WEBVTT 00:00:05.259 --> 00:00:08.460 Hey there, welcome back to the Semi -Seminarian. 00:00:08.460 --> 00:00:12.000 In this episode, we are continuing our look at 00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:14.759 the Acts of the Apostles. In this episode, now 00:00:14.759 --> 00:00:17.980 after the Pentecost event, we're going to focus 00:00:17.980 --> 00:00:20.859 this evening on an event which occurs between 00:00:20.859 --> 00:00:24.100 Peter, John, and a lame man, in which they heal 00:00:24.100 --> 00:00:28.019 that man, and the authorities don't know quite 00:00:28.019 --> 00:00:32.679 what to make of it. We'll see you on the other 00:00:32.679 --> 00:00:44.280 side. So we're going to look at three, four, 00:00:44.340 --> 00:00:46.920 five of the Acts of the Apostles tonight, which 00:00:46.920 --> 00:00:51.119 deals with the early ministry of the apostles 00:00:51.119 --> 00:00:55.340 within the city of Jerusalem. And just to recall 00:00:55.340 --> 00:00:59.460 the promise made by Jesus in the first chapter, 00:00:59.600 --> 00:01:01.939 the Acts of the Apostles, in the eighth verse, 00:01:02.140 --> 00:01:04.959 Jesus gives some directions to his apostles, 00:01:05.060 --> 00:01:08.019 forecasting. how they were going to grow the 00:01:08.019 --> 00:01:10.519 church. He says, but you'll receive power when 00:01:10.519 --> 00:01:12.540 the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be 00:01:12.540 --> 00:01:16.760 my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and 00:01:16.760 --> 00:01:20.760 Samaria and to the ends of the earth. So Jesus 00:01:20.760 --> 00:01:23.959 is kind of showing them how this missionary... 00:01:24.590 --> 00:01:28.150 project is going to take place that they are 00:01:28.150 --> 00:01:30.530 going to focus their message of the good news 00:01:30.530 --> 00:01:33.829 the gospel account of jesus within jerusalem 00:01:33.829 --> 00:01:37.530 and then he mentions judea and samaria those 00:01:37.530 --> 00:01:40.709 are regions outside of the city of jerusalem 00:01:40.709 --> 00:01:43.510 a little bit further out and then eventually 00:01:43.510 --> 00:01:46.989 to the ends of the world to the whole world jesus 00:01:46.989 --> 00:01:50.689 is indicating here in the first chapter of acts 00:01:50.689 --> 00:01:56.370 point of ascension That his ministry on earth, 00:01:56.469 --> 00:02:00.909 that his kingdom that he proclaimed to have come 00:02:00.909 --> 00:02:03.390 to the earth with his public ministry was not 00:02:03.390 --> 00:02:06.870 just a restorative movement for the Jewish people, 00:02:06.950 --> 00:02:10.770 but was actually a kingdom for the whole world. 00:02:11.310 --> 00:02:15.330 And that's what the disciples do. We find the 00:02:15.330 --> 00:02:18.009 Acts of the Apostles opening up in that first 00:02:18.009 --> 00:02:20.889 chapter with him basically saying goodbye to 00:02:20.889 --> 00:02:25.990 Jesus. makes his ascension into heaven. They 00:02:25.990 --> 00:02:29.849 then continue to stay in the city of Jerusalem, 00:02:29.930 --> 00:02:33.990 praying as directed by Jesus. When the point 00:02:33.990 --> 00:02:36.750 of Pentecost, or the Jewish festival of first 00:02:36.750 --> 00:02:40.810 fruits, takes place 50 days after the Passover 00:02:40.810 --> 00:02:44.389 event, of which Jesus was a part of at the very 00:02:44.389 --> 00:02:48.710 end of his life, 50 days later we have the feast 00:02:48.710 --> 00:02:52.560 of the first fruits. or Pentecost, and we find 00:02:52.560 --> 00:02:57.060 in chapter 2 the coming of the Holy Spirit on 00:02:57.060 --> 00:03:00.960 the people, their ability to speak in foreign 00:03:00.960 --> 00:03:04.960 languages, and we find Peter giving us the first 00:03:04.960 --> 00:03:11.280 public sermon of the resurrected Christ, and 00:03:11.280 --> 00:03:14.780 doing so in a way that was both frightening and 00:03:14.780 --> 00:03:18.340 confusing to much of the city of Jerusalem, but 00:03:18.340 --> 00:03:21.849 as well convicting. because the second chapter 00:03:21.849 --> 00:03:25.030 of Acts indicates to us that about 3 ,000 people 00:03:25.030 --> 00:03:29.530 were saved at that point of that first sermon. 00:03:29.629 --> 00:03:33.449 So we pick up today, after that very momentous 00:03:33.449 --> 00:03:36.349 event of Pentecost, something has definitely 00:03:36.349 --> 00:03:40.770 changed in the boldness of these apostles. Obviously, 00:03:40.889 --> 00:03:45.349 it's the coming of the Holy Spirit, a coming, 00:03:45.550 --> 00:03:48.590 a birthing. a celebration that we'll actually 00:03:48.590 --> 00:03:51.750 celebrate this coming Sunday. This Sunday is 00:03:51.750 --> 00:03:55.310 Pentecost Sunday, so we will have this discussion 00:03:55.310 --> 00:03:58.789 again on Sunday morning about what it means to 00:03:58.789 --> 00:04:02.990 be indwelt with the Holy Spirit as the individual. 00:04:04.009 --> 00:04:07.650 This is after that event as they began to preach 00:04:07.650 --> 00:04:10.650 in the city. So beginning with verse 1, chapter 00:04:10.650 --> 00:04:15.400 3, one day Peter and John, two apostles, We're 00:04:15.400 --> 00:04:18.060 going up to the temple. Now, it's 3 o 'clock 00:04:18.060 --> 00:04:21.439 in the afternoon. Some translations may say the 00:04:21.439 --> 00:04:25.019 ninth hour of the day. If your translation says 00:04:25.019 --> 00:04:27.120 that, it's telling you that it's 3 o 'clock because 00:04:27.120 --> 00:04:31.199 the first hour of the day is 6. Nine hours later 00:04:31.199 --> 00:04:34.139 from 6 in the morning is 3 in the afternoon. 00:04:34.220 --> 00:04:38.000 The day concludes at 6 p .m. This is one of the 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:43.019 important times of prayer for devout Jewish people. 