Last week we talked about how even though Jesus was gone, he sent the Holy Spirit to empower the disciples. The Holy Spirits came upon the disciples and they became like they were on fire, wanting to preach the word and go out and spread to everyone the truth about Jesus.
So that’s where we’re picking up, with the disciples—particularly Peter and John—out preaching and spreading the word! Someone read Acts 3:1-10.
3 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, at three o’clock in the afternoon. 2 And a man lame from birth was being carried in. People would lay him daily at the gate of the temple called the Beautiful Gate so that he could ask for alms from those entering the temple. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked them for alms. 4 Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” 5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.” 7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8 Jumping up, he stood and began to walk, and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9 All the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and they recognized him as the one who used to sit and ask for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
So Peter and John go out to the temple at about three in the afternoon, and while they are there a man who can’t walk is carried in.
We’ve talked about before that being physically disabled during this time period was very hard. It’s not like today, where we have wheel chairs and accessibility laws to make sure that every person, no matter their abilities has an equal chance at a good and fulfilling life. During this time period, people with severe disabilities—if they weren’t rich or didn’t come from very rich families that would take care of them—basically ended up unable to work and became beggars. So this man is described as lame from birth—which means he hasn’t been able to walk since he was born. And basically, people would bring him to the gate of the Temple every day so he could beg for money, that was the only way he could survive.
When the lame man sees Peter and John, he doesn’t think of them as anyone special. He just asks for money from them. But Peter stops, looks at him, and is like, “Hey dude, look at us.” So the disabled man looks at them, expecting that Peter is going to give him something, but Peter is like, “Actually I don’t have money.” At this point I imagine the disabled man was just sighing like “Why are you bothering me then?” But Peter continues and is like, “Here is what I can give you: in the name of Jesus Christ, stand up and walk.”
It’s important that Peter heals the man in Jesus’s name. Peter is not Jesus—he’s not able to heal on his own. But with Jesus and the Holy Spirit backing him, he is able to heal this man.
Peter grabs the man by his right hand and helps him to his feet—the man can suddenly stand! The man can’t believe it! He jumps up! He stands! He walks! He enters the temple with them and he’s not just walking he’s leaping up high and praising God.
Remember this is a man who has been unable to walk since the day he was born. This is the first time in his entire life that he is able to walk. He can’t believe it, and he’s so happy, he’s dancing and praising God.
Everyone sees him—and they all know who he is—this is a man they have passed every day for years. And they are completely stunned to see him able to walk, jumping for joy, and praising God.
Someone read Acts 3:11-19.
11 While he clung to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s Portico, utterly astonished. 12 When Peter saw it, he addressed the people, “You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? 13 The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. 14 But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, 15 and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. 16 And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.
17 “And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. 19 Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out,
Peter sees all the people gathering to see the man he healed, and he uses this as an opportunity to preach at them, and spread the good news. He calls them out for being amazed. He’s like “How can you be surprised. God gave us Jesus—who did even better things than this—and he was rejected by everyone.” Peter calls them out for participating in the death of Jesus.
I want to touch on something here—there have been times in human history, where people who have called themselves Christians have blamed Jewish people specifically for the death of Jesus. Christians have used this excuse to persecute Jewish people, and to view them as evil people because they participate in the death of Jesus. And sometimes they pull out verses like Peter saying “You killed the Author of life” to support that.
But I want to be clear about something—it is not Jewish people’s fault Jesus died. And if you keep reading Peter’s speech, he makes that clear to. Jesus’s death was part of God’s plan. It is ALL of our fault Jesus died—even us today, who weren’t there at the time. Jesus died for our sins.
Peter is just calling these specific people out on their particular sin of participating in calling for Jesus’s death. But then he acknowledges that it was a sin of ignorance—they didn’t know the truth. He also says it’s not just their sin but also that of their rulers—which include non-Jewish people like the Romans.
Even Peter participated in Jesus’s death—by hiding and denying him. We are all to blame. No one is specifically more to blame than any other person.
