PROCLAMING JESUS IN THE MIDST OF PERSECUTION

ACTS 4:1-22

¹While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the leading priests, the captain of the Temple guard, and some of the Sadducees came over to them. ²They were very disturbed that Peter and John were claiming, on the authority of Jesus, that there is a resurrection of the dead. ³They arrested them and, since it was already evening, jailed them until morning. ⁴But many of the people who heard their message believed it, so that the number of believers totaled about five thousand men, not counting women and children.^£

⁵The next day the council of all the rulers and elders and teachers of religious law met in Jerusalem. ⁶Annas the high priest was there, along with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and other relatives of the high priest. ⁷They brought in the two disciples and demanded, “By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?”

⁸Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Leaders and elders of our nation, ⁹are we being questioned because we’ve done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed? ¹⁰Let me clearly state to you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed in the name and power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth, the man you crucified, but whom God raised from the dead. ¹¹For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says,

 ‘The stone that you builders rejected

 has now become the cornerstone.’^£

¹²There is salvation in no one else! There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them.”

¹³The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men who had had no special training. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus. ¹⁴But since the man who had been healed was standing right there among them, the council had nothing to say. ¹⁵So they sent Peter and John out of the council chamber^£ and conferred among themselves.

¹⁶“What should we do with these men?” they asked each other. “We can’t deny they have done a miraculous sign, and everybody in Jerusalem knows about it. ¹⁷But perhaps we can stop them from spreading their propaganda. We’ll warn them not to speak to anyone in Jesus’ name again.” ¹⁸So they called the apostles back in and told them never again to speak or teach about Jesus.

¹⁹But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? ²⁰We cannot stop telling about the wonderful things we have seen and heard.”

²¹The council then threatened them further, but they finally let them go because they didn’t know how to punish them without starting a riot. For everyone was praising God ²²for this miraculous sign—the healing of a man who had been lame for more than forty years.

A husband and his wife went to the State Fair every year. Every year the man would say to his wife, "I’d like to ride in that airplane." And every year his wife would say, "I know honey, but that airplane ride costs ten dollars, and ten dollars is ten dollars." Then one year, they went to the fair and the man said to his wife, "I’m 71 years old now. If I don’t ride that airplane this year, I may never get another chance." His wife replied, "Honey, that airplane ride costs ten dollars, and ten dollars is ten dollars." The pilot overheard their conversation and said, "Folks, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll take you both up for a ride. If you can stay quiet for the entire ride and not say one word, I won’t charge you, but if you say one word it’ll cost you ten dollars." The husband and wife agree. The pilot takes them up and does all kinds of twists and turns, rolls and dives, but not a word is heard. He does all his tricks over again, but still not a word. Finally they land and the pilot turns to the husband, "By golly, I did everything I could think of to get you to say something, but you didn’t." The husband replied, "Well, I was gonna say something when my wife fell out, but ten dollars is ten dollars."

There are times to keep quiet and there are times to speak up.

Peter and John were still speaking with the people who had gathered following the healing of the lame man. It had caused quite a stir and people were praising God and news of what had taken place was spreading around the temple area.

And suddenly before them are the Sadducees, the priests and the commander of the Temple. Who are these people?

These priests and Sadducees were the main religious leaders of the nation. Twenty-four groups of priests served in rotation for the temple duties. The captain of the temple guard was one of the priests who was considered second in authority only to the high priest. The Sadducees made up one of the four parties of religious leaders in Israel (along with Pharisees, Essenes, Zealots). They denied that anything except the books of Moses were Scripture. They did not believe in angels or spirits and denied the resurrection. They believed that when you died, your soul died and that was simply the end, that there was nothing else.

So the Sadducees denied the supernatural, denied the resurrection of the dead, and believed that Israel had been in the Messianic age since the time of the Macabbeans 150 years earlier. They saw no need for a Messiah and were offended by the apostolic message of the gospel. Their interest was simply to maintain their political power by not rocking the boat with the Roman government. The Sadducees wielded tremendous power because of their wealth and position in Israel and the fact that the High priest and a number of priests belonged to their group.

What brought them to the scene was the fact that they were extremely upset at what they had heard about Peter and John and Peter’s preaching. One translator says they were “vexed”. That means they were thoroughly vexed. They were annoyed, irritated and thoroughly distressed at what was taking place.

Peter and John were teaching the people and proclaiming the very doctrine they were opposing and to make things worse, they were doing this in connection with Jesus. Imagine if you will their consternation as the disciples proclaimed that Jesus was risen from the dead and furnishing as evidence of his living power the miracle of healing the man who was lame from birth.

After all, if there was no resurrection of the dead, how could Jesus be risen?

This has been the focal point of opposition to Christianity from the very beginning. And it has not ceased even today. You can watch “The Naked Archaeologist” tonight and see the uncovering of what is touted to be the family tomb of Jesus. It is supposed to contain the bones of Jesus. If it contains the bones of Jesus then there was no resurrection. If there was no resurrection then the very foundation of Christianity is destroyed and our faith is worthless. Of course, if there were bones found in some tomb, how would you know if they belonged to Joseph, Mary or the brothers and sisters of Jesus now almost 2000 years later? The answer is there is no way to tell and the claim to do so is simply hype or falsehood.

