Acts 4:1-22 Peter and John Arrested
“Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.
Addressing the Sanhedrin
And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes, as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, “By what power or by what name have you done this?”
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
The Name of Jesus Forbidden
“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, saying, “What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.”
So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed.”
OOF! This whole mess with the Jesus followers is NOT going the way the religious authorities have intended. Feeling threatened by Jesus’ teachings and his popularity, the Jewish religious leaders have manipulated the Romans so that the Romans would crucify Jesus. In their self assurance and pride, these haughty men have convinced themselves that they have rid the country of a menace, never realizing that they have put to death the very Messiah for whose appearing they claim to be waiting. And now this ragtag group of fishermen and tax collectors and heaven knows who else is mushrooming into a major movement.
Two ridiculous Galilean fishermen with their outlandish accents have prayed for Simon, the crippled beggar, and he has been gloriously healed RIGHT THERE IN THE TEMPLE! Everybody knows Simon, and now everybody who has come to the temple for afternoon prayers is standing awe-struck as Simon leaps and dances and praises God loudly. To make matters even worse, one of them has preached a short sermon regarding Jesus rising from the dead and five thousand men have become Jesus followers RIGHT THERE IN THE TEMPLE!
Incensed and afraid, the authorities put Peter and John in custody overnight; however, the next day, things are even worse. Rather than being over-awed by the Sanhedrin and the many religious dignitaries, these two men fearlessly witness to the truth of Jesus’ resurrection. What are the authorities to do? Everybody has seen Simon’s miracle; the news has raced through Jerusalem, and people are flocking to the temple just to see Simon and see if the news is true. It’s even more frustrating that when the authorities query Peter and John, Peter preaches another short sermon. And when the religious authorities attempt to threaten these two men, they answer, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
That tomb in the garden is empty, and the leaders threatening Peter and John are those who bribed the Roman soldiers to lie, claiming that the disciples stole Jesus’ body while they were asleep. The same leaders had to square things with the Roman leaders because sleeping on guard duty in the Roman army was punishable by death. The Jewish leaders are so hell-bent on refusing to accept Jesus as Messiah that they have lied to themselves. Now Peter and John have proclaimed truth and have been catalysts for a miracle. All the authorities can do is to threaten, but those threats are empty; meanwhile, the number of Jesus followers in Jerusalem has swollen to more than eight thousand.
There are all kinds of lessons to be gained from these verses. Look at the Jewish authorities: God is giving them another opportunity to accept the truth of Jesus’ resurrection; however, they have already hardened their hearts and are plugging their ears to the truth. Peter and John are speaking under the power of the Holy Spirit, and their words ring true, convincing five thousand to follow Jesus. Most languages in Ghana have a phrase for ignorant people from the bush, and as far as the Jewish leaders are concerned, that’s what Peter and John are. But the bottom line is simple: If you will allow God to use you, God will empower you and give you the right words at the right time. Jesus himself promised his disciples that this would happen.
“Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” (Luke 12:11-12)
May God help us, so that we will make ourselves available for Him to use us as He chooses!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to fearlessly witness for You, knowing that You will give us the words and the courage. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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