June 5
2 Samuel 18-19
Psalm 69:1-4
Proverbs 15:8-9
Acts 4:1-22
The Jesus Factor
“When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus….But Peter and John answered them, ‘Whether it’s right in the sight of God for us to listen to you rather than to God, you decide, for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.’”
Acts 4:13, 19-20 HCSB
When Jesus was arrested, Peter and John ran away in fear. Over the next few hours Peter denied three times that he even knew Jesus. After His death they went into hiding because they were scared. Just a short time later, these men are seen boldly telling people about Jesus in the temple complex. When confronted, they did not run away. They were arrested and brought before the rulers, elders, and scribes. Instead of shrinking in fear, Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and unashamedly proclaimed the name of Jesus Christ, whom the Jews had crucified and whom God raised from the dead. These do not sound like the same men. When the leaders saw Peter’s boldness and saw that these were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus. Wow! Their boldness made even their enemies admit that Jesus had made a difference in their lives.
Their relationship with Jesus and the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit changed these cowardly, scared men into bold, fearless disciples willing to put their lives on the line to tell people about Jesus. The religious leaders told them to stop preaching or teaching in the name of Jesus. Without hesitation, Peter and John told them that they had to do what God was telling them to do and they could not stop speaking about what they had seen and heard. Our relationship with Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit living within us can give us the boldness and power to tell people about Jesus as well. Peter and John did not go to seminary. They were not trained in theology and probably couldn’t win a debate over scripture with the religious leaders, but they had been with Jesus. When we spend time with Jesus, He equips us for every opportunity He gives us. We can rest in the knowledge that He will not ask us to do something that He does not prepare us to do and then He will give us the strength to carry it out. When we tell people about the things we have seen and heard, I pray they can recognize that we, too, have been with Jesus.
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