Acts 4:1-22
I began with a review from last week. Recall that Peter and John were going up to the temple one day and locked eyes with the beggar who was crippled from birth who sat every day at the gate called Beautiful. Peter said “Look at us!” The beggar did, expecting some money. Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!” The beggar was instantly healed, jumped up, and walked. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking, jumping, and praising God. Crowds came running when they realized what had happened.
Then Peter gave a powerful speech. First, he explained that it wasn’t by his or John’s power that this man was walking. Then he told them about Jesus – and he was quite blunt about it. He said, “You killed the author of life.” No political correctness there. Then he said, “But God raised Him from the dead. We are witnesses of this!” And then, “It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through Him that has given this complete healing to him.” Peter next called on the crowd to repent and turn to God, so that their sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing would come, and that ultimately Christ would return for them.
Picking up the story:
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. They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand. – Acts 4:1-4
This passage mentions the Sadducees specifically. I think this is important and relevant. Josephus gives an interesting comparison of Pharisees and Sadducees. Who was Josephus? He was a 1st Century Jewish historian who survived and wrote about the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. He was not a Christian, and there is reason to believe that he was not an entirely loyal Jew, but instead was "overly" friendly with the Romans. His works are considered to be accurate recordings of history and often provide unique insights into the politics and culture of the times. Listen to the following description of Pharisees and Sadducees from Josephus’ work “The Wars of the Jews.” From Chapter 8, paragraph 14,
"[…] The Pharisees are those who are esteemed most skillful in the exact explication of their laws. […] These ascribe all to fate (or providence), and to God, and yet allow, that to act what is right, or the contrary, is principally in the power of men, although fate does co-operate in every action. They say that all souls are incorruptible [this means they are not destroyed], but that the souls of good men only are removed into other bodies [this means resurrection, not reincarnation], - but that the souls of bad men are subject to eternal punishment. But the Sadducees […] take away fate entirely, and suppose that God is not concerned in our doing or not doing what is evil; and they say, that to act what is good, or what is evil, is at men's own choice, and that the one or the other belongs so to every one, that they may act as they please. They also take away the belief of the immortal duration of the soul, and the punishments and rewards in Hades. Moreover, the Pharisees are friendly to one another, and are for the exercise of concord, and regard for the public; but the behavior of the Sadducees one towards another is in some degree wild, and their conversation with those that are of their own party is as barbarous as if they were strangers to them."
The Saducees did not believe in resurrection. From Josephus’ description, they were downright secular in their thinking. It is interesting that they are named specifically in Acts 4:1, and that they were concerned about “proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.” You also have the priests here, and they, without a doubt, included Pharisees. From later adventures in Acts with Paul, we know that they did not like each other. And this makes sense. Their views were pretty far apart.
I can’t help thinking about a modern-day comparison via Democrat and Republican hard-liners. I picture someone standing before Congress and saying something that causes both Democrats and Republicans to get in an uproar, saying, “You can’t say that!” “Order!” “Control this person!”
Notice that this was very sudden. Peter and John were cut off in the middle of what they were doing and saying. Yet the church had grown to 5000 Believers as a result of the healing and what they said that afternoon.
They were thrown in jail. I can’t help thinking about Peter. Isn’t this what he had so feared before, that night he had disowned Jesus? “Hey I thought I saw you with Jesus.” “Oh, no – you have me confused with someone else!” Then he had been driven with fear. What about now? What was it like to spend that night in jail, not knowing what would happen the next day?
The next day the rulers, elders and teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and the other men of the high priest's family. They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: "By what power or what name did you do this?" Acts 4:5-7
This didn’t look good. These were the “top dogs.” Annas and Caiaphas had been around even before Jesus began His ministry. Consider Luke 3:
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. – Luke 3:1-3
Caiaphas is also a "player" in John 11. This is right after Jesus has raised Lazarus from the dead.
Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. "What are we accomplishing?" they asked. "Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation." Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, "You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish." He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. So from that day on they plotted to take his life. – John 11:45-53
Note that it was Caiaphas – the same Caiaphas - who was the one who turned the thoughts of the Jews at that meeting towards killing Christ. Now, this can be a confusing passage, so if you will permit a little digression, I’ll try my best to explain it.
