Read
13The officials were amazed to see how brave Peter and John were, and they knew that these two apostles were only ordinary men and not well educated. The officials were certain these men had been with Jesus. 14But they could not deny what had happened. The man who had been healed was standing there with the apostles.
15The officials commanded them to leave the council room. Then the officials said to each other, 16“What can we do with these men? Everyone in Jerusalem knows about this miracle, and we cannot say it didn't happen. 17But to keep this thing from spreading, we will warn them never again to speak to anyone about the name of Jesus.” 18So they called the two apostles back in and told them they must never, for any reason, teach anything about the name of Jesus.
19Peter and John answered, “Do you think God wants us to obey you or to obey him? 20We cannot keep quiet about what we have seen and heard.”
21-22The officials could not find any reason to punish Peter and John. So they threatened them and let them go. The man who was healed by this miracle was more than 40 years old, and everyone was praising God for what had happened.
Reflect
I remember once seeing a button that read, “If all the world’s a stage, then I want better lighting.” The first disciples had a different perspective. This world is the theatre for God’s glory. And God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. That was Peter and John’s experience.
Luke gives us a snapshot of how they reacted under pressure. God empowered them to heal miraculously – like Jesus did when he taught the people before he was crucified. Now, authorities were interrogating and imprisoning them because they were healing people in Jesus’ name. They declared that God was alive and at work in the world through the Spirit of Jesus. The authorities found this hard to believe but also hard to deny. Their hearts were hard and they suppressed truths that others were receiving with joy as the Christian community grew in numbers.
When our faith comes under scrutiny, it is easy to react with fear. Peter and John had every reason to be afraid. Political and religious officials were threatening them and commanding them to never be seen again in public speaking about Jesus. On their own, they were uneducated and powerless. They faced elites who stood above them with the power to punish. But they knew they were not alone. They had been with Jesus, and his Spirit lived in them. They had trusted in the promise to abide in Jesus and God’s love and power would abide in them.
When you are under pressure, where do you turn? Can you return to a powerful experience with Jesus in your life that helps you respond with boldness like Peter and John? They could not keep quiet about what they had seen and heard. That same presence and power is there for us at all times.
Respond
Lord Jesus, may I know the power of your resurrection and the presence of your Spirit with me today. Give me the opportunity to share your love and truth with others that all may know your love for them and their families. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Lorna Dueck
Lorna Dueck has explored the intersection of journalism and Christianity for over 30 years. That curiosity led to the creation of Media Voice Generation (MVG), a community-held Canadian charity that exists to create boundary-breaking media that reveals Christ. Context with Lorna Dueck is the flagship TV show and online production of MVG. As Executive Producer, Lorna enjoys interviewing culture-shaping guests for any evidence of God. Lorna is a regular commentary writer on faith and public life in Canada's leading national newspaper, The Globe and Mail, and a frequent media commentator. She has travelled the world reporting on church-led response to humanitarian crisis.