Jesus died because of and for everyone, and because of his death, we all have a chance to repent, which is what Peter is calling them to here: to repent of their sin and turn to Jesus.
Someone read Acts 4:1-4.
While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came to them, 2 much annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming that in Jesus there is the resurrection of the dead. 3 So they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 But many of those who heard the word believed; and they numbered about five thousand.
Peter is out speechifying in the Temple. The priests, captain of the temple, and the Sadducees—a group of religious leaders—come out and are annoying by all this teaching. Remember these are the same guys who connived to get Jesus out of the way. They thought that by having Jesus killed, it would end this whole Jesus thing. That his followers would just fall away. Instead, here they are months after his death, and there is a crowd of people listening to Peter talk about Jesus.
So they’re not very happy about it—they try to stop it by arresting Peter and John. But it’s too late. The Bible says five thousand people heard and believed that day.
Someone read Acts 4:5-15.
5 The next day their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, 6 with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7 When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. 11 This Jesus is
‘the stone that was rejected by you, the builders;
it has become the cornerstone.’
12 There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.” 13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus. 14 When they saw the man who had been cured standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. 15 So they ordered them to leave the council while they discussed the matter with one another.
So all the religious leaders assemble the next morning in Jerusalem—they need to decide what to do about Peter and John. They bring Peter and John out of jail and are like, “How did you heal this dude?”
And Peter is basically like, “Have you even been paying attention? You are asking me how this guy was healed! He was healed in the name of Jesus who you crucified but God raised from the dead.” And then Peter quotes the Old testament at them, which I’m sure drives them insane—because these are the religious leaders—if anyone knows the Old Testament, it’s them.
The religious leaders are amazed by Peter and John—because these guys were just fishermen a few years ago. Where did they get this ability to speak and familiarity with the Old Testament? And the leaders recognized them as companions of Jesus. They also recognize the guy they cured—they can’t argue it’s a hoax. They’ve seen this disabled man begging at the gates of the temple every day for years. There is no doubt in their minds that he was lame, and now he is walking.
The religious leaders don’t really know what to do about this, so they send Peter and John out of the room so they can discuss the matter privately.
Someone read Acts 4:16-22.
16 They said, “What will we do with them? For it is obvious to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable sign has been done through them; we cannot deny it. 17 But to keep it from spreading further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” 18 So they called them and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge; 20 for we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard.” 21 After threatening them again, they let them go, finding no way to punish them because of the people, for all of them praised God for what had happened. 22 For the man on whom this sign of healing had been performed was more than forty years old.
Since they cannot deny what Peter done, they’re just like “Let’s just give them a warning and tell them to never do this ever again.” So they call Peter and John back in and are like, “You are not allowed to teach about Jesus anymore.”
Peter and John aren’t like “Okay, that sounds good.” Nope, instead they say that they have to listen to God before they listen to them, and they will not—cannot—stop speaking about what they have seen and heard.
The leaders threaten them again, but they don’t really have a way to punish them what with five thousand people who support them, so they let them go.
None of these warnings stop the disciples from preaching and sharing God’s word. Someone read Acts 5:12-16.
12 Now many signs and wonders were done among the people through the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. 13 None of the rest dared to join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 14 Yet more than ever believers were added to the Lord, great numbers of both men and women, 15 so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on cots and mats, in order that Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he came by. 16 A great number of people would also gather from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all cured.
This is the point where we start calling Jesus’s disciples, apostles instead in the Bible. The big difference between those two words is that we use the word disciple for when they are actively following Jesus, and we usually use the word apostle for after Pentecost, when they are filled with the Holy Spirit.
So despite the warnings from the priests, the apostles do not stop teaching and healing. The preach and teach and even more people become believers—men and women. They healed tons of people, in the Temple, in Jerusalem.
They won’t stop just because the high priests asked them to. They are going to keep going, because it’s what God wants them to do.
Someone read Acts 5:17-24.
