By Jonathan Keller
And as [Peter and John] were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand. (Acts 4:1-4, ESV)
God’s Spirit had just been poured out on the apostles in Jerusalem. Men were cut to the heart as Peter, among the other apostles, proclaimed the crucified and resurrected Lord Jesus. Jesus told His apostles to wait for power, and the power of His Holy Spirit had come. His people were on the move to witness to Him in Jerusalem. As Peter and John went to the temple, they noticed a lame beggar who cried out for alms, and Peter gave him what money could never buy: strength in his legs. This healing gave way to another moment of witnessing, where our passage picks up. Remember, though, that the theme for Acts is the outward expansion of the gospel: it must go to Jerusalem, Judaea and Samaria, and even to the end of the earth!
Thinking about the gospel’s movement outward into the world, Americans can quickly think in terms of marketing. We need to have an advertising campaign and chase leads to spread the message quickly. Grow, grow, grow!
Here in our passage, that’s not at all how it worked. Contrary to our thinking, it seems that God saw fit to grow His church, to expand the effective reach of the gospel, while His leaders were arrested! This pattern would continue, actually. Throughout Acts, suffering and growth go hand in hand. The gospel would not go out of Jerusalem until the small church began to experience persecution. It would not go out to the Gentiles without serious animosity from both Jewish and Greco-Roman authorities during Paul’s journeys.
God reminds us of the power of the gospel in this trajectory. This message of eternal life has such power as to overcome any forceful opposition – even the gates of hell could not defend against it! It is a message worth spreading as it produces miracles like healings because these are but a foretaste of the surpassing glory of being with God face to face at the end of all things. Even before our deaths, now recontextualized as a path along the way to eternal life, we can enjoy real intimacy with God greater than what was available only through bloody sacrifices and behind temple curtains. This kind of message may attract suffering as the ruler of this world attempts to stop it, but it will overcome anything he throws at God’s people. Let us pray for boldness in light of this.
O heavenly Father, be magnified that Your salvation is so great that stones and cuts are nothing to those who carry Your words of eternal life. These words are as everflowing streams of water to our thirsty souls, and they tell us that You are near to us through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Give us the boldness to proclaim what Your suffering church proclaimed and is proclaiming even now. Give us all strength to withstand what may come our way, for Your Spirit will strengthen our weak flesh. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.