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Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
What does a great victory of good over evil, light over darkness, Jesus over Satan, look like in our world?
I invite you to witness one of these times in Acts 5 with me today. You’ll remember a great spiritual tsunami was dramatically changing Jerusalem in the weeks following the ascension of Jesus and the miracle of Pentecost. Yesterday, we saw how God dealt with the lies of Ananias and Sapphira. And today we read this in Acts 5:12-14 “The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord Jesus and were added to their number.”
We know what large crowds look like, so it’s not difficult for us to imagine this euphoria and place ourselves in the middle of this growing spiritual movement. Solomon’s Colonnade was a very large open courtyard area on the Temple mount. We know the apostles were busy, every day, teaching the truths about Jesus, and responding to the questions and needs of these hundreds, and thousands of people, who had responded to the work of the Holy Spirit and trusted in Jesus.
But Jerusalem was Jewish city, under the control of Roman soldiers and Jewish Pharisee and Sadducee leaders. They had killed Jesus, and now were very concerned about this growing spiritual movement of followers of Jesus. Acts 5:17-40 is a detailed account of the specific strategy to silence the apostles and disperse this movement. First was arrest: “They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail”. But God responded by sending an angel from heaven. Luke writes: “But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. ‘Go, stand in the temple courts and tell the people the full message of this new life.”
Now friends, don’t rush past this. Throughout history God has intervened and protected His people, so that His purposes can be accomplished, despite the opposition of religious leaders, political leaders, military leaders, and even demonic leaders. What would you have thought, felt and done, if you had been among the group freed that night by an angel?
As you see, the purpose of the angel was not just to break them out of jail. The angels’ purpose was to embolden them to even more strategic action with a direct order from Jesus in heaven. They were not set free to escape and run for safety and silence! No, they were sprung from the jail to speak the full truth of Jesus and make clear this new life available to anyone in Jesus!
Luke tells us: “At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.” A confrontation was looming between these Jesus chosen and commissioned apostles, and the religious leaders who had given them strict orders to be silent! As you read on, you’ll see they were arrested again and dragged before these same religious leaders, the Sanhedrin, who had tried, beaten and sentenced Jesus to death. “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”
Pause a moment… look around the room. 72 angry religious leaders dressed in their authority robes. And before them what appears to be a rag-tag group of ordinary blue-collar, hard working, unsophisticated men. That’s what they looked like on the outside, but on the inside of these men, was the powerful Holy Spirit of God! Jesus had warned them this would happen. Jesus had said “If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also…in this world you will have trouble. But take heart, I have overcome the world… You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, all Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” (John 15:20; 16:33; Acts 1:8)
I can see Peter drawing a deep breath, pointing his finger at these religious leaders and bellowing “We must obey God rather than men! The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead – whom you had killed by hanging Him on a tree. God exalted Jesus to His own right hand as Prince and Savior that He might give repentance and forgiveness to Israel. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.” (Acts 5:29-32)
I can’t imagine the shouting which must have erupted. Luke writes: “When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death.” Can you feel the tension, the anger? Luke continues: But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up…and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. Then he addressed the Sanhedrin leaders…”
This is a very significant moment in history. While not named, there is a young, very zealous, passionate, intelligent, Pharisee in the group, by the name Saul of Tarsus. He is a prize student of this renown Rabbi Gamaliel. In only a matter of days, this Saul will rise to prominence at the stoning execution of Stephen, and then begin a merciless persecution, in Jerusalem, of anyone suspected to be a follower of Jesus. Later, on his way to Damascus, Syria, with letters of approval giving him authority to arrest any person there who is known to be a follower of Jesus, this same Saul has a blinding light encounter with the risen Jesus, and his life is changed!
But in this heated moment, Gamaliel makes a historic statement: “I advise you, leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men, you will only find yourself fighting against God!” (Acts 5:38,39) Ponder that my friends. It is profound and has given much courage to men and women around the world over the centuries… and often they have witnessed the power of God unleashed in miraculous ways.
But in this case look what happened next: “His speech persuaded the religious leaders. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.” Don’t rush past this my friends. This ‘flogging’ would have been a horrible, bloody beating, the same as Jesus received. And remember young Saul is in the crowd, I’m sure he’s cheering the beating. This moment will replay in Saul’s mind many times in years to come, for he will receive the same punishment from Jewish leaders in several cities, as he Saul, then known as Paul the Apostle, takes the Gospel of Jesus across the Roman Empire.
This flogging, intended to silence the apostles, actually emboldened them! Luke writes: “The apostles (bloodied and beaten) left the Sanhedrin rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name! Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news (Gospel) that Jesus is the Christ.” (Acts 5:41,42)
I’d like to invite you to ponder the power of what we’ve just read by watching and listening to this new video of Amazing Grace which was sent to me by a friend. It may move you to tears of celebration as you consider what has resulted from this triumphant experience in Jerusalem, now 2000 years later, around the COVID-19 Cornavirus world. And when it’s finished, I think you’ll want to cheer and then talk with Jesus for a while. . .
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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