The Sadducees would have supported the viewing of tonight’s program on the Discovery Channel.

As it was, they seized Peter, John and the lame man and had them put in jail. Jewish law demanded that if you were arrested you were to be tried that same day. No trials could be held a night according to the Law. We know that it did not bother them once they had arrested Jesus at the Passover, but now they simply keep them in jail until the next morning, as it was too late to call the Sanhedrin – the council of the 70- together for a meeting.

 DL Moody was asked one time if he had grace enough to b e burned at the stake? He replied, all I know is that I want enough grace to preach tonight.

Here is Peter who was a coward when the little maid wanted to know if he was a follower of Jesus. Now as he stands before the Priests, the rulers of Israel, the Sanhedrin, he is filled with courage.

Now in front of 70 hardnosed men, he shows courage? Why?

He is instantly filled with the Spirit again, evident by his supernatural boldness and ability to speak directly to the heart of the matter. The filling of the Holy Spirit Peter experienced in Acts 2:4 (along with other disciples) was not a one-time event; it was something God wanted to keep doing in their lives.

In his flesh, he was a coward, but in the Spirit, he is a whirlwind for God.

What is the difference between being courageous and fearless? Is there in fact any difference?

Observe the word ‘courage’ in verse 13, When they saw the ‘courage’ of Peter & John … . The rulers and priests saw that these men were holding on to what they believed even though they were facing danger. And that made a greater impression than arrogant fearlessness! You see, courage doesn’t mean not being afraid. It means facing your fear! Did you hear that, ‘courage means the ability to do something that frightens you!’

They had a holy boldness and confidence in facing their accusers. This is not something that they stayed up all night planning. No, it is the direct result of the Holy Spirit putting the words in Peter’s mouth.

When they were brought into the Council chamber, the members of the Sanhedrin were seated and they had to stand before them…surrounded by the Sanhedrin. And they began to question them. This is the same place where Jesus was questioned, and then condemned by these same men.

What they want to know is in connection with what power or in connection with what name did you do this thing. They won’t describe the miracle in any manner that would bring into prominence the great miracle performed. What they had done is not in question here. No, it is the way they had done it and the means by which they had healed the man that is in question here. They know what the disciples’ answer will be…it will be in connection with Jesus whom they had branded a blasphemer. So their questions are designed to throw a noose around the necks of the disciples so they can condemn them too.

The thing they have done is simply the good deed of bringing healing into the beggar’s life. And they could point out that the beggar stood there before them with the disciples. And Peter gives the members of the Sanhedrin what they are looking for: He tells them that this thing was done in connection with the name of Jesus. It is the Jesus “whom you crucified, whom God raised up from the dead.”

The Sanhedrin had intended to get rid of Jesus once and for all. Peter simply tells them that God has nullified what they had done. And this thing, this miracle has been done in connection with His name. And they could not deny it. The message of Peter is this: No dead Jesus could work such a miracle as this; only the risen and alive Jesus, the Nazarene, the risen and glorified Jesus, could do this.

As he finishes his statement, Peter proclaims the gospel with its mighty call to salvation before that group of men who needed it so much. It is the salvation promised by their Messiah that is in connection with Jesus of Nazareth and his Name.

God delights to use nobodies! If you are going to serve the Lord, by all means get the very best training and equipment. But rejoice in the fact that God can take a nobody and use him or her, just as He took Peter and John.

God is not bound by your training or skill – the only qualifications you need are: First, you must have your relationship restored with Him through Jesus and, secondly you must have a hunger and thirst to know Him more and be obedient to Him.

And the members of the Sanhedrin took note of these men, that they were unschooled, ordinary men and recognized that they had been with Jesus. They were struck by their boldness.

I suppose the question for us is this: do the people around us, know that we have been with Jesus? Is it obvious to them that we are spending time with Jesus? The Sanhedrin knew this about Peter and John. And Peter and John were just ordinary, unschooled men who had been with Jesus and were simply prepared to tell others what they had seen and heard from Jesus.

Sharing the gospel is simply ‘one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.”

As you live your life for Jesus and attempt to proclaim the truth, persecution will come. Often it will be the “religious” person who opposes you because they have been offended by your testimony/witness.

Will you have the same courage of your convictions?

Will you allow the Holy Spirit put the words in your mouth? How will you know what to say? You most likely won’t know in advance. But as you speak out, God will be there to speak through you.

In the book Like a Mighty Wind detailing the revival that swept through Indonesia in the 1960’s Mel Tari was converted and was led by God to come to the United States to share his testimony of what God was doing in the revival. He was concerned. As he flew to the United States, he prayed. He shared his concern with the Lord: “What if I get up before the people and don’t know what to say?” The Lord’s answer was this: “Then you tell them I failed you.”

 Will you spend time with Jesus – so that the only explanation for you is Him?

If you will, you will find that the Lord will never leave you nor forsake you. And the Holy Spirit will put the words in your mouth that are needed as you need them. Guaranteed. And it won’t matter how people oppose you or threaten you any more than it did for Peter and John before the Sanhedrin.

--Dennis Gleason