In Acts 1 Jesus told the apostles to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to show up. In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit showed up. In Acts 3, the apostles began to do things that Jesus did, chiefly, they healed a man crippled since birth. Because they healed the man “in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth” they stoked the ire of the resident Jewish leadership, who also happened to be the national Jewish leadership, the same folks who had Jesus killed. This brings us to Acts 4.
- Digging In
Read Acts 4:1-13 below and look for these things: note every reference to Jewish leaders (maybe mark with a Star of David) and every reference to apostles (maybe mark with the sign of the fish, the Ichthus). Don’t forget to mark pronouns like “they.”
1 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. 2 They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 3 They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. 4 But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.
5 The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. 6 Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family. 7 They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10 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. 11 Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected,which has become the cornerstone.’ 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
13 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.
- Taking It Inward
How would you rate the attitude of the Jewish leaders before Peter’s sermon?
Irked Quite Pleasant
How about after Peter’s sermon? (This is key!)
Going by this passage of Scripture, where does it appear that Peter and John, unschooled/ordinary men, received their courage?
What “Jewish leader” situations do you have in your life—people or things that make living your Christian faith difficult? Take a minute to jot anything down that comes to mind.
- Putting Into Practice
What do you need to change to gain the same kind of courage that the apostles had in this scene?
What adjustments can you make so that people recognize you as “being with Jesus?”
What do you need to do to trust the work of the Holy Spirit in your life?
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