Not Shutting Up

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

NOT SHUTTING UP

Acts 4:13-22

13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15 So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16 "What are we going to do with these men?" they asked. "Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it. 17 But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name." 18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. 20 For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." 21 After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.

NIV

How could they refute a miracle when the man, who was forty years old, which meant he had been lame for forty years, and now stood before them? In this case, seeing is believing; however, at the same time, these men of the Sanhedrin thought more highly of themselves than they should have. Peter and John were unschooled, ordinary men, yet they had been with Jesus. Annas, the high priest, Caiaphas, Alexander, John, and the rest of the Sanhedrin were schooled, educated men in the law, but had no personal experience with Jesus, or Yahweh, the LORD whom they say they serve. They had to confess that Peter and John had done an outstanding miracle, but they could not allow this to continue, warning Peter and John not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. This great statement of Peter is the way of life for believers. When you have a personal experience with Jesus and are filled with the Holy Spirit, how could you remain silent, no matter what others say? When they say we are too narrow-minded or intolerant and have no right to judge their behavior, basically, they want us to shut up and not speak about Jesus or the power in the name of Jesus. The men of the Sanhedrin feared losing their influence in society, so they did not want "The Jesus influence" spreading. We may be in a similar situation because the liberal society we live in is opposed to "The Jesus influence." Peter told them that to judge what was right in God's sight, they should obey them rather than God. We cannot do any less. Because we have experienced Jesus, we cannot remain silent. We need to speak up, tell our story, believe in the power of the name of Jesus, and live accordingly, expecting miracles. We will not shut up.