The Book of Acts (June 30, 2024)

There are several challenging lessons for the early Christians / Disciples of Christ in the beginning, just as today. Sure, we are not persecuted as they were, but make no mistake, we are facing persecution. They definitely had it worse. Many of us today wouldn’t be able to face the persecution they faced. The first time thrown into jail would cause many in the church world today to fold. Oh I am sure that right now, prior to jail, prior to being whipped, prior to being spit at, prior to being dragged into the streets, we can sit here on a nice comfortable seat in this nice and comfortable AC building and say “I will never bow down to persecution.”

As we sit here, prior to July 4th of 2024, we say we will never loose the freedom of speech, the free of religion … but do we really know that?

Acts 4:1–4 “1 And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.”

Peter and John were arrested and tried. They were arrested “as they spoke,” that is, while they were preaching. Remember that the cripple had walked through the temple leaping and praising God (Acts 3:8–11). A huge throng of thousands had rushed to see the cripple who had been healed and to hear the message being proclaimed by the two men who had such power. The temple was a massive building which could hold thousands. The excitement and noise were bound to attract attention and bring the temple authorities to the scene. What they saw and heard disturbed them to no end. They thought they had eliminated the “Jesus movement” eight weeks earlier when they had crucified Jesus. They had heard about the preaching incident several days earlier and how excited the people had become. Now these two men (Peter and John) were publicly preaching the rumor that God had raised Jesus from the dead. And they were preaching, of all places, in the temple precincts.

It was time to investigate the matter, to nip the movement in the bud before it could spread. Note those who came to arrest them. As mentioned above, they stopped Peter right in the middle of his message.

Peter and John suffered abuse because they preached the resurrection. The officials were threatened by the preaching of Jesus being raised from the dead. They knew that it was the nature of people to respond to hope, especially to great hope. They also knew that great excitement existed within the people’s heart for the coming of the Messiah and that it would take only a small spark of hope to set the excitement aflame. They just could not allow Jesus to be preached, not the hope of His resurrection, for the resurrection meant that all men who followed Him would arise. People ached and were ripe for such a message. Therefore, the authorities, knowing the nature of man and the situation, were threatened. If the people turned to the new movement, the authorities …

• the loss of the people—their loyalty, recognition, and esteem.
• the loss of position, authority, and livelihood. If they lost the loyalty of the people or allowed a disturbance, the Romans would replace them with other officials. The Romans were usually tolerant, but they were quick to stamp out disorder and disloyalty.
• the people might begin to think that their doctrine was wrong. If they allowed the preaching of the resurrection to continue, they would be admitting that God had bypassed them and revealed the truth to others. Their own spiritual condition and beliefs and teachings would be suspect. They were the secure religionists and the official religious leaders. Therefore, they would be jeopardizing their own religion and leadership among the people. They would be undermining their own sense of security and their sense of being acceptable to God.
• acknowledging they were wrong in crucifying Jesus. If He were truly the risen Son of God, then they were sinners, chief sinners, guilty of denying and rejecting God’s Son.

Note how the same fears strike so many today, causing them …

• to support true men and movements of God
• to rock the boat
• to do what is right

Too many seek after the things of the world and of religion instead of really serving God. They seek after …

• acceptance
• esteem
• recognition
• position
• authority
• possessions
• wealth
• power
• bigger and better

The authorities arrested Peter and John. It was late afternoon, too late for a trial, so they jailed them for the night. But note a significant fact: before Peter was arrested, he had shared enough of the gospel for the crowd to respond. Five thousand men (not counting women and children) made decisions for Christ.

Persecution did not stop the Word and the Spirit of God from working. Souls (fruit) were saved despite the abuse and opposition. What a lesson for believers to keep on in their preaching and witnessing no matter the opposition.

Isaiah 55:11 ~ “so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

2 Timothy 2:9 ~ “for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound!”

Acts 4:5–10 ~ “5 On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6 with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you 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 is standing before you well.”

Peter and John credited Christ with the power to heal and to change lives. Note several points:

• The Sanhedrin court convened the next morning to put Peter and John on trial. The term “rulers, elders, and scribes” means the Sanhedrin. It was the ruling body, both the governing council and supreme court of the Jews.
• Annas was apparently recognized as the High Priest by most Jews. He had actually been removed from power by the Romans, but he had been so influential among his peers that he was still recognized as the power behind the throne.
• Caiaphas was serving as High Priest in the eyes of the Romans.
• John and Alexander are unknown. All we know is what is mentioned here, that he belonged to the high priestly family.
• The question the court asked was straight to the point. “By what power, or by what name have you done this [healed the man]?” The court was doing exactly what God had said to do. God had instructed Israel to try every man who claimed to be a prophet and worked signs and wonders among the people. If the man was not a true prophet, he was to be executed.
• But there is more to their questioning than this. They knew Peter was preaching the resurrection through Jesus Christ. They had to stop it or risk losing the loyalty of the people and their position and livelihood, so they were seeking opportunity to accuse and stop Peter and John.
• Their questioning may also involve something else. They were the religious leaders; therefore, they thought the power could not be of God. If God should choose to do some marvelous work, especially in the temple, they thought He would choose to reveal such to them, the traditional religious leaders. Therefore they felt the name and the power that healed the crippled must be diabolical.
• God equipped Peter and John with the Holy Spirit. Note how quickly God came to the rescue: “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit.” Peter had not even had time to speak, and God was present, filling Peter with the Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit was ready to take over and give Peter the words to say.
• Peter and John credited Christ with the power to make men whole. Peter declared critical points:
  • It was “the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth” that made the man whole. Note that Jesus is called the “Christ” (Messiah). Peter was declaring that men must know that Jesus is the true Messiah, and there must be no doubt which Jesus: it was the Jesus of Nazareth. He is the Messiah, the Savior whom God promised to send to the world.
  • It was Jesus Christ (Messiah) whom ye crucified. Remember Peter was speaking to the top leaders of the nation. He charged them with killing not only a man, but the Messiah. What an indictment! To be charged with killing the Son of God Himself!
  • It was Jesus whom God raised from the dead that made the man whole. Peter was declaring that it was the power of the resurrected and ascended Messiah, the Lord of heaven and earth who had such power.