00:04:43.100 --> 00:04:45.769 They would pray in the morning. At six in the 00:04:45.769 --> 00:04:48.310 morning, they would pray in the afternoon. Here 00:04:48.310 --> 00:04:50.790 we see them praying in the ninth hour or 3 p 00:04:50.790 --> 00:04:53.189 .m. And then they would commit themselves to 00:04:53.189 --> 00:04:57.750 prayer again at sunset. So here we see John and 00:04:57.750 --> 00:05:01.850 Peter going to the temple as religious Jews. 00:05:02.009 --> 00:05:06.149 This is important because even though they are 00:05:06.149 --> 00:05:09.350 now preaching this message of the resurrected 00:05:09.350 --> 00:05:13.560 Jesus, they are still observing. the customs 00:05:13.560 --> 00:05:17.300 of the Jewish faith. It's very interesting to 00:05:17.300 --> 00:05:21.279 show us this kind of interplay between the message 00:05:21.279 --> 00:05:24.300 that they have now about the power of the resurrected 00:05:24.300 --> 00:05:28.600 Christ and at the same time its relationship 00:05:28.600 --> 00:05:32.819 with their Jewish heritage. So even with the 00:05:32.819 --> 00:05:35.339 resurrected Christ and their recognition of his 00:05:35.339 --> 00:05:37.839 power, that doesn't mean that they just stop 00:05:37.839 --> 00:05:41.839 going to temple. They're still observant. And 00:05:41.839 --> 00:05:44.759 here we see them walking up to the temple gate, 00:05:44.839 --> 00:05:47.899 which is called the beautiful gate. And they're 00:05:47.899 --> 00:05:50.240 going for the afternoon prayers. Whenever they 00:05:50.240 --> 00:05:54.160 get to this gate, there was a man unable to walk, 00:05:54.259 --> 00:05:58.100 was being carried to the temple gate called beautiful. 00:05:58.259 --> 00:06:01.379 And he had been that way since he was born. Every 00:06:01.379 --> 00:06:05.160 day someone put him near the gate. There he would 00:06:05.160 --> 00:06:07.839 beg for people going into the temple courtyards 00:06:07.839 --> 00:06:12.120 to pray. He saw that Peter and John were about 00:06:12.120 --> 00:06:15.379 to enter, so he asked them for money. Peter looked 00:06:15.379 --> 00:06:18.100 straight at him, and so did John. Then Peter 00:06:18.100 --> 00:06:21.620 said, Look at us. So the man watched them closely. 00:06:21.720 --> 00:06:25.220 He expected to get something from them. Peter 00:06:25.220 --> 00:06:27.740 said, I don't have any silver or gold, but I'll 00:06:27.740 --> 00:06:31.000 give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ 00:06:31.000 --> 00:06:34.240 of Nazareth, get up and walk. Then Peter took 00:06:34.240 --> 00:06:36.040 him by the right hand and helped him up, and 00:06:36.040 --> 00:06:39.420 at once. The man's feet and ankles became strong. 00:06:39.639 --> 00:06:43.060 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. He went 00:06:43.060 --> 00:06:45.819 with Peter and John into the temple courtyards. 00:06:45.899 --> 00:06:50.800 He walked and he jumped and he praised God. All 00:06:50.800 --> 00:06:53.519 of the people saw him walking and praising God, 00:06:53.680 --> 00:06:58.360 and they recognized him as the same man who used 00:06:58.360 --> 00:07:01.339 to sit and beg at the temple gate called Beautiful. 00:07:01.579 --> 00:07:05.180 And they were filled with wonder, and they were 00:07:05.180 --> 00:07:10.149 amazed. At what had happened to this man. Now 00:07:10.149 --> 00:07:13.829 as a journalist. And the author of the gospel 00:07:13.829 --> 00:07:17.529 according to Luke. And the Acts of the Apostles. 00:07:17.529 --> 00:07:20.850 Luke is doing in many ways a journalistic work 00:07:20.850 --> 00:07:23.670 here. With both his gospel account. And the Acts 00:07:23.670 --> 00:07:27.730 of the Apostles. He has interviewed the eyewitnesses. 00:07:28.889 --> 00:07:32.310 He has checked the facts. And he is trying to 00:07:32.310 --> 00:07:37.740 give the reader as a. objective and dispassionate 00:07:37.740 --> 00:07:43.959 take on these events as he possibly can. So in 00:07:43.959 --> 00:07:47.319 many ways, he's acting as biblical journalist 00:07:47.319 --> 00:07:50.540 here. And one of the things that you learn as 00:07:50.540 --> 00:07:53.839 a journalist is you never bury the lead in a 00:07:53.839 --> 00:07:59.279 story. You pack the biggest punch you can in 00:07:59.279 --> 00:08:01.879 the very first few paragraphs of whatever story 00:08:01.879 --> 00:08:07.600 you're writing. In verse 43 of chapter 2, Luke 00:08:07.600 --> 00:08:12.040 says the apostles did many wonders and miraculous 00:08:12.040 --> 00:08:19.019 signs. Now in chapter 3, Luke is leading off 00:08:19.019 --> 00:08:22.980 with the biggest story in the church chronologically. 00:08:25.220 --> 00:08:28.100 He is showing this is the most important story 00:08:28.100 --> 00:08:31.189 up to this point that I could tell you. This 00:08:31.189 --> 00:08:34.129 was a story that people were just told about 00:08:34.129 --> 00:08:38.110 as something miraculous after the fact. Remember, 00:08:38.230 --> 00:08:41.909 this beggar was well known among the people at 00:08:41.909 --> 00:08:46.529 the temple. And that is going to set up a confrontation 00:08:46.529 --> 00:08:50.820 because of that fact. Because he was so well 00:08:50.820 --> 00:08:53.720 known and because so many people actually saw 00:08:53.720 --> 00:08:57.820 this miracle take place, this is going to become 00:08:57.820 --> 00:09:01.240 very sticky for the religious leaders and the 00:09:01.240 --> 00:09:03.460 apostles. And we'll see that here in a moment. 00:09:04.019 --> 00:09:08.080 But here we have a captive audience now for Peter 00:09:08.080 --> 00:09:12.559 in these temple courts. He could say anything 00:09:12.559 --> 00:09:17.860 he wanted to them in this moment. gathered around 00:09:17.860 --> 00:09:21.519 and they are all abuzz at what he has just done 00:09:21.519 --> 00:09:25.879 with this well -known beggar man. And he could 00:09:25.879 --> 00:09:29.440 say anything he wanted and he chooses to basically 00:09:29.440 --> 00:09:34.179 repeat the Pentecost sermon. Beginning with verse 00:09:34.179 --> 00:09:38.399 11 in chapter 3, the beggar, who now is healed, 00:09:38.600 --> 00:09:41.539 was holding on to Peter and John and all the 00:09:41.539 --> 00:09:44.590 people were amazed. They came running to them 00:09:44.590 --> 00:09:47.370 at Solomon's porch. That's one of the porticos 00:09:47.370 --> 00:09:52.429 of the temple courtyards. When Peter saw this, 00:09:52.509 --> 00:09:55.509 he said, Men of Israel, why does this surprise 00:09:55.509 --> 00:10:01.149 you? And why do you stare at us? We haven't made 00:10:01.149 --> 00:10:03.950 this man walk by our own power or godliness. 00:10:04.490 --> 00:10:08.710 The God of our, not just our, but yours too. 00:10:08.950 --> 00:10:13.399 The God of our fathers. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob 00:10:13.399 --> 00:10:17.399 has done this. He has brought glory to Jesus 00:10:17.399 --> 00:10:22.139 who serves him. But you handed Jesus over to 00:10:22.139 --> 00:10:26.159 be killed. Pilate had decided to let him go. 00:10:26.940 --> 00:10:31.860 But you spoke against Jesus when he was in Pilate's 00:10:31.860 --> 00:10:35.519 court. You spoke against the holy and blameless 00:10:35.519 --> 00:10:39.440 one. You asked for a murderer to be set free 00:10:39.440 --> 00:10:44.659 instead. You killed the one who gives life. But 00:10:44.659 --> 00:10:49.379 God raised him from the dead. We are all witnesses 00:10:49.379 --> 00:10:55.039 to it. This man whom you see and know, this beggar 00:10:55.039 --> 00:10:59.100 man, was made strong because of faith in Jesus' 00:10:59.320 --> 00:11:03.840 name. Faith in Jesus has healed him completely. 00:11:04.700 --> 00:11:08.799 You can see it with your own eyes, Peter says. 00:11:09.769 --> 00:11:12.529 Now in these verses 11 through 16 of chapter 00:11:12.529 --> 00:11:15.929 3, we see a characteristic or a type of sermon 00:11:15.929 --> 00:11:19.590 that is preached very commonly early on amongst 00:11:19.590 --> 00:11:24.250 the apostles. This sermon is a public exhortation, 00:11:24.250 --> 00:11:26.929 right? It's something I'm declaring something 00:11:26.929 --> 00:11:30.049 out loud to public people. What we're seeing 00:11:30.049 --> 00:11:35.110 in that declaration reveals to us a lot about 00:11:35.110 --> 00:11:38.620 what... These early followers, or at least certainly 00:11:38.620 --> 00:11:43.860 Peter, would see as central to the faith in Christ 00:11:43.860 --> 00:11:47.879 at its very beginnings. These early sermons of 00:11:47.879 --> 00:11:53.559 the apostles are going to illustrate that the 00:11:53.559 --> 00:11:57.480 crucifixion, number one, that the crucifixion 00:11:57.480 --> 00:12:01.580 was the worst crime committed in history. Peter 00:12:01.580 --> 00:12:05.889 even indicates in his Speech we just read, even 00:12:05.889 --> 00:12:10.090 Pilate, the Roman governor, thought the punishment 00:12:10.090 --> 00:12:14.669 was unjust. Secondly, these early sermons are 00:12:14.669 --> 00:12:20.789 going to indicate a belief by these early Christians 00:12:20.789 --> 00:12:24.690 that the resurrection is a distinct repudiation 00:12:24.690 --> 00:12:29.090 of Jesus' opponents and a vindication for his 00:12:29.090 --> 00:12:33.759 claims. What that means is, The fact that Jesus 00:12:33.759 --> 00:12:37.639 was resurrected from the dead as He promised 00:12:37.639 --> 00:12:43.799 is proof that He is who He says that He is. If 00:12:43.799 --> 00:12:49.039 He is not everything power -wise that Jesus claimed 00:12:49.039 --> 00:12:52.940 to be, He would have been unable to raise Himself 00:12:52.940 --> 00:12:57.740 from the dead, but He did. And that makes all 00:12:57.740 --> 00:12:59.620 of the difference. And that will make all of 00:12:59.620 --> 00:13:02.940 the difference. For Christianity. Because had 00:13:02.940 --> 00:13:06.600 Jesus died and stayed dead, we most certainly 00:13:06.600 --> 00:13:09.820 would not be here right now talking about it. 00:13:10.220 --> 00:13:14.980 The resurrection literally showed that Christ's 00:13:14.980 --> 00:13:19.320 power is indestructible. The resurrection literally 00:13:19.320 --> 00:13:25.580 shows Him to hold power literally over life and 00:13:25.580 --> 00:13:29.750 death. And thirdly, The third thing these sermons 00:13:29.750 --> 00:13:33.169 will show is that this power that we're talking 00:13:33.169 --> 00:13:37.970 about doesn't rest in us. It rests in Christ. 00:13:38.950 --> 00:13:42.049 It may be possible through us, through the power 00:13:42.049 --> 00:13:44.990 of the Holy Spirit, but this is not our power. 00:13:45.070 --> 00:13:47.110 Peter even says, why are you looking at me? I 00:13:47.110 --> 00:13:50.129 didn't do it. It's the power of Jesus that did 00:13:50.129 --> 00:13:54.210 it through me, through the Holy Spirit. So, this 00:13:54.210 --> 00:13:58.879 is an indicator or a type. Early sermons of Peter 00:13:58.879 --> 00:14:01.120 and the other apostles are all going to kind 00:14:01.120 --> 00:14:04.159 of follow this same little pattern. And I think 00:14:04.159 --> 00:14:08.200 if we think about it closely, we can see what 00:14:08.200 --> 00:14:12.539 early Christianity must have meant to these early 00:14:12.539 --> 00:14:16.679 apostles and how much emphasis is placed not 00:14:16.679 --> 00:14:21.100 necessarily on moral or right conduct or the 00:14:21.100 --> 00:14:25.549 adherence to a certain type of law or laws, Rather, 00:14:25.710 --> 00:14:28.250 the importance at the beginning of Christianity 00:14:28.250 --> 00:14:33.649 was in the belief that Jesus died and was raised 00:14:33.649 --> 00:14:39.389 from the dead and we all saw it. It's not a story 00:14:39.389 --> 00:14:45.710 somebody just made up. We all saw it. The chapter 00:14:45.710 --> 00:14:51.750 3 continues with verse 17. My friends, Peter 00:14:51.750 --> 00:14:55.179 is continuing his sermon. My friends, I know 00:14:55.179 --> 00:14:58.139 you didn't realize what you were doing. Neither 00:14:58.139 --> 00:15:01.940 did your leaders. But God had given a promise 00:15:01.940 --> 00:15:04.080 through all of the prophets. And this is how 00:15:04.080 --> 00:15:07.779 he had made his promise come true. He said that 00:15:07.779 --> 00:15:12.100 Christ would suffer. So, turn away from your 00:15:12.100 --> 00:15:16.480 sins. Your Bible might say repent. Because that's 00:15:16.480 --> 00:15:20.259 what that word repent means. To turn away. Change 00:15:20.259 --> 00:15:25.850 your mind. Change your mind about what you think 00:15:25.850 --> 00:15:29.889 the Messiah is supposed to look like and do because 00:15:29.889 --> 00:15:35.190 the Messiah has come and is here. So turn away 00:15:35.190 --> 00:15:40.230 from your sins. Turn to God. Then your sins will 00:15:40.230 --> 00:15:43.350 be wiped away. The time will come when the Lord 00:15:43.350 --> 00:15:46.169 will make everything new. He will send the Christ. 00:15:46.730 --> 00:15:49.990 Jesus has been appointed as the Christ, the Messiah. 