Persecution Arises

Read Acts 4:1 - 12

For the past couple of days I wrote about how a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is the only way one can truly know and experience happiness and peace.  The Apostle Peter shared this message of hope and peace with the onlookers and they were amazed at the miracle that just happened (The crippled man was healed).  As a result of Peter's message the number of believers increased to 5,000 strong.  Truly the Holy Spirit was at work.
 
One would think that upon hearing the news of this man's healing would have brought much rejoicing and praise to God but instead the religious leaders  were indignant and “greatly disturbed.”  They were so angry and incensed that they had the two Apostles thrown in jail overnight.  This miracle was the first recorded miracle of the Apostles post Jesus' ascension and it led to discrimination and persecution against Christians.

The next morning the Apostles were brought before the Priests (official ministers or worship leaders in the nation of Israel who represented the people before God and conducted various rituals to atone for their sins.[1]), the Temple Guard (He was the second most powerful person in Jerusalem, apart from the Roman guard and army), the Sadducees (the Sadducees came from the leading families of the nation—the priests, merchants, and aristocrats. The high priests and the most powerful members of the priesthood were mainly Sadducees[2]), the rules, elders and teachers of the law.  Then there was Annas who was the true high priest and Caiaphas who was the acting high priest.  Pastor James Montgomery Boice writes, “These two men conspired in the trial of Christ, Jesus having appeared before each of them.”  So naturally they would be against anything that had to do with Jesus.

Why were the rulers so upset?  It has been suggested that they were mad because these unlearned men were teaching people and others and this threatened the religious leader’s authority.  Often when the Spirit of God empowers or moves on His people those who are not Spiritually minded will see it as a threat and oppose it no matter what.  They will use whatever tactics they can to intimidate believers to back down from doing the work of God. 

Throwing these men in jail was just an act of intimidation.  The disciples posed no threat to the community.  The leaders were using bullying tactics and just like the leaders of their time the world continues to use these tactics to try and stop what God is doing.  Boice writes again, “The world thinks it can stop a spiritual movement by threats, force, imprisonment, and death, but it cannot.  A good idea, especially a true spiritual idea, will always spread.” 
       
Peter was not going to be intimidated.  Verse 8 says, “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit…”  This is a key phrase.  Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit, he did not back down to their intimidation rather he uses this opportunity to give testimony of Jesus Christ.  Had he been scared and intimidated, he would have back down and tried to make everything nice.  Peter knew he was a servant of God and He had the greatest message in the world to give so nothing was going to stop him.
       
What can we learn from this?  The world, people who oppose Christianity, will always try and intimidate and try to discredit our faith.  We have the same message to proclaim today that Peter did and the same Spirit to empower us.  We cannot let the world intimidate us or keep us quiet.  Jesus Christ can and will bring true peace, joy and happiness to your life if you would just surrender your life to him.  What a wonderful message to proclaim!

[1]Youngblood, Ronald F. ; Bruce, F. F. ; Harrison, R. K. ; Thomas Nelson Publishers: Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Nashville : T. Nelson, 1995
[2]Youngblood, Ronald F. ; Bruce, F. F. ; Harrison, R. K. ; Thomas Nelson Publishers: Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Nashville : T. Nelson, 1995