Acts 4: σωθῆναι - to be saved, to be healed

In Acts 3, a crippled beggar is miraculously healed causing a great perplexity in Jerusalem. Peter and John were arrested by the Sadducees because they preached that the resurrected Jesus healed that man. As they had authority over the temple, they had soldiers who could arrest John and Peter. They stayed all night in prison to be judged in the following day. In the next day, before very important people such as the chief priest Caiaphas, Peter said that the crippled beggar was healed/saved by the name of Jesus and then:

11 He (Jesus) is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation/heal in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved/healed.”

Peter said that as the crippled beggar needed Jesus to be saved/healed, so does Caiphas, me and everyone; but saved or healed from what? We are naturally fragmented, broken; but Jesus can make everyone who trusts in Him, whole.

In this world with social media, youtube, etc. a lot of people want to spread some original idea to call attention to himself; but here in Acts, the apostles were called to spread salvation in the name of Jesus; they were called to witness Jesus as Messiah that resurrected from the death. In a way, it is burden to call attention to oneself and it is freedom to call attention to Jesus.

Acts 3: faith in the name of Jesus

Peter and John met a crippled beggar in the temple. He asked for money.

6 But Peter said, “I do not have silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!”

Peter and John had a great treasure: Jesus. We are naturally selfish; as we are rich we become afraid to share our wealth, but here it is different.

The man was healed and then, he praised the Lord.
Everybody was marveled. Peter made a speech where he talked about Jesus's death. He reminded that his listeners were guilt given that they asked for the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus. However, the name of Jesus is precious. Peter said:

16 And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.

The crippled beggar trusted in the name of Jesus and was healed by Him. Peter said that Jesus was in the center of the Old Testament. 
To a Jew in Jerusalem, Jesus was crucified and was cursed by the Lord, but now, Peter (who denied Jesus) is proclaiming that Jesus is the Messiah, the one pointed by the Scriptures.
As it all happened in the temple, the Jewish leaders knew about this. They were against Jesus and against the message of the apostles, but how to deal with this great sign?

Acts 2: Proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah

Jerusalem was the center of the 3 Jewish feasts, one of them was the Feast of Pentecost, 50 days after the Passover. Acts 2 says that 10 days after the ascension of Jesus, foreign Jews from many places are in Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost. In this occasion, the Holy Spirit came over the disciples and made them talk in other languages, attracting the attention of the foreigner Jews. Peter explained that they were in a very special moment in history - when prophecies are being fulfilled. He uses Psalm 16 as a prophecy to the resurrection of the Messiah, and Joel 2 to explain the coming of the Holy Spirit. Peter explained that Jesus is at the right or the Lord waiting for his enemies to under His feet as in Psalm 110. Peter said:

36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ — this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Most of the listeners should have been 50 days before in the Passover when Jesus was crucified by their approval. Thus, given that everything Peter was saying were true, they became the enemies of the Lord. The logical question they made was: what can we do? Peter said:

8 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Let this gift of the Holy Spirit be with me, changing my life so that I become more and more like Jesus.

Acts 1: How can evil be so powerful if Jesus is alive?

 In Acts 1:6, the disciples are with Jesus after resurrection. However, Rome is still in power. We read:

  

6 So, when they had come together, they began asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time that You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”

Somehow that is the question that we do sometimes: "if Jesus is with me, how can evil still hurt me? how can evil hurt your people?". The answer was:

7 But He said to them, “It is not for you to know periods of time or appointed times which the Father has set by His own authority; 8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth.”

 The Holy Spirit will give power to me and to the church so that I and the church will witness that Jesus is alive.

How can evil be so powerful if Jesus is alive?

The answer must be that the evil will be subjected by the powerful kindness of the church. Certainly that I don't have power in me to witness Jesus alive. This power comes through the Holy Spirit.

