The Apostles Persecuted
17 Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. 20 “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people the full message of this new life.”
21 At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.
When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles. 22 But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, 23 “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” 24 On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were puzzled, wondering what would come of this.
25 Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.” 26 At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them.
27 Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”
29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men! 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead—whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. 32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
My Understanding: The apostles performed many miracles. All the believers met together in Solomon’s Colonnade (porch or portico). Non-believers did not dare join them, yet it doesn’t say why they were afraid. It could be they feared God because of what happened to Ananias and Sapphira and were afraid that what happened to them might happen to others, as well. Or, it could be they feared being associated with believers lest they come under severe persecution, too. Nonetheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord Jesus and were added to their number. As a result, people brought their sick and those tormented by evil spirits to the apostles, and they were healed in the name of Jesus.
Then the high priest and his associates (Sadducees) were filled with jealousy. And, it was this same jealousy that ended up getting Jesus hung on a cross. They didn’t like the competition because it threatened their own positions of power, rule and authority, as well as it threatened their positions of respect and honor among the people. So, for the same reasons they hung Jesus on a cross they persecuted and killed his followers, and that still goes on to this day, even among people supposedly of the faith and of the clergy.
So, they had the apostles arrested and put in jail, but an angel appeared in the night, opened the doors of the jail, released them, and told them to go back to the temple courts and tell the people the full message of this new life. So, at daybreak, they went back to the temple courts, as they had been told, and they began to teach the people. Wow!
The Lord has been impressing upon my heart for some time now how this kind of persecution of believers in Jesus Christ, i.e. of those who put their lives on the line for their faith in Jesus, is going on today in many nations around the world, and even at the hands of our own national leaders and their NATO alliance. And, many believers throughout the world are being killed because they have refused to stop speaking in the name of Jesus Christ. This kind of persecution will not face those who are Christian in name only and who blend right in with the world, but those who are obeying the Lord and are being his witnesses in sharing the “full message” of the gospel, i.e. the gospel that teaches that obedience to God and repentance (turning from sin) are inseparable from faith (genuine believing faith).
The high priest and his associates called together the Sanhedrin (high ruling council) and sent for the apostles in jail, but they were not there. They learned that they were back in the temple courts teaching the people, so the captain of the temple guard and his officers brought the apostles before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. They reminded them of the strict orders they gave them to stop speaking in Jesus’ name, and yet the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men!” Amen!! Oh, if only we would all have such determination and confidence in our faith and commitment to obey our Lord Jesus Christ over and above following men!
They didn’t let these men of power intimidate them one iota. They were empowered of the Holy Spirit of God and seized the opportunity to tell the gospel of Jesus Christ to these rulers and religious leaders. Wow! They told them exactly what they didn’t want to hear. They were already upset with the apostles and felt as though the apostles were determined to make them guilty of the blood of Jesus shed on the cross, yet that did not deter the apostles. They told them of Jesus’ resurrection by God the Father – the same Jesus they had killed by hanging him on a tree. Ouch! They told them how God Almighty, whom they claimed to serve, exalted Jesus to his own right hand (place of honor) as “Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.” Even the ability to repent of our sins is a gift of God! Then, they went on to say how they were witnesses of these things, and so was the Holy Spirit of God, “whom God has given to those who obey him.”
Oh, that we would be encouraged to have such fortitude and commitment to Jesus Christ in our own daily lives and witness to where we will not back down from the full message of the gospel just to please men and to tickle their ears, but that we will be strong in our faith and message in sharing the full gospel message of repentance and obedience to Jesus Christ, because that is the consistent message throughout the New Testament, even from Jesus’ own lips. The Holy Spirit is given to those who obey the Lord, i.e. it takes obedience to God to respond to the requirements of the gospel to die to ourselves and to die to our sin and to take up our cross daily and follow Christ, crucifying our sin nature and being reborn and resurrected to new life in Christ Jesus, forsaking the world and its passions and desires, and choosing to now follow Jesus Christ and his truth and his ways for our lives. Faith is obedience and faith also produces obedience. Faith is also repentance. We cannot separate repentance and obedience to God from genuine believing faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord.
The Sanhedrin wanted to put the apostles to death, but a Pharisee named Gamaliel convinced them that if what they were doing was of men, it would die out, but if what they were doing was truly of God, they could not stop them. They would only find themselves fighting against God, which is what a lot of clergy in our churches today are doing when they reject the Lord’s servants, because the Lord’s servants are preaching the “full message” of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and instead these clergy and congregants are following a gospel of men which waters down the real gospel message. And, in doing so, they are fighting against the One true God they claim to follow and serve. Oh, if only they would realize this!
Yet, the Sanhedrin did want to make a show of power, so they had the apostles flogged. And, what was the apostles’ response to this mistreatment? They rejoiced because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name of Jesus Christ. Wow! And, “day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they NEVER stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.” Amen! Oh, that we would have such a heart response to religious persecution and to mistreatment of others, and oh that we would have such determination to keep following our Lord Jesus in obedience to him despite the rejection and mistreatment of others, even from those within the institutional church, and from those among the clergy who would treat the Lord’s servants today in the same or a similar manner in which the apostles were treated by the high priest and his associates. The Lord is speaking to me much about this whole idea of rejoicing and even “leaping for joy” when I would face such persecution and rejection because of the “full message” of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
So, this is my heart prayer today:
Have Thine Own Way, Lord / Adelaide A. Pollard, 1862-1934
George C. Stebbins, 1846-1945 / Tune: ADELAIDE, Meter: 54.54 D
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Search me and try me, Master, today!
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,
As in Thy presence humbly I bow.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Wounded and weary, help me I pray!
Power, all power, surely is Thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine!
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Hold o'er my being absolute sway.
Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me!
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