March 18, 2015 (Wednesday)
This evening at Bethel Baptist Church, Ingleside, we will continue our study of the Book of Acts in the Bible. We have arrived at Acts 5:12. Our study tonight will conclude at verse 42.
The young church in Jerusalem was led by the apostles, and Peter was prominent among them. They often met in the outer courts of the temple. Everyone liked them, but feared joining them because of the threats against them by the Sanhedrin. Nevertheless many people believed and joined their number. Miracles increased and sick people were being healed.
Opposition by the high priest and the other Sadducees resulted in the arrest of apostles. However, an angel from the Lord opened the doors of the jail and led the prisoners out, instructing them to “go to the temple and tell the people everything about this new life. So they obeyed and were found in the temple teaching before dawn.
The Sanhedrin met and ordered the apostles to be brought to them, but discovered they were free and teaching in the temple. No one knew how they had got out. The temple soldiers, without force, brought the preachers to the Sanhedrin, where the leaders reminded them that they had been ordered not to teach in the name of Jesus.
Peter and the apostles replied: “We don’t obey people. We obey God. You killed Jesus by nailing him to a cross. But the God our ancestors worshiped raised him to life and made him our Leader and Savior. Then God gave him a place at his right side, so that the people of Israel would turn back to him and be forgiven. We are here to tell you about all this, and so is the Holy Spirit, who is God’s gift to everyone who obeys God.”
This angered the council members, who wanted to kill the apostles, but Gamaliel, a highly respected teacher, counseled them to adopt a “wait and see” attitude, because “if God is behind it, you cannot stop it, unless you want to fight against God.”
The council members agreed with what he said. They had the apostles beaten with a whip and warned them not to speak in the name of Jesus. Then they let them go.
The apostles left the council and were happy, because God had considered them worthy to suffer for the sake of Jesus. Every day they spent time in the temple and in one home after another. They never stopped teaching and telling the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.
The courage shown by the early church paved the way for us to believe and follow Jesus today. In the light of increased hostility toward Christians around the world, let us ask ourselves if we are able to follow the Lord with such loyalty, faith and bravery.