Acts 4:23-37
As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said. 24 When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: “O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— 25 you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying,
‘Why were the nations so angry?
Why did they waste their time with futile plans?
26 The kings of the earth prepared for battle;
the rulers gathered together
against the Lord
and against his Messiah.’27 “In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed. 28 But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will. 29 And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. 30 Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
31 After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.
32 All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. 33 The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. 34 There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them 35 and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.
36 For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. 37 He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles.
A neighbor has a Trump 24 sign in his front yard. I’m not necessarily a fan, but I’m also not offended by his sign. Please don’t get sidetracked here; this is not about Trump, politics, or even yard signs. I want to think with you about our testimony. Are we willing to speak out about our faith in Jesus, or better yet, about Jesus himself and his resurrection and gift of eternal, abundant life? Are we willing to let it be known that we desire to convert others to faith in Jesus?
They say you should never talk about politics or religion. It’s interesting to me that these two topics are so emotionally-charged. After the January 6 events in Washington, DC, people de-friended people on Facebook, posted pro and con comments about the goings-on, and otherwise were willing to come out publicly and strongly with their opinions. It was such a hot-button topic. It mattered to so many people. It was current news. The media coverage nearly blocked out the sun.
The news of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is 2000 years old. There is no media coverage of the regular, weekly gatherings and rallies commemorating and celebrating that event. Even though millions of people world-wide stake their eternity on its veracity, it garners little comment. There is nowhere as much controversy about this event as there ought to be. This is a big deal!
Peter and John, and these new believers thought it was a big deal. They talked about it publicly and boldly. They made the claim that Jesus had risen from the dead. There are two-fold implications to this fact. Those who had put Jesus to death were wrong in every sense of the term. They were wrong in thinking they had gotten rid of Jesus. They were wrong in thinking it was right to put Jesus to death. They were wrong in thinking that they were doing God’s will in all that.
More importantly, Jesus’ resurrection proved that he was God’s true servant, our Savior, and the One (and only) who conquered sin, Satan, and death. Through him we are forgiven of all our sins. Through him we have the gift of eternal life.
This isn’t actually a matter of religion. It is a matter of faith. It’s worth being bold in our witness, whether in the face of persecution and controversy or as you celebrate Jesus’ resurrection with other believers.
David Bahn - Reflections 
Leave a comment