Acts 4:21-22 – 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. 22 For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.
“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.” The trial of Jesus by these power hungry men who fought for their riches was done in secret, at night while the people slept. The trial against Jesus was illegal according to their laws and traditions. Afterward they could tell the people whatever lies about Jesus that they wanted to. They judged Jesus over things they did not understand because they would not understand. This trial of Peter and John was during the daylight. The public was available to witness the trial and to judge the outcome of it. Due to the presence of eye witnesses who had seen the healing that had happened in the name of Jesus, these rulers were bootstrapped with no way to punish Peter and John. If they beat or imprisoned Peter and John after such a wonderful miracle, the Jewish people who were not in the rulers syndicate would have rioted. What were the facts? A man had been supernaturally healed and Peter and John had said it was done by the power of the name of Jesus, whom the leaders had killed. These were undeniable facts. Peter and John were guilty of nothing nefarious. The ordinary Jew, the common people, believed that what had been done through Peter and John was of God. The leaders were not going to be able to (not at this time) beat or kill these Apostles of Jesus. So they threatened them again and let them go. Not because of being just or kind, but because they could do nothing else at the time without causing a riot.
“For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.” The man had been handicapped and unable to walk for over forty years. Most, if not all of the people, had seen him sitting at the temple and begging. The people were happy for this man and were praising that God had healed this man. Peter and John had said that God had expressed His mercy to this man through the name of Jesus. If we project ourselves into the same type of situation, seeing a man whom we know who had been physically crippled since birth and to be instantly and completed healed, shouting, jumping and dancing in joy, how amazed would we be? We certainly would not want the persons through whom the healing came to be imprisoned and beaten for having prayed to Jesus and healed the man. Since the man is healed, shouldn’t they at least hear what these men were saying?
Family, Peter and John were steadfast in their witness for Jesus. Or it could be expressed that they were stubborn in their faith. The rulers opposed them and wanted them to stop speaking of Jesus to the people. Yet they could not release the Truth that they were firmly convinced of. Even if threatened with imprisonment or death, they would not turn from the Truth. Yes, they had seen Jesus die, but then, gloriously, they had seen Him resurrected from the dead and had seen Him ascend to Heaven. No there was no stopping them from telling all they had seen and heard (Acts 4:20). Neither should we! May we be stubborn for Jesus! Let us live in gratitude to Jesus that is lived out in all we do and all we say. 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.