John 21: Jesus restores Peter

Peter has denied Jesus for three times. 
Even though Peter had believed that Jesus is the Messiah, he thought that the Messiah wouldn't die. How could the Messiah that would reign over nations be humiliated by the Romans? Impossible! However, now Jesus is resurrected, alive. No doubt Jesus is the Messiah, the King. Peter is very glad to meet Jesus after resurrection but would he be forgiven?
Yes, indeed. Jesus came to Peter, offered him fish as breakfast. Is he in the sea of Galilee after resurrection? It seems so. Thus, the gospel of John agrees with the gospel of Matthew - the disciples went to Galilee after resurrection.
Jesus asks three times if Peter loves him:

17-19 Then he said it a third time: “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was upset that he asked for the third time, “Do you love me?” so he answered, “Master, you know everything there is to know. You’ve got to know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. I’m telling you the very truth now: When you were young you dressed yourself and went wherever you wished, but when you get old you’ll have to stretch out your hands while someone else dresses you and takes you where you don’t want to go.” He said this to hint at the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. And then he commanded, “Follow me.”

Peter was restored. He fed Jesus's sheep (he led the church). Peter was crucified too and glorified the Lord by his death. 
Jesus is the healer of our souls. Glory to him.

John 20: Mary Magdalene witnesses Jesus resurrected

 In Luke 8:2 we read: "Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out". 

She must have been a tormented woman, seeking her auto destruction, yelling obscenities with no control. However, Jesus transformed her life. She was certain that Jesus was much stronger than her demons, thus she followed Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem with the disciples.

Mary Magdalene went to tomb where Jesus was buried and saw that the the stone (as a door) was removed from the entrance. Due to the Sabbath, Jesus body was not properly handled for burial. She (with others) went there to prepare his body.
In John gospel, Mary Magdalene is the first one to see Jesus resurrected. We read:

13-14 “They took my Master,” she said, “and I don’t know where they put him.” After she said this, she turned away and saw Jesus standing there. But she didn’t recognize him.
15 Jesus spoke to her, “Woman, why do you weep? Who are you looking for?”
She, thinking that he was the gardener, said, “Sir, if you took him, tell me where you put him so I can care for him.”
16 Jesus said, “Mary.”
Turning to face him, she said in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” meaning “Teacher!”
17 Jesus said, “Don’t cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I ascend to my Father and your Father, my God and your God.’”
18 Mary Magdalene went, telling the news to the disciples: “I saw the Master!” And she told them everything he said to her.

Jesus is the Logos that came from heaven. After resurrection Jesus is returning to the Lord, the Father. Imagine if Jesus hadn't risen from the death. Would we believe in Jesus as the Messiah? The resurrection is the great miracle that testifies that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, the lamb of God that takes away our sins. Not only that, but the the power that resurrected Jesus is the power that will resurrect me after my death. Through the resurrection of Jesus we can rest in peace. 

John 19: the King is risen on the cross

In John 17:1 we read:
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. ... 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began."

In John 19, we read:

13-14 When Pilate heard those words, he led Jesus outside. He sat down at the judgment seat in the area designated Stone Court (in Hebrew, Gabbatha). It was the preparation day for Passover. The hour was noon. Pilate said to the Jews, “Here is your king.”
15 They shouted back, “Kill him! Kill him! Crucify him!”
Pilate said, “I am to crucify your king?”
The high priests answered, “We have no king except Caesar.”
16-19 Pilate caved in to their demand. He turned him over to be crucified.

Some hours after this prayer Jesus is risen on the cross with a crown of thorns. In a man made story, the mankind is much better because a good protagonist would never be killed and glorified in such way. However, the reality is that mankind is bad. In a way, we are prone to reject the King because we can't glorify no one, except ourselves. We are prone to believe that we are gods: we say what is right and wrong, we judge and we condemn. Thus, we reject the Lord and his Son because the Lord turned to be our enemies. What tragedy! 
May the Lord touch our evil hearts and may we be prone to honor the King, obeying his will.
May we surrender to Jesus because he is the King indeed.