00:15:50.799 --> 00:15:54.360 That Christos is Greek for the Hebrew word Messiah, 00:15:54.720 --> 00:15:58.399 right? Jesus has been appointed the Christ or 00:15:58.399 --> 00:16:01.879 the Messiah for you. He must remain until the 00:16:01.879 --> 00:16:04.460 time when God makes everything new. He promised 00:16:04.460 --> 00:16:07.639 this long ago through his holy prophets. Moses 00:16:07.639 --> 00:16:10.340 said, the Lord your God will raise up for you 00:16:10.340 --> 00:16:13.960 a prophet like me, Moses said. He will be the 00:16:13.960 --> 00:16:16.580 one of your own people. You must listen to everything 00:16:16.580 --> 00:16:20.000 he tells you. Those who do not listen to him 00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:23.059 will be completely cut off from their people. 00:16:23.179 --> 00:16:27.799 Those words of Moses come from the 18th chapter 00:16:27.799 --> 00:16:32.200 of Deuteronomy. He continues, Samuel and all 00:16:32.200 --> 00:16:35.879 of the prophets after him spoke about this. They 00:16:35.879 --> 00:16:38.200 said these days would come. What the prophets 00:16:38.200 --> 00:16:42.639 said was meant for you, people in the courtyards 00:16:42.639 --> 00:16:45.360 that have just seen this miracle take place. 00:16:45.379 --> 00:16:50.179 How can you deny it? The prophets, their message 00:16:50.179 --> 00:16:54.820 was for you. The covenant God, our God, the guy 00:16:54.820 --> 00:16:58.860 we all showed up here at three to pray to, He 00:16:58.860 --> 00:17:04.180 made that covenant with us long ago with you. 00:17:05.259 --> 00:17:08.740 He said to Abraham, all nations on the earth 00:17:08.740 --> 00:17:13.220 will be blessed through your children. God raised 00:17:13.220 --> 00:17:16.720 up Jesus who serves Him. God sent Him first to 00:17:16.720 --> 00:17:20.539 you. He did it to bless you. He wanted to turn 00:17:20.539 --> 00:17:24.500 each of you from your evil ways. Here we see 00:17:24.500 --> 00:17:28.599 Peter again repeating the same things that come 00:17:28.599 --> 00:17:32.359 up in the Pentecost sermon. You, mankind, you 00:17:32.359 --> 00:17:37.039 killed Jesus, but God raised him up. And despite 00:17:37.039 --> 00:17:40.900 the level of cruelty and hate that is possible 00:17:40.900 --> 00:17:45.960 amongst humankind, Even so far as to kill an 00:17:45.960 --> 00:17:49.339 innocent man, God's love and power are greater 00:17:49.339 --> 00:17:56.559 than that. Even over death. So, that's the end 00:17:56.559 --> 00:18:03.000 of that sermon. The end of chapter 3. We're moving 00:18:03.000 --> 00:18:05.799 on to chapter 4. Peter and John are speaking 00:18:05.799 --> 00:18:09.279 to the people. The priests and the captain of 00:18:09.279 --> 00:18:12.589 the temple guard. And the Sadducees come up to 00:18:12.589 --> 00:18:16.049 the apostles. So now the authorities have come 00:18:16.049 --> 00:18:20.069 to the gate of Solomon, to Solomon's porch, and 00:18:20.069 --> 00:18:21.930 they're like, what's going on here? What's all 00:18:21.930 --> 00:18:25.609 of the hubbub? Because they were very upset by 00:18:25.609 --> 00:18:28.849 what the apostles were teaching the people. Because 00:18:28.849 --> 00:18:32.710 the apostles were saying that because Jesus rose 00:18:32.710 --> 00:18:35.910 from the dead, people can be raised from the 00:18:35.910 --> 00:18:41.779 dead. And Sadducees... These conservative religious 00:18:41.779 --> 00:18:43.940 leaders, they didn't even believe in resurrection, 00:18:44.339 --> 00:18:46.940 much less that the guy that we killed could do 00:18:46.940 --> 00:18:51.299 it. So obviously they're upset. And so they arrest 00:18:51.299 --> 00:18:55.920 Peter and John. And it was already evening, so 00:18:55.920 --> 00:18:58.880 they put them in prison until the next day. But 00:18:58.880 --> 00:19:01.460 many who heard this message believed, and the 00:19:01.460 --> 00:19:03.920 number of men who believed grew to about 5 ,000. 00:19:05.740 --> 00:19:08.420 The next day, the rulers, the elders, and the 00:19:08.420 --> 00:19:12.559 teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. And Annas, 00:19:12.579 --> 00:19:16.519 the high priest, was also there. So were Caiaphas, 00:19:16.579 --> 00:19:21.279 John, Alexander, and others in the high priest's 00:19:21.279 --> 00:19:25.460 family. They had Peter and John brought to them. 00:19:25.819 --> 00:19:29.599 They wanted to question them. By what power did 00:19:29.599 --> 00:19:32.380 you do this, they asked. And through whose name? 00:19:33.200 --> 00:19:37.470 Peter was filled. with the Holy Spirit. And He 00:19:37.470 --> 00:19:39.490 said to them, rulers and elders of the people, 00:19:39.589 --> 00:19:43.089 are you asking us to explain our actions today? 00:19:44.089 --> 00:19:48.910 Do you want to know why we were kind to a disabled 00:19:48.910 --> 00:19:54.390 man? Are you asking how he was healed? Then listen 00:19:54.390 --> 00:19:57.190 to this. You and all of the people of Israel, 00:19:57.390 --> 00:20:01.630 you nailed Jesus Christ of Nazareth to the cross. 00:20:02.349 --> 00:20:05.490 But God raised him from the dead. Peter is not 00:20:05.490 --> 00:20:09.609 going to let them off the hook for understanding 00:20:09.609 --> 00:20:14.569 they had treated the Messiah this way. And it's 00:20:14.569 --> 00:20:17.750 through Jesus' name that this man stands healed 00:20:17.750 --> 00:20:21.890 in front of you. Scripture says that Jesus is 00:20:21.890 --> 00:20:25.210 the stone your builders did not accept. But it 00:20:25.210 --> 00:20:29.869 has become the most important stone of all. Peter 00:20:29.869 --> 00:20:33.069 continues, you can't be saved. By believing in 00:20:33.069 --> 00:20:37.869 anyone else, God has given us no other name under 00:20:37.869 --> 00:20:40.130 heaven that will save us. Again, this is a part 00:20:40.130 --> 00:20:42.670 of that type that I was just talking about with 00:20:42.670 --> 00:20:46.710 the sermon here. The power of Jesus is exhibited 00:20:46.710 --> 00:20:49.549 through the resurrection, and that power comes 00:20:49.549 --> 00:20:54.990 from no place else but God through Jesus, empowering 00:20:54.990 --> 00:20:57.890 us with the Holy Spirit. There's only one way 00:20:57.890 --> 00:21:02.130 that this thing happens. So every opportunity, 00:21:02.170 --> 00:21:05.269 rather than trying to defend himself, rather 00:21:05.269 --> 00:21:09.309 than trying to figure a legal loophole