The people are saying, we can’t let things go on like this. We (the leaders) will lose our positions if everyone follows Jesus. He’ll become leader, and the Romans will deal with Him, instead of us. When they said, “What are we accomplishing?” I believe the implication was, “We need to become better at arguing against Jesus. We need to rally the people around us.”
When Caiaphas says, “You know nothing at all,” I believe his implication is, our current tactics are useless. Don’t you get it? We need to kill Him. Even though it is wrong, we need to do it, because it is better that He die than that we lose everything.
When John explains this as a prophecy, he is saying, “Hey y’all! Look at the double meaning! Caiaphas was exactly right! It was better that this one Man die than that the whole nation perish!” But I don’t believe Caiaphas understood that what he was saying had this double meaning. His intent was sinister to the core.
In John 18, we see that when Jesus was arrested, He was brought straight to Annas. In verse 13 of this chapter we also learn that Annas was the father-in-law of Caiaphas. Annas permitted Jesus to be struck in the face. After questioning Him, Annas sent Jesus to Caiaphas, and Caiaphas sent Him on to Pilate. It was when Jesus was before these two men that people questioned Peter about his relationship with Jesus, and it was here that Peter denied the Lord.
So now Peter is before these same two people. It had to force Peter to confront difficult memories and fears. It is as if, back in the days of Saddam Hussein, you suddenly found yourself before him and totally at his mercy.
The question they ask is also a dangerous question. “By what power or what name did you do this?” This brings to mind Deuteronomy 13, which says,
If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, "Let us follow other gods" (gods you have not known) "and let us worship them," you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he preached rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way the Lord your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you. - Deuteronomy 13:1-5
If Peter didn’t give an acceptable answer, they could demand for Peter and John’s deaths. Did Peter cower? Beg forgiveness? Certainly not!
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is "'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." – Acts 4:8-12
Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helped him to overcome his fears and gave him the words to say. Is it a fearful answer? No. It is a confident answer – not confident in self, but confident in Christ. First he is implying, “How can you possibly fault me for showing an extreme act of kindness?” As to what power or name, Peter doesn’t beat around the bush. It is Jesus – the very same man you (and note that he means them literally) crucified. But – for the third time now Peter says this – but God raised Him from the dead! "Jesus, the 'stone' rejected by you builders, the brick you threw away as worthless and unfit, is now the 'capstone,' the one and only source of salvation!" By capstone Peter means that it is by the name of Jesus, and only by the name of Jesus, that we can be saved. Only by trusting in Him can we be forgiven of our sins. The only forgiveness available is forgiveness in Christ.
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. – Acts 4:13-14
The title of my message this week was "The Testimony of Healing." What can you say, when you see this man, crippled his whole life, now walking around, yesterday jumping and leaping? What could they say? Nothing. What a testimony!
I would argue that there was also a second testimony of healing here: the healing of Peter. Is this the same Peter that made all the mistakes and sins while with Jesus? No, it’s not the same Peter. It’s the new Peter. The Peter filled with the Holy Spirit. They were equally astonished with him. They knew he had been with Jesus – thus, being with Jesus was the only way to explain the transformation in Peter (and also John). And Peter was saying that this same Jesus was risen from the dead and it was in His Name and by His power that the beggar was healed. What could they say? Nothing. Again, what a testimony!
So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. "What are we going to do with these men?" they asked. "Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name." – Acts 4:15-17
Why are they so concerned? Why did they want to keep “this thing from spreading any futher”? Because they were losing their power base. They were losing their respect. How is it they aren’t concerned about the implications of what is happening here? God, the very God they claim to worship, is showing up! This miracle (actually the two testimonies of healing) confirms it. Don’t they get it? Why aren’t they repenting?
The only answer I can give is that they are evil. They have gone too far down a dark path. God would still forgive them, if they repented, if they asked for forgiveness in Jesus’ name. But they have lost the ability to think rationally.
I believe this is true today. People can harden their hearts to the things of God. Bit by bit, step by step, they harden their hearts until they become like stone. Sin has this effect over time. People can get so hardened that even a miracle won’t make any difference.
This is a tragic thing. We have no business trying to figure out “who is who.” We are to share the gospel, the good news about Christ, with anyone and everyone. But not everyone will respond. The response is not our job or our responsibility.
Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." – Acts 4:18-20
"Don't speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus." This has been the response of the world for nearly 2000 years. People try to make Christians keep silent about Jesus. It’s OK to talk about God, but not Jesus. Not His name. This is Satan at work in our world. He knows that salvation only happens in Jesus’ name. Even here in America there are slowly but surely more and more limitations placed on those who wish to talk or pray in Jesus’ name. Military chaplains are not allowed to pray in Jesus’ name in public functions. Valedictorians are limited in what they can say in their own speeches they write. Just this last week there have been stories in the local media about pressure to keep members of local city boards from praying in Jesus' name. And there are countless more examples.
I love Peter and John’s reply: “Judge for yourselves whether it is right to obey you rather than God.” That couldn’t have gone over too well. They are saying that the leadership of the Temple is opposed to God! (They are, it is true, but did they have to say it?) And then, “We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Why not?
I think it was because of joy! Just the day before, God had performed this incredible miracle through them. Thousands were coming to the Lord. How can you keep silent when God is moving?
After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old. – Acts 4:21-22
For 5000 people, this was one of the best days, if not the best, of their lives. They were forgiven! God was real! They had forgiveness in Christ! They had a relationship with Christ! God was performing miracles around them! But for the Temple leaders, this was an awful day. What could they say? What could they do? Nothing.
When I reflect on this passage I walk away with three lessons.
Perfect love casts out all fear. ( I John 4:18) Peter was not afraid. This is remarkable, miraculous. Peter loved the Lord. What is this temporary life, in comparison with that? If I grow in my love of the Lord, my fears will diminish – fears of sharing my testimony, fears of taking risks for God, etc.
Ordinary people can do extraordinary things. The leaders were shocked at what Peter and John knew and said. But they had been with Jesus. Jesus can enable us to do things we never thought we could do. There was a time, as a believer, that I could never even imagine leading a prayer with 3 other people, let alone give a message on a Sunday morning!
Opposition is an inevitable result of impact. Opposition can be a sign that good things are happening. We shouldn’t fear it, but we should expect it. Just as in Acts, God can help us to stand up and have an even greater impact despite the opposition.
This passage also makes me ask three questions of my life. I would encourage you to think carefully about these questions as well.
Do I have a testimony of healing? We all should. A relationship with Christ should not only have effects on our eternal destiny, but it should affect our present life. We should be changing. Our love for Christ should be growing. If it isn’t, something isn’t right. If your life in Christ is not growing, it may be because you aren’t seeking Him. The world may have too large a grip on you.
What is my testimony of healing? You should be able to explain it. This may require significant thought. You need to look back over your life. Often the changes are slow. We should be able to explain our testimony of healing, because it is powerful. It is the gospel personalized to us. When we understand it, and can put words to it, it becomes easy to share it with others. It is also tremendously encouraging. Like the beggar, it makes us praise God.
Who will I tell? Ultimately, this should include non-believers. The good news is for them. I challenged people to tell someone, anyone, this week. It could be someone else in the church, a friend, etc. You will encourage whoever you tell.
I gave an example from my life: learning what love is. I was a horribly selfish person before I was saved. I’m not a saint yet (well, actually, I am – we all are, Biblically speaking!) but I have grown so much in understanding what love is and how tied to selflessness it is. Before becoming a Christian believer I didn’t have the slightest clue about these things, and I am sure that apart from Christ I would have, over time, become worse, not better. I would have ended up like the Temple leaders – evil to the core. As selfishness is really a disease of the soul, I have received healing. Jesus has and is healing me.
As for the picture at the start of this blog entry, it is real and taken in Nov. 2005. I love their smiles - the joy in Christ on their faces. Here is their incredible story, another testimony of healing:
"Three Indonesian Christian women, currently serving a three-year prison sentence in the Indramayu district of West Java, have started a church within the confines of their prison.
"Dr. Rebekka Zakaria, Eti Pangesti and Ratna Bangun were imprisoned after being wrongfully convicted of “attempting to coerce children to change their religion.” In reality, they allowed several Muslim children to attend their Sunday School program, only after obtaining consent from the children’s parents and guardians.
"Remarkably, Rebekka has been given permission to lead a worship service on Sundays in a small outdoor courtyard area of the prison. About 35 people from her church are allowed to enter the prison each Sunday to participate.
