Acts 4:13-22 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. So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name. ”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, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” 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.
The boldness of Peter and John to minister every day in the Temple colonnade and their willingness to stand up to the Sanhedrin concerned the ruling elite of Jerusalem. They wondered about these men’s willingness to preach the Good News after their leader had been crucified. They were not learned men such as the teachers of the law or members of the Sadducees or Pharisees religious culture. Yet, they referred to scripture, the prophets, and the Pentateuch in their teaching. They concluded that the apostles' only accreditation was that they had been followers of Jesus, these men had been with Jesus. Of course they knew Jesus to be a teacher, a rabbi to many people, but Jesus could not be a rabbi in the true since of the word, for He came from the tribe of Judah, not the priestly lineage of the tribe of Levi. Now they are confronted with not only their teaching about Jesus Christ but also with this notable sign, the healing of a forty year old crippled man. This apostate belief of claiming Jesus was the Messiah and the fact that the Jewish elite had him killed by the hands of the Romans was spreading like wildfire through Jerusalem. This teaching about Jesus being Lord and the Son of God challenged directly the role of the priests as being the only true mediators between God and his people, the Israelites The Sadducees for sure despised this teaching because of the belief that people need not go to the Temple to worship God. To know God, people needed only to repent of their sins and turn their lives over to Jesus as servants of God. This doctrine of Jesus being God and that He was and is the Messiah greatly troubled the religious elite. Consequently, they thought they needed to intervene in the propagation of the message that Jesus is the way to God: we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name. ”Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. For them, the name of Jesus should be omitted in even casual conversation in Jerusalem. The disciples especially were not to mention Jesus’ name in any situation or interactions with others. To teach about Jesus was forbidden. The name of this cultish leader should cease to be known. They had crucified the man Jesus, and now they wanted his name to be crucified. However, Peter and John responded, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard. If Jesus be their Lord, how could they not speak of him? You be the judges! They knew Jesus as not only their Lord, but the Creator of all life. They could not cease to speak his name. His words were a part of them; they had digested Jesus’ teaching. The memories of his miraculous deeds were in their minds; no man or authority could tell them to erase his name from their consciousness and definitely not from their lips. No earthly or heavenly power could keep his name buttoned inside of them. The Sanhedrin’s attempt to keep the name of Jesus out of the public arena would fail miserably. Thousands in Jerusalem would bow to the name of Jesus.
How remarkable it was for Peter and John to speak boldly to the Sanhedrin; they knew these people had Jesus, an innocent man, crucified. These men were powerful men, and they had the ears of the Roman leaders. The Roman overseers would always side with the Jewish leaders to keep their control over the Israelites. Peter and John understood well the Sanhedrin’s powerful position with Rome; therefore, for them not to heed their warnings was very dangerous. But now we see Peter, one who once was afraid of power, denying knowing Jesus in the courtyard of the high priest, standing up boldly against the threats of the Sanhedrin. In the priest's courtyard, in the midst of his denial, he saw Jesus turn his face toward him with the knowledge that even his bravest follower, Peter who cut the ear off of the high priest’s servant ear, would turn away from him. Jesus knew He was alone. He alone would die for the sins of people. No other sacrifice was demanded by God; not even Peter’s death at the hands of his accusers. Peter in his final denunciation said, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly. (Luke 22:60-62) The man who said he would die defending Jesus, who even tried it with the sword in his hand, gave up, giving Jesus the task of dying alone. Now we see Peter, a man filled with the Spirit of God, telling the elite in the Jewish society, that he would go down swinging for the cause of Jesus the Messiah, Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? Not to listen to them could be a violent death, but not to listen to God could be eternal death. Jesus, after his resurrection, commanded Peter to feed Jesus’ sheep even if his life were to be threatened. Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!” (John 21:17-19) In the above focus we see Peter in full bloom, following the will of God regardless of the consequences. The Sanhedrin was threatening Peter and John with dire consequences if they did not stop broadcasting the name of Jesus throughout Jerusalem. But Jesus had left them with the assignment: Follow me, not the will of men, but the will God. Jesus always did the will of his Father, now his disciples would be doing his will, for they were as Jesus prayed: one with him and God.
To follow God with such determination, they needed the power of God in their lives. This healing of the crippled man revealed clearly that God was validating their faithfulness to him. Jesus had told them before his crucifixion that they would be people of power. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. (John 14:12-14) We now see Peter and John activating this power in them by using the name of Jesus to heal this crippled man. Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” (Acts 3:6) Because of Pentecost, the disciples possessed the power of God in their souls. Wherever they went, the Holy Spirt would be with them, freeing men and women from the bondage of sin, redeeming their souls through their faith in Jesus Christ and his work on the cross. Many signs followed the disciples as they ministered the Good News to people. Their boldness in proclaiming faith in Jesus’ name brought great fear to the Sanhedrin. Even greater works than Jesus revealed in his life was part of this new work in Jerusalem--even Peter’s shadow would heal the sick. The Lord was manifesting himself through his disciples; however, He had prepared them for this day. He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:45-49) By healing this crippled man, they gained the recognition of men and women to hear about Jesus. But this message that faith in Jesus makes men and women right with God was not only for the Jew or for Jerusalem, but it was also for the Gentile world. Jesus would make a man called Saul to become his instrument of boldness to the world, proclaiming the grace and mercy of God to all people through the death of Christ on the cross. Saul who becomes Paul proclaims that no good work or law can make a person right with God; only the work on the cross justifies men before a holy and righteous God. Paul, as with Peter and John before him, could not stop testifying of the work of Jesus Christ. Even under the constant threat of death, he spoke boldly the name of Jesus. As Peter and John faced the murderous Sanhedrin, they faced them with the fulness of God inside of them: the Holy Spirit. Their temporary fleshly lives meant nothing to them, for they were possessors of eternal life because of their Master Jesus Christ. We who sit around this breakfast table is that our focus, our reality? Can we say as Paul deduced, I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20) Dear friends, you have been made right with God forever because of the works of Christ. Be bold in expressing that truth to the world as Peter and John were before the Sanhedrin.
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