The Book of Acts ~ Study Fifteen

"The Jesus I Got"


Acts 4:1-4 (NLT) While Peter and John were speaking to the people, they were confronted by the priests, the captain of the Temple guard, and some of the Sadducees. These leaders were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people that through Jesus there is a resurrection of the dead. They arrested them and, since it was already evening, put them in jail until morning. But many of the people who heard their message believed it, so the number of believers now totaled about 5,000 men, not counting women and children.


Peter and John were making headway with people at the Temple in King Solomon's Portico. A lame man, who was a beggar at the Beautiful Eastern Gate going into the Temple, had been healed by the Name of Jesus. Everyone knew this man because they saw him there everyday. Now, he was walking alongside these two disciples ~ Peter and John.


Peter began to teach those who had gathered there at Solomon's Portico about Jesus and why this man was healed. It wasn't because of anything they had done. They directed them all to Jesus. 


Today's passage brings us to this scenario: Peter, John and the once lame beggar were standing in the massive portico called Solomon's Porch. Many people gathered there daily to get out of the sun and meet others there worshipping at the Temple Mount. Peter began to preach about Jesus because many people had seen the lame man healed. The crowd listening grew to thousands of people. 


In come the big wigs: the priests ~ the temple guard ~ and the Sadducees. Does this sound familiar to you? Look at the following scripture and note the similarities:


Luke 22:47-53 (NLT) But even as Jesus said this, a crowd approached, led by Judas, one of the twelve disciples. Judas walked over to Jesus to greet him with a kiss. But Jesus said, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?”
     When the other disciples saw what was about to happen, they exclaimed, “Lord, should we fight? We brought the swords!” And one of them struck at the high priest’s slave, slashing off his right ear.
     But Jesus said, “No more of this.” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.
     Then Jesus spoke to the leading priests, the captains of the Temple guard, and the elders who had come for him. “Am I some dangerous revolutionary,” he asked, “that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there every day. But this is your moment, the time when the power of darkness reigns.”


This was the same group that had arrested Jesus and were now confronting James and John. You could taste the fear at this face-off. Yet, the fear wasn't in the disciples. The fear was in the priests, the temple guard and the Sadducees. Their fear was that the Name of Jesus was being used to heal people and bring many others to believe that Jesus was definitely the Messiah.


John 3:19-21 (NLT) "And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.”

Fear!! The disciples had nothing to fear. They had faced their greatest fear when they saw Jesus being dragged before an illegal court, tried and convicted, then crucified. They saw His body buried and then...then... they saw Him alive again. They learned that death was no longer a concern because their Messiah was alive.


Fear!! The priests, the temple guard and the Sadducees had everything to fear. They had crucified the man who many people regarded as alive and was their Messiah. They knew that the lame man they passed each day was now walking and was walking because the disciples had used the Name of Jesus. Fear!! They feared that so many people believed in this Jesus as Messiah. They feared their own demise as leaders of the Jewish nation. And oh...how they had every reason to be afraid.


Who or what do you fear? Do you fear death? Do you fear other's opinions? What is it?


Luke 12:4-6 (NLT) “Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he’s the one to fear.
     What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them."


Those of us who love and follow Jesus have only one thing to fear and that is God. However, Jesus has paved the way for us to be in relationship with God. Our fear should only be the kind of fear that inspires our awe of our Creator. We respect and honor Him because He is God.


When we are confronted by those in the world who threaten us, because of who we believe in, we shouldn't fear them. We should pity them. They can't do anything to the part of us that will live forever ~our souls. We must pray for them and love them as Christ loves us.


Psalm 91:14-16 (MSG) "If you'll hold on to me for dear life," says God, "I'll get you out of any trouble.  I'll give you the best of care if you'll only get to know and trust me. 
Call me and I'll answer, be at your side in bad times; I'll rescue you, then throw you a party. I'll give you a long life, give you a long drink of salvation!"


Watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEvFVECuv1Q&feature=player_embedded
This young lady was not afraid to tell the would-be robber about Jesus. Would we be brave enough to do the same?


What are your fears? Who wants to harm you? Now answer this: Who has saved you and has promised you that He will never leave you or forsake you? 

Hold onto to Jesus for dear life and see what happens!