In Acts 4, we witness the first wave of persecution against the early church, a reminder that followers of Jesus often face the same hostility He endured. What began as healing and hope in the temple courtyard soon met resistance from religious authorities determined to silence the gospel. Peter and John, filled with the Holy Spirit, stood before Israel’s leaders, accused of speaking the name that the world could not ignore: Jesus of Nazareth. What appeared to be a wall of opposition became, in God’s plan, a platform for His glory.

The rulers demanded, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?” Boldly, Peter declared that it was by the name of Jesus Christ, whom they had crucified but whom God raised from the dead. This name carried authority beyond human comprehension, the same power that healed the crippled man and defeated death itself. What the world despised, God exalted; what seemed like defeat became divine opportunity. The cornerstone rejected by men became the foundation of salvation.

God’s demonstration through this confrontation reminds us that no wall is too high, no opposition too strong, to stop the advance of His truth. Peter’s confession still echoes: “There is salvation in no one else.” When we face our own barriers, moments of resistance may be the very stage where God’s power is displayed. How might your trials today reveal the unstoppable reach of His glory?