out of 00:21:09.309 --> 00:21:12.970 whatever they're charging him with, he just continues 00:21:12.970 --> 00:21:19.450 on with another version of this sermon. And the 00:21:19.450 --> 00:21:24.289 leaders saw how bold Peter and John were. They 00:21:24.289 --> 00:21:27.829 also realized that Peter and John were ordinary 00:21:27.829 --> 00:21:32.839 men. With no training. And this surprised the 00:21:32.839 --> 00:21:36.059 leaders. They realized that these men had been 00:21:36.059 --> 00:21:38.180 with Jesus. Now I'm going to stop right here 00:21:38.180 --> 00:21:41.480 because I think we can read past that. And we 00:21:41.480 --> 00:21:44.960 know everything I'm about to say in loose bits 00:21:44.960 --> 00:21:47.640 kind of in our mind. But if we don't actually 00:21:47.640 --> 00:21:51.619 put them together, we can't actually see the 00:21:51.619 --> 00:21:54.599 picture of what's going on here. So let me just 00:21:54.599 --> 00:21:58.460 very briefly paint this scene for you. Peter 00:21:58.460 --> 00:22:02.819 and John are Galilean fishermen. Very, very, 00:22:03.059 --> 00:22:07.259 very, very likely they are illiterate. They cannot 00:22:07.259 --> 00:22:13.339 read nor write. They are poor and have always 00:22:13.339 --> 00:22:17.099 been poor and have never even stepped foot in 00:22:17.099 --> 00:22:23.200 a school. Put yourself in their sandals. And 00:22:23.200 --> 00:22:27.119 with a penalty perhaps of death, You have now 00:22:27.119 --> 00:22:30.039 been placed in front of the United States Supreme 00:22:30.039 --> 00:22:35.000 Court. And the chief justice of the country looks 00:22:35.000 --> 00:22:39.720 from that massive bench or altar thing that they 00:22:39.720 --> 00:22:42.160 sit from behind and looks down at you and says, 00:22:42.339 --> 00:22:47.539 explain yourself. You can't even read the Constitution 00:22:47.539 --> 00:22:51.000 that is to protect the rights whilst you're in 00:22:51.000 --> 00:22:55.240 the Supreme Court. You're illiterate. How would 00:22:55.240 --> 00:22:59.339 that feel? Would we be scared? Would there be 00:22:59.339 --> 00:23:03.359 a level of intimidation there? But they're bold. 00:23:03.519 --> 00:23:07.920 So bold that it's pointed out here in the account 00:23:07.920 --> 00:23:13.420 told by Luke. It was actually shocking to the 00:23:13.420 --> 00:23:17.200 Supreme Court justices that these guys seem to 00:23:17.200 --> 00:23:20.759 be able to hold their own and there's no reason 00:23:20.759 --> 00:23:25.289 why they should be able to. The leaders could 00:23:25.289 --> 00:23:28.970 see the man who had been healed. And this guy 00:23:28.970 --> 00:23:31.869 that was at the beautiful gate is literally standing 00:23:31.869 --> 00:23:37.390 there next to them. So there was nothing they 00:23:37.390 --> 00:23:42.029 could say. They can't say, well, that was all 00:23:42.029 --> 00:23:44.569 some illusion or you guys played some sort of 00:23:44.569 --> 00:23:47.269 trick on the people. And that guy's not even 00:23:47.269 --> 00:23:51.920 around anymore. This is some sort of... This 00:23:51.920 --> 00:23:55.819 is some sort of fraud. You have pulled some sort 00:23:55.819 --> 00:24:00.640 of magic. You've done something. But they can't 00:24:00.640 --> 00:24:02.759 say anything because there's the guy in which 00:24:02.759 --> 00:24:06.420 they have all seen and more than likely have 00:24:06.420 --> 00:24:10.019 walked by ignoring perhaps every day for all 00:24:10.019 --> 00:24:14.059 of this guy's 40 years of his life. But they 00:24:14.059 --> 00:24:16.180 can't say anything because he's right there. 00:24:17.259 --> 00:24:20.640 So they ordered Peter and John to leave the Sanhedrin. 00:24:20.660 --> 00:24:23.519 The Sanhedrin is the Supreme Court. So they could 00:24:23.519 --> 00:24:27.619 talk things over. What can we do with these men, 00:24:27.779 --> 00:24:31.920 they asked. Everybody in Jerusalem knows that 00:24:31.920 --> 00:24:35.240 they've done this outstanding miracle. We can't 00:24:35.240 --> 00:24:37.400 say it didn't happen. The dude's still here. 00:24:38.200 --> 00:24:42.059 We have to stop this thing. It must not spread 00:24:42.059 --> 00:24:44.539 any further among the people. We have to warn 00:24:44.539 --> 00:24:49.359 these men. they must never speak to anyone in 00:24:49.359 --> 00:24:52.920 Jesus' name again. Once again, the leaders call 00:24:52.920 --> 00:24:56.859 Peter and John back into the Supreme Court chambers 00:24:56.859 --> 00:25:00.599 there, the courtroom. And they commanded them 00:25:00.599 --> 00:25:03.779 not to speak or teach at all in Jesus' name. 00:25:04.660 --> 00:25:08.779 Now, if you have any sense of the boldness that 00:25:08.779 --> 00:25:11.980 Peter has going on right now, you probably have 00:25:11.980 --> 00:25:15.980 an idea of how he's going to respond. But Peter 00:25:15.980 --> 00:25:18.880 and John replied to the judges, Judge for yourself, 00:25:19.180 --> 00:25:22.980 which is right from God's point of view. Should 00:25:22.980 --> 00:25:28.759 we obey you or God? Because there's nothing else 00:25:28.759 --> 00:25:33.039 we can do. We have to speak about the things 00:25:33.039 --> 00:25:40.000 that we have seen and heard. You can't tell us 00:25:40.000 --> 00:25:44.769 not to talk about... what we have seen and heard 00:25:44.769 --> 00:25:49.029 regarding Jesus. And if you guys want us to stop, 00:25:49.150 --> 00:25:51.309 you're going to have to just kill us because 00:25:51.309 --> 00:25:56.730 we're not going to do it. So the leaders warned 00:25:56.730 --> 00:25:59.670 them again, and then they did really the only 00:25:59.670 --> 00:26:03.349 thing at this point that they could do. They 00:26:03.349 --> 00:26:07.029 let them go. And there are biblical commentators 00:26:07.029 --> 00:26:10.109 that say this was the most important mistake 00:26:10.109 --> 00:26:13.670 the Sanhedrin made. Because they had arrested 00:26:13.670 --> 00:26:17.490 them so quickly after whatever offense they believed 00:26:17.490 --> 00:26:20.630 that they had caused here with the healing of 00:26:20.630 --> 00:26:24.369 this man. And then they let them go so quickly. 