursed.
But as a result of Your taking my curse through Your righteousness, I am blessed. What a marvelous facet of Your Gospel. You came and lived out the law. You came to the earth and have said, “And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him” (John 8:29). Everything You did pleased the Father, but in the end, You died a sinners death. Your pleasing life has been granted to me, and I now stand before the throne of grace with Your merits, for You are my legal representative.
“whom God raised from the dead”
Father, I thank You for raising Your Son. The implications of His resurrection are many. However, I am struck by one of them at the moment. There is life after death. I can know this t to be true because Jesus has risen. If Christ had not risen, my faith would be in vain. But Jesus has risen. Thus, the dead are raised.
I believe that one day I will be with You, and I can know this to be true because I can see what You did in the life of Your Son. Although He died, You accepted His offering and proved the acceptance by raising Your Son. You vindicated Christ and revealed Your plan of salvation to a divided world.
“even by him doth this man stand here before you whole”
Thank you for the ministry of Christ. In Christ, I am made whole. I am reminded of the demoniac who was overcome with evil. But when Christ showed up, He cast out the wickedness, and the demoniac sat at his feet. The Bible states, “And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid” (Mark 5:15). In Your presence, Jesus, I am also in my right mind.
You have given me life and continue to work Your plan of redemption into my heart. Thank You for redeeming me by Your blood, Jesus. Thank You for delivering me out of the domain of darkness and transferring me into Your kingdom.
“This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders”
Despite all the good You have done, I still turn You away sometimes. May I not look upon the wickedness displayed by some of the Jews and Pharisees and think that I am devoid of any of it? I, too, can push You away when You come knocking on the door of my heart. I, too, can stifle Your voice and seek selfish gain.
Sometimes I find that I honor You with my mouth, but my heart is far from You. I can also be hypocritical and appear spiritual while, at the same time, I am dead inside. But praise the Lord; this is not the whole story. You have forgiven me, and You help me to repent. You tell me that when I confess my sin, You are faithful and just to forgive it. I have been united with Christ; while there is not as much fruit in my life as I would like, there is fruit.
Help me to grow and manifest the life of Christ in me in greater measure.
“which is become the head of the corner”
Jesus, while the people rejected You, You still have become the Cornerstone. You deserve my attention. Although I do not measure up, I thank You for Your grace. I want to look upon You with a true heart. A heart that prizes You and esteems You. May You be glorified and magnified in my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.