"One male inmate recently converted to Christianity and attends the worship service, bringing the Christian inmate population to seven.
"This is 'School of Trust Bible School.' Not a jail," said Rebekka."
Then Peter gave a powerful speech. First, he explained that it wasn’t by his or John’s power that this man was walking. Then he told them about Jesus – and he was quite blunt about it. He said, “You killed the author of life.” No political correctness there. Then he said, “But God raised Him from the dead. We are witnesses of this!” And then, “It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through Him that has given this complete healing to him.” Peter next called on the crowd to repent and turn to God, so that their sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing would come, and that ultimately Christ would return for them.
Picking up the story:
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. They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand. – Acts 4:1-4
This passage mentions the Sadducees specifically. I think this is important and relevant. Josephus gives an interesting comparison of Pharisees and Sadducees. Who was Josephus? He was a 1st Century Jewish historian who survived and wrote about the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. He was not a Christian, and there is reason to believe that he was not an entirely loyal Jew, but instead was "overly" friendly with the Romans. His works are considered to be accurate recordings of history and often provide unique insights into the politics and culture of the times. Listen to the following description of Pharisees and Sadducees from Josephus’ work “The Wars of the Jews.” From Chapter 8, paragraph 14,
"[…] The Pharisees are those who are esteemed most skillful in the exact explication of their laws. […] These ascribe all to fate (or providence), and to God, and yet allow, that to act what is right, or the contrary, is principally in the power of men, although fate does co-operate in every action. They say that all souls are incorruptible [this means they are not destroyed], but that the souls of good men only are removed into other bodies [this means resurrection, not reincarnation], - but that the souls of bad men are subject to eternal punishment. But the Sadducees […] take away fate entirely, and suppose that God is not concerned in our doing or not doing what is evil; and they say, that to act what is good, or what is evil, is at men's own choice, and that the one or the other belongs so to every one, that they may act as they please. They also take away the belief of the immortal duration of the soul, and the punishments and rewards in Hades. Moreover, the Pharisees are friendly to one another, and are for the exercise of concord, and regard for the public; but the behavior of the Sadducees one towards another is in some degree wild, and their conversation with those that are of their own party is as barbarous as if they were strangers to them."
The Saducees did not believe in resurrection. From Josephus’ description, they were downright secular in their thinking. It is interesting that they are named specifically in Acts 4:1, and that they were concerned about “proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.” You also have the priests here, and they, without a doubt, included Pharisees. From later adventures in Acts with Paul, we know that they did not like each other. And this makes sense. Their views were pretty far apart.
I can’t help thinking about a modern-day comparison via Democrat and Republican hard-liners. I picture someone standing before Congress and saying something that causes both Democrats and Republicans to get in an uproar, saying, “You can’t say that!” “Order!” “Control this person!”
Notice that this was very sudden. Peter and John were cut off in the middle of what they were doing and saying. Yet the church had grown to 5000 Believers as a result of the healing and what they said that afternoon.
They were thrown in jail. I can’t help thinking about Peter. Isn’t this what he had so feared before, that night he had disowned Jesus? “Hey I thought I saw you with Jesus.” “Oh, no – you have me confused with someone else!” Then he had been driven with fear. What about now? What was it like to spend that night in jail, not knowing what would happen the next day?
The next day the rulers, elders and teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and the other men of the high priest's family. They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: "By what power or what name did you do this?" Acts 4:5-7
This didn’t look good. These were the “top dogs.” Annas and Caiaphas had been around even before Jesus began His ministry. Consider Luke 3:
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. – Luke 3:1-3
Caiaphas is also a "player" in John 11. This is right after Jesus has raised Lazarus from the dead.
Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. "What are we accomplishing?" they asked. "Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation." Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, "You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish." He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. So from that day on they plotted to take his life. – John 11:45-53
Note that it was Caiaphas – the same Caiaphas - who was the one who turned the thoughts of the Jews at that meeting towards killing Christ. Now, this can be a confusing passage, so if you will permit a little digression, I’ll try my best to explain it.
The people are saying, we can’t let things go on like this. We (the leaders) will lose our positions if everyone follows Jesus. He’ll become leader, and the Romans will deal with Him, instead of us. When they said, “What are we accomplishing?” I believe the implication was, “We need to become better at arguing against Jesus. We need to rally the people around us.”
