Acts 3:11 11 They all rushed out to Solomon’s Hall, where he was holding tightly to Peter and John! Everyone stood there awed by the wonderful thing that had happened.
12 Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd. “Men of Israel,” he said, “what is so surprising about this? And why look at us as though we by our own power and godliness had made this man walk? 13 For it is the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and of all our ancestors who has brought glory to his servant Jesus by doing this. I refer to the Jesus whom you rejected before Pilate, despite Pilate’s determination to release him. 14 You didn’t want him freed—this holy, righteous one. Instead, you demanded the release of a murderer. 15 And you killed the Author of Life; but God brought him back to life again. And John and I are witnesses of this fact, for after you killed him, we saw him alive!
16 “Jesus’ name has healed this man—and you know how lame he was before. Faith in Jesus’ name—faith given us from God—has caused this perfect healing.
17 “Dear brothers, I realize that what you did to Jesus was done in ignorance; and the same can be said of your leaders. 18 But God was fulfilling the prophecies that the Messiah must suffer all these things. 19 Now change your mind and attitude to God and turn to him so he can cleanse away your sins and send you wonderful times of refreshment from the presence of the Lord 20 and send Jesus your Messiah back to you again. 21-22 For he must remain in heaven until the final recovery of all things from sin, as prophesied from ancient times. Moses, for instance, said long ago, ‘The Lord God will raise up a Prophet among you, who will resemble me! Listen carefully to everything he tells you. 23 Anyone who will not listen to him shall be utterly destroyed.’
24 “Samuel and every prophet since have all spoken about what is going on today. 25 You are the children of those prophets; and you are included in God’s promise to your ancestors to bless the entire world through the Jewish race—that is the promise God gave to Abraham. 26 And as soon as God had brought his servant to life again, he sent him first of all to you men of Israel, to bless you by turning you back from your sins.”
Once more, Peter is delivering a fiery sermon. Nobody is more shocked than Peter, for until now, he has always viewed himself as a man of action, not a man of words and certainly not as a polished orator. It’s possible that as these words are coming out Peter’s mouth, Peter is amazed. Why are Peter’s arguments so convincing? Common people know they have a sin problem; however, most of them are struggling simply to survive. The demands of the religious experts have made fellowship with God unachievable. Now the Holy Spirit is working in people’s hearts. By the time Peter and John are arrested, two thousand more believers have joined the original three thousand, making five thousand believers in all.
Acts 4:1-4 While they were talking to the people, the chief priests, the captain of the Temple police, and some of the Sadducees came over to them, 2 very disturbed that Peter and John were claiming that Jesus had risen from the dead. 3 They arrested them and since it was already evening, jailed them overnight. 4 But many of the people who heard their message believed it, so that the number of believers now reached a new high of about five thousand men!
Forces always come in pairs. The Holy Spirit has been moving mightily; however, now Satan is inspiring the religious authorities, especially the Sadducees. Who were the Sadducees?
Biblehub.com gives the following information:
1. The Sadducees are most famously known for their denial of the resurrection. This belief is explicitly mentioned in the New Testament, as seen in Acts 23:8: “The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angels, nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all”. Their rejection of an afterlife was a significant point of contention with the Pharisees, who believed in the resurrection and the existence of angels and spirits.
2. Adherence to the Written Law: The Sadducees held a strict interpretation of the Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, and rejected the oral traditions that the Pharisees embraced. They believed that only the written Law of Moses was authoritative, which influenced their legal and religious practices.
3. Temple Worship and Sacrificial System: As a group closely associated with the priestly class, the Sadducees placed great emphasis on the Temple and its sacrificial system. They were responsible for maintaining the Temple rituals and were often involved in the administration of its affairs.
4. Political and Social Conservatism: The Sadducees were generally conservative in their social and political outlook, often collaborating with the Roman authorities to maintain their status and influence. This pragmatic approach sometimes put them at odds with other Jewish groups who were more resistant to Roman rule.
Interactions with Jesus and the Early Church
The Sadducees’ interactions with Jesus were marked by theological disputes, particularly concerning the resurrection. In Matthew 22:29-32, Jesus addresses their skepticism by affirming the resurrection and correcting their misunderstanding of the Scriptures: “Jesus replied, ‘You are mistaken because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God… He is not the God of the dead, but of the living’“.
In the early church, the Sadducees continued to oppose the apostles’ teachings, particularly the proclamation of Jesus’ resurrection. Acts 4:1-2 records their displeasure: “The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.”
Given the beliefs of the Sadducees, it’s easy to see why Peter’s sermon would bring instant attacks. For the Sadducees, Peter was preaching heresy, and who knows what the Romans might think? No! Peter and John are dangerous rabble rousers and must be silenced swiftly.
Make no mistake! Spiritual warfare is real and dangerous. Ephesians 6 tells us, 10 Last of all I want to remind you that your strength must come from the Lord’s mighty power within you. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand safe against all strategies and tricks of Satan. 12 For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against persons without bodies—the evil rulers of the unseen world, those mighty satanic beings and great evil princes of darkness who rule this world; and against huge numbers of wicked spirits in the spirit world…18 Pray all the time. Ask God for anything in line with the Holy Spirit’s wishes. Plead with him, reminding him of your needs, and keep praying earnestly for all Christians everywhere.
Even before Jesus was crucified, he warned the disciples that they would face persecution because of him. Now Peter and John were in for it; however, they remained steadfast. The question for us is this: are we willing to face persecution or even death for our faith, or will we shrink away? May God help us so that we will remain faithful, no matter what.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to remain faithful in the face of persecution. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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