00:26:25.190 --> 00:26:28.130 And it really gave an indication to the people 00:26:28.130 --> 00:26:31.190 as they watched that the Sanhedrin are powerless 00:26:31.190 --> 00:26:35.609 over these men. That the people who are supposed 00:26:35.609 --> 00:26:40.170 to be in charge of our law have no way to actually 00:26:40.170 --> 00:26:46.920 punish these guys. So they let him go. They couldn't 00:26:46.920 --> 00:26:50.000 decide how to punish him. They knew that all 00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:51.960 the people were praising God for what had happened. 00:26:52.220 --> 00:26:54.579 And the man who had been healed by the miracle 00:26:54.579 --> 00:27:00.119 was over 40 years old. Now, why is the man's 00:27:00.119 --> 00:27:02.880 age so important to the story here? Remember, 00:27:03.039 --> 00:27:07.039 these first century writers, they don't have 00:27:07.039 --> 00:27:10.940 to tell us anything. So anytime they give us 00:27:10.940 --> 00:27:14.119 a fact that might feel a little bit sideways 00:27:14.119 --> 00:27:16.599 to the narrative, we have to kind of stop and 00:27:16.599 --> 00:27:19.940 go, I wonder why Luke bothered to point that 00:27:19.940 --> 00:27:26.140 out. This is a witness to this man's infirmity. 00:27:26.680 --> 00:27:30.519 This was a guarantee that this was a genuine 00:27:30.519 --> 00:27:34.559 miracle. The fact that everybody acknowledged 00:27:34.559 --> 00:27:38.519 that this was a grown man who had been this way 00:27:38.519 --> 00:27:42.240 from birth, that this wasn't just some sort of 00:27:42.240 --> 00:27:46.380 stunt that they had pulled, just some scam. This 00:27:46.380 --> 00:27:52.799 was a legitimate miracle. Skipping down to verse 00:27:52.799 --> 00:28:01.109 32 of chapter 4. of the believers. Now we're 00:28:01.109 --> 00:28:03.490 going to focus rather than on the sermons, and 00:28:03.490 --> 00:28:05.269 now we're going to talk a little bit on the relationship 00:28:05.269 --> 00:28:09.230 amongst the early believers in the church here 00:28:09.230 --> 00:28:13.589 in Jerusalem. All of the believers were agreed 00:28:13.589 --> 00:28:16.630 in heart and mind. Now we're going to find through 00:28:16.630 --> 00:28:19.250 the Pauline epistles, the letter that the Apostle 00:28:19.250 --> 00:28:22.210 Paul writes, we're going to find in the disagreements 00:28:22.210 --> 00:28:25.390 between Peter and Paul later down the road, we're 00:28:25.390 --> 00:28:30.500 going to Discover also the council of Jerusalem, 00:28:30.859 --> 00:28:34.079 headed by James the Just, or Jesus' half -brother, 00:28:34.200 --> 00:28:37.200 has to deal with disagreements amongst believers 00:28:37.200 --> 00:28:41.759 in their assemblies. And that's showing us that 00:28:41.759 --> 00:28:45.579 people are people, and just because maybe we 00:28:45.579 --> 00:28:47.500 had a good idea how to do things right at the 00:28:47.500 --> 00:28:49.279 very beginning doesn't mean it always stays that 00:28:49.279 --> 00:28:51.740 way. And sure enough... That is what happens. 00:28:51.819 --> 00:28:53.880 But right now at the very beginning of the creation 00:28:53.880 --> 00:28:55.539 of the church, and that's what we have here. 00:28:55.680 --> 00:28:58.559 This is the apostolic age. This is the literal 00:28:58.559 --> 00:29:02.940 beginning, the genesis of what we will call the 00:29:02.940 --> 00:29:06.000 body of Christ amongst faithful believers. This 00:29:06.000 --> 00:29:09.519 is the very, very beginning right here. And in 00:29:09.519 --> 00:29:11.839 that very beginning, all the believers were agreed 00:29:11.839 --> 00:29:14.859 in heart and mind. They didn't claim that anything 00:29:14.859 --> 00:29:17.859 that they had was their own. They shared everything 00:29:17.859 --> 00:29:20.559 that they owned. With great power, the apostles 00:29:20.559 --> 00:29:23.279 continued with their teaching. They gave witness 00:29:23.279 --> 00:29:25.900 that the Lord Jesus had risen from the dead. 00:29:26.059 --> 00:29:29.579 They were greatly blessed by God. There were 00:29:29.579 --> 00:29:33.119 no needy persons among them. From time to time, 00:29:33.160 --> 00:29:36.680 those who owned land or houses sold them. They 00:29:36.680 --> 00:29:39.160 brought the money from the sales, and they put 00:29:39.160 --> 00:29:41.660 it down at the apostles' feet, and then it was 00:29:41.660 --> 00:29:45.200 given out to anyone who needs them. Joseph was 00:29:45.200 --> 00:29:50.200 a Levite from Cyprus, Cypriotic Jew. And the 00:29:50.200 --> 00:29:53.819 apostles called him Barnabas. That's his surname. 00:29:53.960 --> 00:29:56.319 So his name would be Joseph Barnabas. But the 00:29:56.319 --> 00:29:58.420 way that we would say his name, if we were going 00:29:58.420 --> 00:30:00.119 to say it the way they intended to say it, we 00:30:00.119 --> 00:30:03.519 would call him Joseph, the son of help. Joseph, 00:30:03.539 --> 00:30:06.140 the helpful friend of ours. Joseph, the helpful 00:30:06.140 --> 00:30:10.099 guy. Okay, that's what that surname there is. 00:30:10.140 --> 00:30:15.119 He did something very, very... and very generous. 00:30:15.200 --> 00:30:18.200 He had a field. We're not sure what type of field 00:30:18.200 --> 00:30:21.259 that it was, but it was sold and he took that 00:30:21.259 --> 00:30:24.240 money and he gave it to the early church. It's 00:30:24.240 --> 00:30:27.160 interesting in this process. There was a famous 00:30:27.160 --> 00:30:30.779 doctor of the church, one of these second, third 00:30:30.779 --> 00:30:36.039 century guys who studied the scriptures and really 00:30:36.039 --> 00:30:37.980 poured themselves and then wrote themselves a 00:30:37.980 --> 00:30:41.210 guy by the name of Thomas Aquinas. who is a famous 00:30:41.210 --> 00:30:44.349 doctor of the early church. And he's telling 00:30:44.349 --> 00:30:47.869 a story to Pope Innocent. They're having a discussion, 00:30:48.029 --> 00:30:53.190 rather. And Pope Innocent says, boy, we can't 00:30:53.190 --> 00:30:57.690 say in the name of Jesus, get up and walk anymore, 00:30:57.829 --> 00:31:00.789 can we? That doesn't seem to happen like it used 00:31:00.789 --> 00:31:04.609 to. And Thomas Aquinas says, yeah, and we can't 00:31:04.609 --> 00:31:08.529 say silver and gold, none do I have anymore either. 