<= The First Arrest
Earlier events of the day: Peter and John have just been released from a nights stay in the city jail. Their crime? They had disrupted the temple services by healing a crippled beggar, lame since birth. And they dared to speak out publically to the crowd who had gathered around to see firsthand the healed man. The next morning, the religious leaders brought Peter and John before them to question them. The arrogant religious leaders were accustomed to threatening and pressuring the Jews into following their commands. They certainly weren’t ready for the boldness of Peter and John. Not being able to get Peter and John to comply with their commands or respond to their threats, they released them from further imprisonment….at least for the time being.
John and Peter go back to their friends and report all that had happened and what they were told. Now take a moment and consider what your response would be. Would it have been surprising if the people voiced their fears and worries? What were they to do? The religious authorities in order “to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people” (Acts 4:17) warned Peter and John “not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus” (Acts 4:18). No temple court gatherings, no home group meetings. And after Peter and John responded in refusal, the religious authorities “further threatened them” (Accts 3:21). It would have made sense to discuss laying low and waiting awhile for things to blow over. What would the other disciples do if Peter and John were imprisoned or killed? The people understood that Peter and John only escaped further consequences for their response to the instructions not to ever preach about Jesus again because the healed lame man was still standing in their midst and “the people were praising God for what had happened” (Acts 4:21). The responsible thing for them to do now would be to consider the risk and just lay low…right? But the people didn’t respond in this manner. We are told that “when they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God” (Acts 4:24). Of course! They would have wanted to pray for protection, right? Maybe pray that God would tender the hearts of the authorities in order to keep them from trouble and imprisonment? To keep them safe. To provide quiet opportunities to continue sharing the gospel under a hedge of God’s protection. This is what we would expect them to pray? Wouldn’t that make sense? Isn’t that what we would probably pray for?
Fortunately, Luke was able to capture this amazing moment by the early church disciples which allows us to “listen in” to this powerful prayer service. They “raised their voices together in prayer to God [and said] “Sovereign Lord, you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: ‘Why do the nations rage and the people plot in vain?.....Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen” (Acts 4:24-28)
The people first acknowledged that God is sovereign and that nothing happens without His knowledge and that He is in control. They acknowledged the prophecies of David concerning the Messiah…the Annointed One. They understood, that although tragic and heartbreaking to see their Lord crucified, that this only happened because God had decided beforehand that it would according to plan.
So, they continued praying…..”Now, Lord, consider their threats….” Dramatic pause. “…and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus” (Acts 4:29-30).
They prayed for boldness to continue speaking His word. Isn’t boldness what got them in trouble in the first place? Isn’t boldness what landed them in jail? They prayed that God would also allow them to do miraculous signs and wonders through the name of Jesus……out in their community. This may be the type of prayer Christians pray inside their church but these believers wanted to go out into the community among people who didn’t believe, who threatened them and to live their lives in such a way that outsiders realize that these signs and wonders must have been an act of God.
What if we prayed for boldness? What would that look like? Who do we need to boldly share the gospel with in our sphere of influence? How can we be bold in our community? What if we prayed “God, would you please stretch out your hand and do something through me in my community, among my unbelieving friends, among my anti-church friends. I can’t convince them in my own power….would you be willing to stretch out your hand and do something unusual….not for my benefit…not for the benefit of those in the church but for the benefit of those who don’t believe.
The point of the miracles performed were not for their sake or even for the sake of the people that were healed. These miraculous signs and wonders were to authenticate their ministry and get the people’s attention. They were asking to go out into the community and demonstrate the power of God….not for their sake but for the sake of what God was doing in the Church.
So what did God do in answer to their prayer? “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly (Acts 4:31).
“With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all” (Acts 4:33).
Related Posts:
How did the Church Survive the 1st Century?
Earlier events of the day: Peter and John have just been released from a nights stay in the city jail. Their crime? They had disrupted the temple services by healing a crippled beggar, lame since birth. And they dared to speak out publically to the crowd who had gathered around to see firsthand the healed man. The next morning, the religious leaders brought Peter and John before them to question them. The arrogant religious leaders were accustomed to threatening and pressuring the Jews into following their commands. They certainly weren’t ready for the boldness of Peter and John. Not being able to get Peter and John to comply with their commands or respond to their threats, they released them from further imprisonment….at least for the time being.
John and Peter go back to their friends and report all that had happened and what they were told. Now take a moment and consider what your response would be. Would it have been surprising if the people voiced their fears and worries? What were they to do? The religious authorities in order “to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people” (Acts 4:17) warned Peter and John “not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus” (Acts 4:18). No temple court gatherings, no home group meetings. And after Peter and John responded in refusal, the religious authorities “further threatened them” (Accts 3:21). It would have made sense to discuss laying low and waiting awhile for things to blow over. What would the other disciples do if Peter and John were imprisoned or killed? The people understood that Peter and John only escaped further consequences for their response to the instructions not to ever preach about Jesus again because the healed lame man was still standing in their midst and “the people were praising God for what had happened” (Acts 4:21). The responsible thing for them to do now would be to consider the risk and just lay low…right? But the people didn’t respond in this manner. We are told that “when they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God” (Acts 4:24). Of course! They would have wanted to pray for protection, right? Maybe pray that God would tender the hearts of the authorities in order to keep them from trouble and imprisonment? To keep them safe. To provide quiet opportunities to continue sharing the gospel under a hedge of God’s protection. This is what we would expect them to pray? Wouldn’t that make sense? Isn’t that what we would probably pray for?
Fortunately, Luke was able to capture this amazing moment by the early church disciples which allows us to “listen in” to this powerful prayer service. They “raised their voices together in prayer to God [and said] “Sovereign Lord, you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: ‘Why do the nations rage and the people plot in vain?.....Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen” (Acts 4:24-28)
The people first acknowledged that God is sovereign and that nothing happens without His knowledge and that He is in control. They acknowledged the prophecies of David concerning the Messiah…the Annointed One. They understood, that although tragic and heartbreaking to see their Lord crucified, that this only happened because God had decided beforehand that it would according to plan.
So, they continued praying…..”Now, Lord, consider their threats….” Dramatic pause. “…and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus” (Acts 4:29-30).
They prayed for boldness to continue speaking His word. Isn’t boldness what got them in trouble in the first place? Isn’t boldness what landed them in jail? They prayed that God would also allow them to do miraculous signs and wonders through the name of Jesus……out in their community. This may be the type of prayer Christians pray inside their church but these believers wanted to go out into the community among people who didn’t believe, who threatened them and to live their lives in such a way that outsiders realize that these signs and wonders must have been an act of God.
What if we prayed for boldness? What would that look like? Who do we need to boldly share the gospel with in our sphere of influence? How can we be bold in our community? What if we prayed “God, would you please stretch out your hand and do something through me in my community, among my unbelieving friends, among my anti-church friends. I can’t convince them in my own power….would you be willing to stretch out your hand and do something unusual….not for my benefit…not for the benefit of those in the church but for the benefit of those who don’t believe.
The point of the miracles performed were not for their sake or even for the sake of the people that were healed. These miraculous signs and wonders were to authenticate their ministry and get the people’s attention. They were asking to go out into the community and demonstrate the power of God….not for their sake but for the sake of what God was doing in the Church.
So what did God do in answer to their prayer? “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly (Acts 4:31).
“With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all” (Acts 4:33).
Related Posts:
How did the Church Survive the 1st Century?