This passage in Acts 5 describes the third time that the apostles risked arrest because of their association with Jesus.
The first time that the apostles stood and faced arrest, they didn’t… That is, they didn’t stand, they turned and ran. And they didn’t face their opponents, they scattered leaving Jesus to face betrayal and arrest alone.
That was back in the Garden of Gethsemane, the last night that Jesus was with them before his crucifixion and resurrection.
The night that Jesus was arrested, his disciples fled. They ran into the night, and then they melted into the crowds of travelers in Jerusalem for Passover. Peter and John were among them. One thing ruled their hearts that night: fear. Fear of being arrested with Jesus. Fear of being judged by the religious authorities. Fear of being punished by the civil authorities. Fear of being ridiculed by their countrymen. Fear of the unknown. Just plain fear.
Peter and John knew who Jesus was. It was Peter himself who had declared not so long before: “You and the Messiah, the Son of the Living God!” Their knowledge was not enough to conquer their fear, and fear ruled in their hearts.
Love was in their hearts that night too. Love for Jesus brought Peter close enough to the trial of his Lord to be challenged. But fear ruled in his heart. Fear caused Peter to deny his Lord three times. Love for Jesus brought John close enough to the cross to speak to his Lord. But fear ruled in his heart. Fear kept John silent and he did not speak for his Lord.
The second time the apostles stood and faced arrest because of their association with Jesus, they did… That is, they stood their ground and faced their accusers.
A few short months after their flight from the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter and John stood on the steps of the temple in Jerusalem. They offered the power of Jesus to a lame man, and he stood up and walked. They offered the grace of Jesus to the crowd, and 5000 believed. They did not run when the priests and the Sadducees began to grumble. Before nightfall, they were in prison.
Something had changed.
The powers-that-be expected to be able to bully Peter and John into submission. They expected Peter and John to cower when their authority was questioned. But they did not respond as expected. When they were questioned, Peter and John proclaimed the good news of Jesus Christ. When they were ordered to speak the name of Jesus no more, Peter and John boldly declared that they could not and would not stop.
Something had changed. The something that changed was inside of Peter and John and the other followers of Jesus. The something that changed was in their hearts and in their minds.
On the night that Jesus was arrested, Peter and John had love in their hearts and they knew the truth, but still fear ruled in their hearts. The love in their hearts was merely the love of a human being for a respected and adored teacher and friend. They had knowledge, but not conviction, and so in their hearts fear mastered love and knowledge. They could not stand firm against challenges to their faith and their mission.
After the resurrection of Jesus, after the coming of the Holy Spirit upon them, the followers of Jesus were changed.
Jesus had died, but he was risen. He lives! The truth that they had hints and glimpses of before was now emblazoned on their hearts and minds with the clarity of single trumpet blast and the immovability of the sun: “This Jesus is the stone that was rejected; it has become the cornerstone. There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.” And he really is alive!
Their knowledge was transformed into conviction, and their fear gave way to courage. Their love for Jesus was transformed into a love that took precedence over everything else—a love so strong that it could not be set aside.
By the power of the Spirit, their knowledge was transformed into conviction. By the power of the Spirit, their fear was overcome by courage.
Oh, I wouldn’t be surprised if their knees trembled a bit as Peter and John stood before the Sanhedrin. Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is the strength to do what needs to be done and say what needs to be said in spite of fear.
Whether their knees trembled or not doesn’t matter. What matters is that Peter and John spoke the truth to the powers-that-be. What matters is that Peter and John stood firm before the threats to their faith and their mission.
Acts chapter 4 is a story of followers of Jesus filled with love and conviction and the Holy Spirit speaking the truth-in-love to the powers-that-be and standing firm under pressure. Acts chapter 4 is evidence of deepening relationship with the risen Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit…deepening relationship that transforms knowledge into conviction and overcomes fear with courage.
Which brings us to today’s passage from Acts chapter 5—the third time that the apostles risked arrest because of their association with Jesus, the second time (for Peter and John) that they were actually arrested.
The events described in Acts 5 are very similar to those of Acts 4. The apostles are preaching and teaching in Jerusalem. Miracles of healing are happening. More and more people are being added to the fellowship of Christ’s followers every day.
