Acts 4:1-11
The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. 2 They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 3 They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. 4 But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.
5 The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. 6 Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family. 7 They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is
“‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15 So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16 “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. 17 But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”
18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
21 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.
Time Well Spent
Kids scare me. I’ve never been very good at talking with kids or teenagers. Maybe it’s because I’m self-conscious that they might see me as an uncool, old person, or perhaps because they sound like they speak a language I’ve never heard before. What even is a ‘skibidi’ anyways?
I recently heard our Children’s Ministry Leader say something I just couldn’t shake. She said, “Every kid is one caring adult away from having a more resilient faith.” As soon as she said this, I was transported back to childhood memories of our church’s Lead Pastor, Jim Regehr.
I was just a kid, but I’ll never forget Jim getting down on one knee, asking me how I was doing and questions about my faith. He looked me in the eye, and even as a little kid, I knew he cared about what I had to say. He never treated me like I was less than; he always treated me like my thoughts mattered.
I watched Jim put a crying baby on his hip and continue preaching. I watched him refuse to throw back stones hurled in his direction. I watched him reflect the quiet, confident, grace-filled presence of Jesus to those who were grieving.
Like everyone else in the 90s, I knew WWJD stood for “What Would Jesus Do?” I even had the rubber bracelet to remind me. Now, thirty years later, I’m a pastor, and I regularly find myself asking the question, “What Would Jim Do?”
The time I spent watching him has made me a better man, husband, father, and pastor. Jim has had a powerful, lifelong impact on me because he gave me his time.
Acts 4 opens with Peter and John preaching the Good News of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Many people are moved by their words and choose to believe in Jesus. This growing movement of Jesus followers is seen as a threat by the religious elite. This Jesus nonsense is undermining their authority and power, so they have Peter and John arrested.
The next day, these former tradesmen-turned-apostles are brought before the same court that only weeks before arranged for the brutal torture and execution of their leader. They should have been shaking in their boots. They know firsthand where secret counsels like this could lead. It is in their best interest to beg, repent, and promise to stop—but they did not.
Instead, they boldly declared God’s truth in the face of danger. Their courage was unshaken, and their words filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. Their accusers were left speechless. “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished, and they took note that these men had been with Jesus” (4:13).
Peter and John had spent time with Jesus. They watched Jesus turn Jairus’ grief to joy as he spoke life into his daughter’s breathless body. They watched as Jesus got down low and took the numb and diseased hands of a leper into his own. They watched as Jesus was overcome with grief and sorrow in the garden of Gethsemane, but resolved to follow his Father’s will anyway. They watched as he was arrested, beaten and crucified. And they watched as the resurrected Jesus cooked them breakfast on the sandy beach beside the Sea of Galilee.
They had spent time with Jesus, and it changed their lives forever.
Want to better understand who you are? Spend time with Jesus. Want the sort of character and integrity that can stand tall in the face of hatred? Spend time with Jesus. Want to discover purpose and direction in the chaos of this sin-wrecked world? Spend time with Jesus.
And let others be astonished and take note—that you have spent time with Jesus.
Reflection Questions
1. When and how am I intentionally spending time with Jesus?
2. How does my time spent with Jesus impact my self-identity, purpose, and courage?
3. What relationships influence me most? Are they positive or negative?
Author Bio
Lucas Welsh is the Team Development Pastor at Fort City Church in Fort McMurray, AB. Before full-time ministry, he spent 12 years as an EMT/Firefighter and part-time Worship Pastor.
Lucas is married to Adrien. They have two teenage boys and cheer for the Saskatchewan Roughriders faithfully.
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Luke and Acts taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®
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