The Religious Leaders Reaction to First Miracle

10. September 2010 by Bernice Davis.

Hello Everyone: 

In today’s lesson, we learn the reaction of the religious leaders to the first miracle done by Peter and John.

Here is our story:

Acts 4:1 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 and 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, and the number of men grew to about five thousand. 5 The next day the rulers, elders and teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. 6 Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and the other men 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 cripple and are 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 He is ” ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone. ‘ 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men 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. “Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it. 17 But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these men 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, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. 20 For 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.

I love this story.  You can see that from the beginning of the church, there have always been opposing forces which have attempted to stop the spread of Christianity. 

The first miracle did not go well with the religious leaders.  Killing Jesus did not solve their problems because he had left behind a group of followers that were proclaiming him as Lord and Savior and people were being added to the church by the thousands. 

The religious leaders threatened them and they were instructed to not preach Jesus.  The disciples responded with one of my favorite lines of scripture which is “we would rather obey God rather than man.”   Over the years, I have seen people used this scripture to justify breaking the law because they feel God has instructed them so and use this scripture as proof.

The bible teaches us to obey the laws of the land and to obey the powers that rule over us for government is for law and order.  It is only when government tries to get us to deny our faith that we stand firm in what we believe.  However, even in that stand as with the disciples, there still will be consequences for going against any established law.  In this incidence, they did not punish the disciples for they feared the people because so many were celebrating the miracle of the healed man but in other circumstances , they will be beaten and imprisoned for their proclamation of Jesus as Lord and savior.

It is texts like these, that remind me of the sacrifice that Christians before us and still today (especially in countries that are hostile towards Christianity) made/make concerning spreading the gospel.  We are blessed people to still be in a country where we can freely share our faith. 

Have a great weekend everyone and let us all continue to lift up Pastor Marvin Sapp, the church that he pastors and his family for the loss of his wife.  We are blessed to just be “alive.” 

Live each day to its fullest, don’t get caught up the trivial, Stay free, live holy unto our God and acknowledge HIM in all your ways and HE will direct your paths. 

 Stay encouraged everyone and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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