00:31:09.099 --> 00:31:11.579 and wonder about what the relationship may be 00:31:11.579 --> 00:31:14.619 between the church and the power of the Holy 00:31:14.619 --> 00:31:16.619 Spirit versus church and the almighty dollar 00:31:16.619 --> 00:31:22.799 might have done in that time between genuine 00:31:22.799 --> 00:31:26.140 acts of the Holy Spirit and the church becoming 00:31:26.140 --> 00:31:30.160 an earthly institution. Moving on to chapter 00:31:30.160 --> 00:31:36.039 5. The apostles did many miraculous signs and 00:31:36.039 --> 00:31:38.440 wonders among the people. All of the believers 00:31:38.440 --> 00:31:40.720 used to meet together at Solomon's porch. That 00:31:40.720 --> 00:31:43.500 makes perfect sense, right? That's the goodest 00:31:43.500 --> 00:31:46.640 place as any, just outside the beautiful gate 00:31:46.640 --> 00:31:50.559 into the courtyards and then adjacent to the 00:31:50.559 --> 00:31:53.539 entrance to the actual temple proper itself are 00:31:53.539 --> 00:31:59.319 these porticos along the edges of the rectangularly 00:31:59.319 --> 00:32:02.710 shaped courtyard. One of them is the... portico 00:32:02.710 --> 00:32:08.130 the porch of solomon where the original um miracle 00:32:08.130 --> 00:32:10.470 had happened tonight in our story tonight so 00:32:10.470 --> 00:32:13.170 they continue to go back there and people actually 00:32:13.170 --> 00:32:16.730 know that they can find them there so people 00:32:16.730 --> 00:32:21.829 went up hoping to be healed more and more men 00:32:21.829 --> 00:32:24.190 and women believed in the lord and they joined 00:32:24.190 --> 00:32:27.029 the other believers so people brought those who 00:32:27.029 --> 00:32:30.329 were sick into the streets They placed them on 00:32:30.329 --> 00:32:33.069 beds and mats. They hoped that at least Peter's 00:32:33.069 --> 00:32:36.390 shadow might fall on some of them as he walked 00:32:36.390 --> 00:32:38.950 by. I think it's a very interesting parallel 00:32:38.950 --> 00:32:41.910 to some of the stories that we hear sometimes 00:32:41.910 --> 00:32:45.589 in the gospel accounts of people and how desperate 00:32:45.589 --> 00:32:48.410 they were just to get close enough to Jesus that 00:32:48.410 --> 00:32:50.269 they would reach out and if they feel like if 00:32:50.269 --> 00:32:53.589 they could just touch Jesus, I'd be healed. If 00:32:53.589 --> 00:32:55.990 I could just touch the garment Jesus was wearing, 00:32:56.130 --> 00:33:00.119 I could be healed. There's a really interesting 00:33:00.119 --> 00:33:04.859 similarity between these two instances. Crowds 00:33:04.859 --> 00:33:08.019 even gathered in towns around Jerusalem. They 00:33:08.019 --> 00:33:10.039 brought their sick. They also brought those who 00:33:10.039 --> 00:33:12.920 were suffering because of evil spirits, and all 00:33:12.920 --> 00:33:17.660 of them were healed. So the high priest and all 00:33:17.660 --> 00:33:22.380 of his companions were Sadducees. They were very 00:33:22.380 --> 00:33:25.940 jealous of the apostles. This is a big political 00:33:25.940 --> 00:33:30.319 dynamic. With the high priest and his immediate 00:33:30.319 --> 00:33:35.680 entourage of other priests being Sadducees, those 00:33:35.680 --> 00:33:39.779 not believing in resurrection. The Sadducees 00:33:39.779 --> 00:33:43.099 believed once you died, that was it. That the 00:33:43.099 --> 00:33:46.279 relationship between God and mankind is about 00:33:46.279 --> 00:33:49.660 how we live on earth now. But once you die, that 00:33:49.660 --> 00:33:53.339 is all she wrote. Obviously, that is in direct 00:33:53.339 --> 00:33:56.549 opposition. to what this message is that these 00:33:56.549 --> 00:33:59.089 apostles are teaching. Because for them, the 00:33:59.089 --> 00:34:02.369 resurrection is the number one thing they've 00:34:02.369 --> 00:34:05.670 come to talk about. They're not telling stories 00:34:05.670 --> 00:34:08.750 of the loaves and fishes. They're not telling 00:34:08.750 --> 00:34:10.809 stories about the time they were out on the boat 00:34:10.809 --> 00:34:13.369 and Jesus came walking up on the water. They're 00:34:13.369 --> 00:34:15.630 not talking about whatever he said at the Sermon 00:34:15.630 --> 00:34:18.690 on the Mount. They're not talking about any of 00:34:18.690 --> 00:34:22.550 that stuff. At this part in the ballgame, they've 00:34:22.550 --> 00:34:26.639 got one message. Jesus died, you killed him. 00:34:27.059 --> 00:34:31.599 He raised from the dead, we saw him. Now say 00:34:31.599 --> 00:34:36.760 you're sorry. The Sadducees, that is a direct 00:34:36.760 --> 00:34:40.619 affront to the way they see their worldview. 00:34:41.800 --> 00:34:45.500 They were very jealous of the apostles because 00:34:45.500 --> 00:34:48.679 of the traction that these apostles' message 00:34:48.679 --> 00:34:51.679 was getting amongst the people. So they arrested 00:34:51.679 --> 00:34:56.000 them. and put them in the public prison. But 00:34:56.000 --> 00:34:58.000 during the night, an angel of the Lord came. 00:34:58.579 --> 00:35:01.460 He opened the prison doors and brought the apostles 00:35:01.460 --> 00:35:06.639 out. Go, stand in the temple courtyard, the angel 00:35:06.639 --> 00:35:09.860 said, and tell the people all about this new 00:35:09.860 --> 00:35:13.760 life. Early the next day, they did as they had 00:35:13.760 --> 00:35:16.440 been told. They entered the temple courtyard, 00:35:16.780 --> 00:35:20.579 and there they began to teach the people. The 00:35:20.579 --> 00:35:24.000 high priest and his companions arrived. And then 00:35:24.000 --> 00:35:27.059 they called the Sanhedrin, the remainder of the 00:35:27.059 --> 00:35:30.880 Supreme Court together. And the Sanhedrin, right, 00:35:30.960 --> 00:35:33.860 was a gathering of the elders. They sent for 00:35:33.860 --> 00:35:37.320 the apostles who were in prison. The officers 00:35:37.320 --> 00:35:40.039 arrived at the prison, but they don't find the 00:35:40.039 --> 00:35:44.619 apostles there. So they went back to the temple 00:35:44.619 --> 00:35:47.039 and reported it. We found the prison locked up 00:35:47.039 --> 00:35:49.639 tight, they said. The guards were standing at 00:35:49.639 --> 00:35:51.760 the doors, but when we opened the doors, we didn't 00:35:51.760 --> 00:35:55.059 find anybody inside. When the captain of the 00:35:55.059 --> 00:35:57.000 temple guard and the chief priests heard this 00:35:57.000 --> 00:35:59.960 report, they were bewildered and they wondered, 00:36:00.059 --> 00:36:06.519 what is going to happen next? And then someone 00:36:06.519 --> 00:36:11.320 came out and said, look, the men you put in prison 00:36:11.320 --> 00:36:15.780 are out there preaching in the temple courtyard, 00:36:16.059 --> 00:36:19.449 and they're preaching to the people. So the captain 00:36:19.449 --> 00:36:22.429 went with his officers and brought the apostles 00:36:22.429 --> 00:36:26.329 back, but they didn't use force because they 00:36:26.329 --> 00:36:29.090 were afraid the people would kill them by throwing 00:36:29.090 --> 00:36:32.190 stones at them. I think this is a fascinating 00:36:32.190 --> 00:36:36.510 story. We are going to lock you dudes up in prison. 