When God's Plan Involves Pain

WHEN GOD’S PLAN INVOLVES PAIN

Acts 5:33-42

(Antioch Baptist Church: Wednesday, December 17th, 2025)

- Annie Johnson Flint wrote a hymn that says:

God hath not promised skies always blue,

Flower strewn pathways all our lives through;

God hath not promised sun without rain,

Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.

God hath not promised we shall not know

Toil and temptation, trouble and woe;

He hath not told us we shall not bear

Many a burden, many a care.

But God has promised strength for the day,

Rest for the labor, light for the way,

Grace for the trials, help from above,

Unfailing sympathy, undying love.

God has a perfect plan for each of His children but there will be times when this perfect plan involves pain. However, the Scriptures assures us that we can trust the Lord in the midst of pain and suffering. The Psalmist said, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). Jesus said, “…In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

There are also passages that tell us how the Lord uses times of trial, tribulation, and pain for our benefit and for His glory. James said, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4). Paul said, “we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:3-5).

Our selected text chronicles the first physical persecution in the history of Christ’s Church. As a result of their courageous and uncompromising preaching of the Gospel, the High Priest and the members of the Council began to seek the death of the Apostles. v33 says that “… they were furious and plotted to kill them.”

However, there was an influential Pharisee who intervened and prevented this religious body from taking such drastic measures. (v34 Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while).

Gamaliel was a highly revered and distinguished Jewish Rabbi. He was the teacher who mentored, instructed, and trained Saul of Tarsus (Acts 22:3). This respected Rabbi had the Apostles sent outside so the council could discuss the situation. His motivation was not compassion for the Apostles; rather he sought to prevent the Council from doing something that could have caused a major uproar that would have drawn the attention of the Roman authorities.

In his remarks, Gamaliel shared two examples from recent history that would have been familiar to every man in attendance. (v35 he said to them: "Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. 36 For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing). Theudas was a leader of about four hundred revolutionaries. He was killed and all of his men “were scattered” and their movement “came to nothing”.

Gamaliel’s second example was that of a man named “Judas the Galilean” (v37 “Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed.”) According to Jewish Historian Josephus, Judas of Galilee was a man who led a tax revolt in early in the first century. Many people zealously joined with him in this revolt. In time, he died and all who followed him “were dispersed”, his movement died with him.

Gamaliel was of the opinion that if the things that were happening in and through the Apostles was not of God, then it would soon fade away. However, he was also wise enough to know that if this was truly a movement of God, then they would have no power to stop it. (v38 And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; 39 but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it--lest you even be found to fight against God”).

Gamaliel was a voice of reason; and in verse 40 we are told that the members of the Council “agreed with him” and they “let the Apostles go”. But not before having them beaten and again “commanding that they should not speak in the name of Jesus”. It is likely that they received 39 lashes, which was the maximum number of stripes allowed by Jewish law (See: Deuteronomy 25:1-3).”The lashing consisted of striking the victim’s bare skin with a tripled strip of calf’s hide. The victim received two blows to the back, then one to the chest. Thus each cycle had to be divisible by three, which explains the maximum limit of 39 (Source: ESV Study Bible: Crossway).