The powers-that-be begin to grumble, and before long the apostles are in prison.
In chapter 4, the intervention of the Holy Spirit and the favor of the crowd enabled Peter and John to be released without punishment. They were not flogged. They did not languish in prison serving long sentences. Almost immediately, they were back on the streets proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ.
The intervention of the Holy Spirit protects the apostles in chapter 5 too. They are in prison over night, awaiting trial the next day, when an angel of the Lord appears and miraculously leads them out. The doors are still locked. The guards never notice a thing. And the apostles are back in the temple by morning, preaching and teaching.
This is the type of thing that happens to believers in the early days of a significant deepening in relationship with Christ, when their faith suddenly matures by a leap instead of the usual baby step. I’m not talking about the steps of growth that form a Christ-like nature in an already mature believer; I’m talking here about the growth spurt that a believer might experience when they are still learning to know the risen Christ personally—with a relationship of the heart as well as knowledge of the mind.
When knowledge of Jesus first deepens into conviction, and fear is first replaced by courage, often there is a stretch of time where it seems like almost everything goes right. The believer walks in this new and deeper relationship two feet off the ground. Blessings seem to pour out of nowhere, and everywhere. Challenges to faith and mission come, but as the believer practices this new-found courage to stand firm, the challenges almost seem to melt away. Miraculous intervention in the circumstances of life happens, for a while, with almost routine regularity.
It may not happen this way for absolutely everyone who experiences a dramatic growth spurt in their relationship with Jesus, but it sure happens this way for a lot of people.
There are, however, some major differences between the events of Acts chapter 5 and Acts chapter 4.
In chapter 4, the story ends with Peter and John released without punishment, back on the streets preaching and teaching and healing.
In chapter 5, the apostles are re-arrested. Again they are questioned. Again they proclaim the gospel message.
But this time, they do not escape unscathed. Though they do not receive a long prison sentence, they are flogged before they are released. Most likely they receive 40 lashes minus one. 40 lashes minus one. A lot more than a slap on the wrist!
This is the type of thing that often happens to believers when the Holy Spirit is leading them a step deeper into relationship with Jesus. The time comes in the journey of a believer when it’s time to move from that first flush of conviction that Jesus lives to the deeper connection of identification with Jesus’ suffering. The time comes in the journey of a believer when God’s purposes require more than courage…when God’s purposes require perseverance. The time comes in the journey of a believer when the Holy Spirit desires to form in the heart of the believer the same type of love for Jesus that Jesus has for the believer.
If the events of Acts chapter 4 illustrate love that is deepening from love of the idea of Jesus (or love of who Jesus was) to love of the risen Christ, the one who still lives and reigns and communicates and heals and calls and sends…then the events of Acts chapter 5 illustrate love that is deepening further still.
If the events of Acts chapter 4 illustrate love that has deepened to the point that it takes precedence over everything else—a love so strong that it can not be set aside, the events of Acts chapter 5 illustrate love that is deepening further still.
If the events of Acts chapter 4 illustrate the deepening of love that comes with the transformation of knowledge into conviction, then the events of Acts chapter 5 illustrate love that is deepening further still.
If the events of Acts chapter 4 illustrate the deepening of love that overcomes fear with courage, then the events of Acts chapter 5 illustrate a love that is deepening further still.
The time comes in the journey of a believer when the Holy Spirit desires to form in the heart of the believer the same type of love for Jesus that Jesus has for the believer…a love so great that one will lay down his life for Jesus, just as he laid down his life for us.
Listen again to verses 40-42: The council “called the apostles in and had then flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.”
The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.
The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.
The apostles’ courage has gone a step deeper…to perseverance.
The apostles’ conviction that Jesus is the Christ and he is alive has gone a step deeper…to identification with the suffering of Christ.
There comes a time in the journey of a believer when the blessings still come, but so do opportunities to be counted worthy to suffer disgrace for the Name.
And this, too, is a reason for rejoicing!
Have you been counted worthy to suffer disgrace for the Name of Jesus? Rejoice, for you are being led to a deep, deep love…beyond fear to courage, beyond courage to perseverance. Rejoice, for you are being to a deep, deep love…beyond knowledge to conviction, beyond conviction to identification.
Thanks be to God! Amen.
