Chapters 3 and 4 of Acts tell a fascinating story. Peter speaks words of healing to a lame man lying at an entrance to the temple court known as Beautiful Gate. This poor man hasn’t even asked for healing; he’s simply asking for money. Yet Peter speaks healing in the name of Jesus, and the man gets up, leaping and praising God. The watching crowd is filled with amazement. Peter takes this opportunity to explain to the crowd that this man has been healed not by his power, but by the same Jesus whom they disowned and killed. He calls the crowd to repent so that “times of refreshing” will come. He speaks of Jesus’s return when the final restoration will take place.
In response to this miracle and message, Peter and John are arrested and brought before the Jewish council led by Annas, the former high priest, and Caiaphas, the current high priest. Here is where the story gets especially interesting, considering that this Jewish council consists of the same men before whom Jesus had stood in the hours before His crucifixion not many months before. Annas and Caiaphas are also mentioned by name the night of Jesus’s betrayal as Christ was led before each of them, and Caiaphas sent him on to Pilate. And we all know what Peter was doing during those early morning hours while Jesus stood trial before these men. He was adamantly denying having ever known Jesus. In fact, he was so afraid of being associated with Jesus that he lied about his connection with Christ to a lowly servant girl.
Now, fast forward once again to this story in Acts – this is the same city, the same high priest, and the same council that had condemned Jesus. Yet this is not the same Peter who had denied Christ. While he is the same man in a physical sense, he has undergone a transformation, a change. The one who had cowered before a servant girl now stands with boldness before the council who can very well seek to put him to death as they did Christ. Referring to the healing of the lame man, the council asks Peter, “By what power did you do this miracle?” And this time, Peter does not shirk the question. He boldly speaks of Christ, the cornerstone, whom they’d rejected and even killed. The council is now stuck between a rock and a hard place. They can’t deny that a miracle has occurred, but they don’t want to acknowledge Jesus as Messiah. They also fear the crowd who saw the miracle take place, so they decide to just tell Peter and John to keep quiet about Jesus. And here is the apostles’ response: “We cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” Peter and John will no longer deny Christ; they are willing to die for Him. They will not be silenced.
As we look at this story, we may ask: what made the difference? For one, they had seen the resurrected Christ. They now understood more fully what they had not understood while Jesus lived among them. But there is another important part to this that affects us profoundly. Acts 4:8 tells us that as Peter stood before the council, he was filled with the Holy Spirit. As a result of the indwelling Spirit, Peter was emboldened and spoke words of truth regarding Christ.
Sisters, we have the same Holy Spirit in us. We can experience that same boldness in sharing our faith and in speaking of Christ and His Word. In Luke 21:12-15, Jesus told his disciples not to worry ahead of time about what to say when they stood before those who would throw them in prison or persecute them. He would give them the wisdom and the words to say when that time came. Peter and John experienced the truth of this help that day before the council. Though we will most likely not stand before councils or persecutors, surely the same Holy Spirit can give us words and wisdom when we stand before neighbors and co-workers. May we too, as those filled with the Holy Spirit, be bold and look for opportunities to talk of our Savior.
--Amy O'Rear
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