When Caiaphas says, “You know nothing at all,” I believe his implication is, our current tactics are useless. Don’t you get it? We need to kill Him. Even though it is wrong, we need to do it, because it is better that He die than that we lose everything.
When John explains this as a prophecy, he is saying, “Hey y’all! Look at the double meaning! Caiaphas was exactly right! It was better that this one Man die than that the whole nation perish!” But I don’t believe Caiaphas understood that what he was saying had this double meaning. His intent was sinister to the core.
In John 18, we see that when Jesus was arrested, He was brought straight to Annas. In verse 13 of this chapter we also learn that Annas was the father-in-law of Caiaphas. Annas permitted Jesus to be struck in the face. After questioning Him, Annas sent Jesus to Caiaphas, and Caiaphas sent Him on to Pilate. It was when Jesus was before these two men that people questioned Peter about his relationship with Jesus, and it was here that Peter denied the Lord.
So now Peter is before these same two people. It had to force Peter to confront difficult memories and fears. It is as if, back in the days of Saddam Hussein, you suddenly found yourself before him and totally at his mercy.
The question they ask is also a dangerous question. “By what power or what name did you do this?” This brings to mind Deuteronomy 13, which says,
If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, "Let us follow other gods" (gods you have not known) "and let us worship them," you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he preached rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way the Lord your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you. - Deuteronomy 13:1-5
If Peter didn’t give an acceptable answer, they could demand for Peter and John’s deaths. Did Peter cower? Beg forgiveness? Certainly not!
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is "'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." – Acts 4:8-12
Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helped him to overcome his fears and gave him the words to say. Is it a fearful answer? No. It is a confident answer – not confident in self, but confident in Christ. First he is implying, “How can you possibly fault me for showing an extreme act of kindness?” As to what power or name, Peter doesn’t beat around the bush. It is Jesus – the very same man you (and note that he means them literally) crucified. But – for the third time now Peter says this – but God raised Him from the dead! "Jesus, the 'stone' rejected by you builders, the brick you threw away as worthless and unfit, is now the 'capstone,' the one and only source of salvation!" By capstone Peter means that it is by the name of Jesus, and only by the name of Jesus, that we can be saved. Only by trusting in Him can we be forgiven of our sins. The only forgiveness available is forgiveness in Christ.
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. – Acts 4:13-14
The title of my message this week was "The Testimony of Healing." What can you say, when you see this man, crippled his whole life, now walking around, yesterday jumping and leaping? What could they say? Nothing. What a testimony!
I would argue that there was also a second testimony of healing here: the healing of Peter. Is this the same Peter that made all the mistakes and sins while with Jesus? No, it’s not the same Peter. It’s the new Peter. The Peter filled with the Holy Spirit. They were equally astonished with him. They knew he had been with Jesus – thus, being with Jesus was the only way to explain the transformation in Peter (and also John). And Peter was saying that this same Jesus was risen from the dead and it was in His Name and by His power that the beggar was healed. What could they say? Nothing. Again, what a testimony!
So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. "What are we going to do with these men?" they asked. "Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name." – Acts 4:15-17
Why are they so concerned? Why did they want to keep “this thing from spreading any futher”? Because they were losing their power base. They were losing their respect. How is it they aren’t concerned about the implications of what is happening here? God, the very God they claim to worship, is showing up! This miracle (actually the two testimonies of healing) confirms it. Don’t they get it? Why aren’t they repenting?
The only answer I can give is that they are evil. They have gone too far down a dark path. God would still forgive them, if they repented, if they asked for forgiveness in Jesus’ name. But they have lost the ability to think rationally.
I believe this is true today. People can harden their hearts to the things of God. Bit by bit, step by step, they harden their hearts until they become like stone. Sin has this effect over time. People can get so hardened that even a miracle won’t make any difference.
This is a tragic thing. We have no business trying to figure out “who is who.” We are to share the gospel, the good news about Christ, with anyone and everyone. But not everyone will respond. The response is not our job or our responsibility.
Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." – Acts 4:18-20
"Don't speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus." This has been the response of the world for nearly 2000 years. People try to make Christians keep silent about Jesus. It’s OK to talk about God, but not Jesus. Not His name. This is Satan at work in our world. He knows that salvation only happens in Jesus’ name. Even here in America there are slowly but surely more and more limitations placed on those who wish to talk or pray in Jesus’ name. Military chaplains are not allowed to pray in Jesus’ name in public functions. Valedictorians are limited in what they can say in their own speeches they write. Just this last week there have been stories in the local media about pressure to keep members of local city boards from praying in Jesus' name. And there are countless more examples.
I love Peter and John’s reply: “Judge for yourselves whether it is right to obey you rather than God.” That couldn’t have gone over too well. They are saying that the leadership of the Temple is opposed to God! (They are, it is true, but did they have to say it?) And then, “We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Why not?
I think it was because of joy! Just the day before, God had performed this incredible miracle through them. Thousands were coming to the Lord. How can you keep silent when God is moving?
After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old. – Acts 4:21-22
For 5000 people, this was one of the best days, if not the best, of their lives. They were forgiven! God was real! They had forgiveness in Christ! They had a relationship with Christ! God was performing miracles around them! But for the Temple leaders, this was an awful day. What could they say? What could they do? Nothing.
When I reflect on this passage I walk away with three lessons.
Perfect love casts out all fear. ( I John 4:18) Peter was not afraid. This is remarkable, miraculous. Peter loved the Lord. What is this temporary life, in comparison with that? If I grow in my love of the Lord, my fears will diminish – fears of sharing my testimony, fears of taking risks for God, etc.
Ordinary people can do extraordinary things. The leaders were shocked at what Peter and John knew and said. But they had been with Jesus. Jesus can enable us to do things we never thought we could do. There was a time, as a believer, that I could never even imagine leading a prayer with 3 other people, let alone give a message on a Sunday morning!
Opposition is an inevitable result of impact. Opposition can be a sign that good things are happening. We shouldn’t fear it, but we should expect it. Just as in Acts, God can help us to stand up and have an even greater impact despite the opposition.
This passage also makes me ask three questions of my life. I would encourage you to think carefully about these questions as well.
Do I have a testimony of healing? We all should. A relationship with Christ should not only have effects on our eternal destiny, but it should affect our present life. We should be changing. Our love for Christ should be growing. If it isn’t, something isn’t right. If your life in Christ is not growing, it may be because you aren’t seeking Him. The world may have too large a grip on you.
What is my testimony of healing? You should be able to explain it. This may require significant thought. You need to look back over your life. Often the changes are slow. We should be able to explain our testimony of healing, because it is powerful. It is the gospel personalized to us. When we understand it, and can put words to it, it becomes easy to share it with others. It is also tremendously encouraging. Like the beggar, it makes us praise God.
Who will I tell? Ultimately, this should include non-believers. The good news is for them. I challenged people to tell someone, anyone, this week. It could be someone else in the church, a friend, etc. You will encourage whoever you tell.
I gave an example from my life: learning what love is. I was a horribly selfish person before I was saved. I’m not a saint yet (well, actually, I am – we all are, Biblically speaking!) but I have grown so much in understanding what love is and how tied to selflessness it is. Before becoming a Christian believer I didn’t have the slightest clue about these things, and I am sure that apart from Christ I would have, over time, become worse, not better. I would have ended up like the Temple leaders – evil to the core. As selfishness is really a disease of the soul, I have received healing. Jesus has and is healing me.
As for the picture at the start of this blog entry, it is real and taken in Nov. 2005. I love their smiles - the joy in Christ on their faces. Here is their incredible story, another testimony of healing:
"Three Indonesian Christian women, currently serving a three-year prison sentence in the Indramayu district of West Java, have started a church within the confines of their prison.
"Dr. Rebekka Zakaria, Eti Pangesti and Ratna Bangun were imprisoned after being wrongfully convicted of “attempting to coerce children to change their religion.” In reality, they allowed several Muslim children to attend their Sunday School program, only after obtaining consent from the children’s parents and guardians.
"Remarkably, Rebekka has been given permission to lead a worship service on Sundays in a small outdoor courtyard area of the prison. About 35 people from her church are allowed to enter the prison each Sunday to participate.
"One male inmate recently converted to Christianity and attends the worship service, bringing the Christian inmate population to seven.
"This is 'School of Trust Bible School.' Not a jail," said Rebekka."
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