17 Then the high priest took action; he and all who were with him (that is, the sect of the Sadducees), being filled with jealousy, 18 arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors, brought them out, and said, 20 “Go, stand in the temple and tell the people the whole message about this life.” 21 When they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and went on with their teaching.
When the high priest and those with him arrived, they called together the council and the whole body of the elders of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22 But when the temple police went there, they did not find them in the prison; so they returned and reported, 23 “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” 24 Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were perplexed about them, wondering what might be going on.
The Temple leaders are not happy about this, so they have the apostles arrested and thrown into prison. But God does not want the apostles in prison, so he sends an angel to open the prison doors and send them out. The angel tells them to “Go to the temple and tell everyone the message.” Basically God is affirming them, saying they are doing a good job, to keep doing the good work, and don’t let things like prison stop them.
So the apostles go to the temple and keep teaching.
The high priests don’t know about this, so they go and call a council and want to have the prisoners brought before them—except there are no prisoners! The prison is locked, the guards still there, but they opened the doors and no one was inside. The guards and the priests don’t know what to make of this, they don’t know what to think.
Someone read Acts 5:25-32.
25 Then someone arrived and announced, “Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!” 26 Then the captain went with the temple police and brought them, but without violence, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.
27 When they had brought them, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. 30 The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”
Someone tells the council that the men they arrested are back at the temple and teaching again!! So they send guards to go get them, and stop them. They grab the apostles again, and bring them before the council.
The high priests are like, “Dudes, we told you not to do this! We told you not to teach and yet here you are! What is wrong with you?”
And Peter is like, “We have to obey God rather than humans. God raised up Jesus, and brought him to give us repentance and forgiveness. We witnessed all of this, and we cannot and will not stop.”
Mic drop, Peter.
Someone read Acts 5:33-39.
33 When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. 34 But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, respected by all the people, stood up and ordered the men to be put outside for a short time. 35 Then he said to them, “Fellow Israelites,[a] consider carefully what you propose to do to these men. 36 For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him; but he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and disappeared. 37 After him Judas the Galilean rose up at the time of the census and got people to follow him; he also perished, and all who followed him were scattered. 38 So in the present case, I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone; because if this plan or this undertaking is of human origin, it will fail; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them—in that case you may even be found fighting against God!”
They were convinced by him,
The council members hearing this are furious. They basically think Peter has come in here and disrespected them right to their faces. They want to kill him. But a Pharisee on the council named Gamaliel stands up and is like, “Hey guys, let’s take a breather and think a minute. Remember our history. Remember how many people in the past claimed to be somebody, got some followers, and then later when the leader died their followers disappeared. This is the way of life and history. Because things started by men, they end. And if it does happen to be by God—nothing we can do will be able to stop it. So why don’t we just let history run it’s course and determine if this thing is real or not.”
Someone read Acts 5:40-42.
40 and when they had called in the apostles, they had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 As they left the council, they rejoiced that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name. 42 And every day in the temple and at home they did not cease to teach and proclaim Jesus as the Messiah.
So the council calls the apostles back in. And this time it’s not just a warning and they let them go. They have them flogged. That means they have them whipped and beaten—a very painful punishment. Then they’re like, “Remember, stop talking about Jesus!!” And they let them go.
The council members ten high five each other like, “Yeah, that’ll stop them. Now they know there is real punishment for their crimes. They will stop.”
But do the disciples stop?
No. They don’t. Every day in the temple, at home, in the streets, everywhere they go, they do not stop to preach and teach and tell everyone that Jesus is the Messiah.
A few months ago, Peter was hiding in fear because Jesus was arrested—afraid to be arrested and beaten to. He denied even knowing Jesus—three times! But now here we are, and Peter is not that man anymore. He has been arrested. He has been flogged. And he will never stop claiming Jesus, claiming he knows him, and explaining the truth.
That Jesus has come for everyone, that he is the way, the way to repentance, forgiveness, and God.
Unfortunately for the disciples, arrests and floggings are not the worst of things that are going to come there way, which is why we will see next week when we study Stephen.