Acts 4:1-4 – 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.
John 16:33 – I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
1 Peter 4:12 – Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.
“They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.” The Jewish leaders were infuriated. They felt the blow of this second miracle and the teaching of the Apostles Peter and John that there was power in the name of Jesus. At Pentecost, the Jews had to deal with the mighty miracle of the Holy Spirit setting on the disciples of Jesus in a visual and audio way. They had seen thousands of Jews give their lives to Jesus. Yes, they were disturbed. In fact, it may be described that they were assaulted, or battered by the news. They were fighting mad, but there was nothing they could do. But it is certain that they were keeping their eyes on these disciples of Jesus. Now, in their very own Temple, a huge miraculous healing of a man who had been lame since birth. Worst of all, these disciples of Christ were telling everyone that this miracle of God Himself had happened because of the name and person of Jesus Christ, whom the Jews had killed! To them, this was like a punch in the stomach. They were hurt, their guilt was exposed, and they were mad! Sometimes at an extreme emotional moment the shock can feel like a breathtaking slug in the stomach. It has to be a big shock and this was that to the Jews. The disciples of Jesus are again telling the people, Jewish leader’s constituents, that Jesus had not been defeated but was alive and is working miracles through His Apostles. They said that Jesus was resurrected from death to life and is now resurrecting people from the death of sin to a life of eternal peace with God. The miraculous Pentecost event, and now this, were the one-two that took their breath away and left them fighting mad.
“They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day.” It was late in the day. Jewish law did not allow for night trials, especially clandestine night trials. Their trials were to be transparent before the people to ensure justice. Their own laws stated the trials were to be: 1. Not during feast time. 2. Each member of the court was to vote for guilt or innocence. 3. If a death sentence was determined, one night must pass before the sentence was to be carried out. 4. The accused was to be given counsel or representation. 5. No trial was to be held at night. 6. The accused was not to be asked self-incriminating questions. Because the night was soon to be upon them they could not legally bring Peter and John to a trial to accuse them. Therefore they put them in jail for the night and would address the issue in the morning. They knew where Peter and John lived, they could have told them to return in the morning. What had they done to be arrested post haste? The people, the Jews present, had witnessed a miracle healing that they reasoned could only come from God. The Jews saw, heard and were believing and converting to be followers of Jesus. Jesus had drawn many people to Himself as He had lived and ministered to the people. At Pentecost the era of Jesus ministering through His disciples had come. At Pentecost the damn burst and the Spirit was flooding the land. Now, as V4 states, these disciples of Christ were swelling to about five thousand people. Family, this church growth was happening quickly, in a short time. These Jewish leaders felt a panic that the people would abandon their teaching and follow this new Way. Who knew if the people may throw them out of the temple for leading them to have Jesus crucified. Yes, the Jews needed to stop these disciples of Jesus from shouting their message to all who would hear that Jesus was indeed resurrected, alive and giving forgiveness and eternal life to all who would come to the Father through Jesus.
A powerful aside here is understanding that the Jews broke their own laws in their persecution of Jesus. The Jew put Jesus on trial during Passover. They did not take a vote by all member of the court but by a mob shouting out their desire for punishing Jesus. They did not wait a night after the decision of finding Jesus guilty, but Jesus was killed within hours. The Jews forced the Romans to actually do the deed because the Romans did not allow them to carry out capital punishment. They illegally held a clandestine trial at night. They did not give Jesus legal representation. The demanded that Jesus answer whether or not He was the Christ, which was self-incrimination (to them). So, the Jews broke the law, many times over, to persecute Jesus. In the end, they put the innocent Jesus, guilty of breaking no law, to death, to preserve what they still were fighting to keep. Their position and their power.
Praise God who always has a plan! He put Himself into the followers of Jesus. In doing that He put His wisdom, His power and His guidance in all of His followers. He did it then and He does it now. Let no-one deceive you. Let no-one from any school, work or even, shamefully, from a pulpit, deceive you by saying that all the power of the infilling that He gave to those first disciples is something of the past. Jesus still empowers all of His people to be fully equipped to do the work of God. He did it then and He does it now. Praise our God who is always equipping His saints to do the will of God! Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.