Acts 4:1-21
Acts 4:1-21
Recap
Peter and John miraculously heal a lame man and people are amazed
Peter tells them that it was by faith in Jesus that this man was healed…
The same Jesus that you guys crucified
The same Jesus whom God resurrected
Acts 4:1-21 (NKJV) 1 Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they laid hands on them, and put [them] in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.
So Peter preaches a very direct message after healing the lame man and then they are arrested by the religious authorities
But despite being arrested, 2000 more are added to the church
5 And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes, 6 as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, “By what power or by what name have you done this?”
Peter and John are sitting in jail and the high priest who had Jesus crucified came to investigate
They want to know where this power came from to heal a lame man
Notice: there is no dispute over the miracle — their only concern is what name you exercised the miracle in
This is how legalism works — it’s not interested in truth, it fixates on semantic details
Focuses on liturgical detail and not purpose
The Bible says confess your sins one to another — but we say, it doesn’t count if it’s not to a priest
The Bible says we gather together for the Lords Supper to commemorate why we have fellowship — but we say if it’s not done the way we say it doesn’t count
Legalism goes beyond what God has commanded to create its own righteousness through liturgy
They recognize the miracle, that God has done a mighty work
That the Spirit of God is clearly working among these men
God is being glorified — at Pentecost
God is being glorified — as the lame man is healed
But that’s irrelevant to them — because you’re not doing it OUR way (even though it was scriptural)
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: 9 “If we this day are judged for a good deed [done] to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, 10 “let it be known to you all, 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 stands here before you whole. 11 “This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ 12 “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Peter tells them: you recognize that a miracle has occurred
You recognize that a good work was done
And that it was done to a helpless man
But your most pressing question is: “by what means was he made well?”
And Peter tells them plainly — by Jesus of Nazareth, whom YOU crucified, whom God raised from the dead
Then he quotes psalm 118:22 — the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone
Peter is making a bold statement here - he’s saying:
Jesus is the stone
You religious rulers are the builders who rejected Him
But that stone that you rejected in the chief cornerstone
the most important stone
The stone upon which all other stones are built
The stone without which all others will fall
And you guys rejected Him
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.
V12 said Peter was filled with the Spirit when he spoke this
V13 says they saw the boldness of them — and realized they had been with Jesus
We seldom associate boldness with Jesus today
Instead we say that such people are abrasive or unloving
But notice the only people who view such people that way are those who are opposed to Christ
Those who have an agenda of their own
In fact Jesus actually prophesies that this very circumstance would happen:
Luke 12:11-12 (NKJV) 11 “Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. 12 “For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
Peter was filled with the Spirit, completely surrendered to God in His response
And it was that meekness to God which manifested itself as boldness to the religious leaders
That is the connection that caused them to associate Peter and John with Jesus,
14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
Theres nothing they could say
They see the power of God at work and they couldn’t deny it
But they wouldn’t surrender to it either — why? Because it didn’t fit their criteria
The possibility they could be wrong, despite the fact that everything presented could be supported by scripture and authenticated by miracles, was untenable.
That is hard heartedness
Stephen — the first martyr for Christ — would tell them later:
Acts 7:51-52 (NKJV) 51 “[You] stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers [did,] so [do] you. 52 “Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute?“
Can you resist the Holy Spirit? Stephen seemed to think so. Jesus warned of it
We resist the Holy Spirit when He draws us to surrender and we rationalize it away
They had just witnessed a miracle — but they rationalized it away because it didn’t align with their agenda
15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, 16 saying, “What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them [is] evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny [it.] 17 “But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.” 18 So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
So they take Peter and John out of the room and discuss privately amongst themselves
They admit a notable miracle has occurred and has been substantiated by all those in Jerusalem — so they can’t deny it
Notice: there is no thought for God over this miracle
No reverence for what He has done
Their focus is: my plan, my agenda — self oriented
This is what religion without repentance looks like
So instead they threaten them
Religion always seek to control truth through coercion or manipulation — control the message, regardless of the truth
So they brought Peter and John back in and warn them not to speak in Jesus name any longer
19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20 “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
Should we obey God or man?
We aren’t capable of keeping quiet about the truth
This is something the Spirit of God does in us:
Peter who once denied Christ upon being confronted by a servant girl
Now filled with the Spirit speaks boldly to the very people who crucified Jesus
This boldness is not the desire to argue — nor to win an argument — but to preach the truth of scripture no matter the cost
It’s rooted in it’s faithfulness and love for God — that’s what repentance looks like
21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done.
Despite their initial warnings Peter makes it clear — we will obey God
And they threaten them again…
How many times can you harden your heart before God gives you over to it?
They witness a miracle — and rationalize it
They’re pointed to scripture to support the truth — and disregard it
They’re confronted with a choice between their agenda and the truth — and they choose their agenda
They’re faced with prophetic correction and all they can fixate on is — these guys aren’t as smart as us… they’re not educated like us…
Over and over the truth is presented to them and over and over they reject it or rationalize it away…
Paul will later explain that in the end times the same thing will happen:
2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 (NKJV) 9 The coming of the [lawless one] is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
They had no desire for truth — only to have their own biases confirmed
You can show them scripture after scripture
It won’t matter — because they don’t LOVE the truth.
So God will give them over to the lie they prefer
Comments