00:36:37.309 --> 00:36:40.289 We are going to hold court tomorrow. Tomorrow 00:36:40.289 --> 00:36:44.309 comes. Go get them out of prison. They're not 00:36:44.309 --> 00:36:48.800 there. They're over there. Well, go get them. 00:36:49.639 --> 00:36:53.480 Excuse me, guys that we just arrested last night, 00:36:53.619 --> 00:36:58.739 would you guys mind coming to your trial, please? 00:37:00.099 --> 00:37:03.480 Because we can't make you, because if we try 00:37:03.480 --> 00:37:07.800 to make you, people are going to kill us. Please? 00:37:09.079 --> 00:37:12.679 That's what's happening here. They brought the 00:37:12.679 --> 00:37:14.719 apostles to be judged by the Sanhedrin. The high 00:37:14.719 --> 00:37:17.940 priest questioned them. We gave you clear orders. 00:37:18.340 --> 00:37:22.059 Why can't you guys help us out? Don't teach in 00:37:22.059 --> 00:37:25.659 Jesus' name. But instead, you filled Jerusalem 00:37:25.659 --> 00:37:30.420 with your teaching. And you want to make us guilty 00:37:30.420 --> 00:37:33.420 of this man's death. And Peter, I'm sure, is 00:37:33.420 --> 00:37:38.739 like, do you think? Peter and the other apostles 00:37:38.739 --> 00:37:42.219 replied, we must obey God instead of people. 00:37:42.320 --> 00:37:46.059 We've told you this before. After what we have 00:37:46.059 --> 00:37:50.599 seen and heard and experienced, we can't do anything 00:37:50.599 --> 00:37:55.679 but. He's going to remind them, you had Jesus 00:37:55.679 --> 00:37:58.579 killed by nailing Him to a cross. But the God 00:37:58.579 --> 00:38:01.619 of our people raised Jesus from the dead, and 00:38:01.619 --> 00:38:04.940 now Jesus is Prince and Savior. God has proved 00:38:04.940 --> 00:38:08.219 this by giving Him a place of honor at His own 00:38:08.219 --> 00:38:11.280 right hand, and He did it so He could turn Israel 00:38:11.280 --> 00:38:16.139 away from their sins and forgive them. are witnesses 00:38:16.139 --> 00:38:21.440 to these things. And this is just another example 00:38:21.440 --> 00:38:26.539 of reminding us in the 21st century that people 00:38:26.539 --> 00:38:30.820 who began to believe in Jesus Christ, even when 00:38:30.820 --> 00:38:35.090 Roman soldiers or Jewish soldiers... would put 00:38:35.090 --> 00:38:39.550 swords to their necks, or throw them in prison. 00:38:39.570 --> 00:38:42.289 The reason why these people believed in Jesus 00:38:42.289 --> 00:38:46.190 Christ is not because some book told them so. 00:38:46.769 --> 00:38:51.449 There was no Bible to tell them Jesus loves them 00:38:51.449 --> 00:38:56.170 yet. They believed even at the point of death 00:38:56.170 --> 00:39:01.530 because they were witnesses. They saw it and 00:39:01.530 --> 00:39:05.699 they experienced it with their own eyes. Our 00:39:05.699 --> 00:39:10.239 belief in Jesus Christ is not a belief in something 00:39:10.239 --> 00:39:15.280 a book says. Our belief in Jesus Christ is of 00:39:15.280 --> 00:39:21.380 an eyewitness account. And that makes all the 00:39:21.380 --> 00:39:24.219 difference in the world. Because it means we 00:39:24.219 --> 00:39:28.480 don't have to have faith in just faith. We can 00:39:28.480 --> 00:39:32.400 have faith in something we believe to be true. 00:39:34.730 --> 00:39:37.929 And so is the Holy Spirit a witness to these 00:39:37.929 --> 00:39:41.550 things. And God has given the Spirit to those 00:39:41.550 --> 00:39:46.050 who obey Him. And there is that. He's done His 00:39:46.050 --> 00:39:50.929 little formula there all over again. Right? The 00:39:50.929 --> 00:39:53.710 crucifixion was a crime and you committed it. 00:39:54.150 --> 00:39:57.530 Right? Jesus was raised through the power of 00:39:57.530 --> 00:40:02.630 God. And that power has given power to other 00:40:02.630 --> 00:40:05.480 people. people through the Holy Spirit. Same 00:40:05.480 --> 00:40:09.159 formula of Peter's speech. That to me is probably, 00:40:09.199 --> 00:40:12.099 if you were to say, where is Peter's spiritual 00:40:12.099 --> 00:40:15.179 life right now? It's those three things and probably 00:40:15.179 --> 00:40:18.840 nothing else at this point. When the leaders 00:40:18.840 --> 00:40:21.760 heard this, they were angry and they wanted to 00:40:21.760 --> 00:40:25.199 put the apostles to death. But a Pharisee named 00:40:25.199 --> 00:40:30.619 Gamaliel, time, Gamaliel is maybe one of the 00:40:30.619 --> 00:40:33.789 most famous Or at this time, he probably would 00:40:33.789 --> 00:40:37.489 have been the most famous of scholars. He would 00:40:37.489 --> 00:40:41.570 have been a student of a guy named Heliel. And 00:40:41.570 --> 00:40:45.409 Heliel was a teacher of Jewish thought that was 00:40:45.409 --> 00:40:48.289 probably more along the lines of what the Pharisees 00:40:48.289 --> 00:40:51.150 would believe. They weren't really quite sure 00:40:51.150 --> 00:40:54.289 about a resurrection, but there was a possibility 00:40:54.289 --> 00:40:58.250 of a life that existed outside of the human reality. 00:40:59.400 --> 00:41:03.539 And Gamaliel was his disciple. And by this point 00:41:03.539 --> 00:41:08.119 in the game, Helial is dead. Gamaliel is a major 00:41:08.119 --> 00:41:11.719 player in Jewish thought and education. And he 00:41:11.719 --> 00:41:17.719 has this great student, a kid from Tarsus, by 00:41:17.719 --> 00:41:22.940 the name of Saul. Saul of Tarsus is a student. 00:41:23.079 --> 00:41:25.539 He wouldn't be at this time because he'd be a 00:41:25.539 --> 00:41:28.800 Pharisee in his own right. but was a student 00:41:28.800 --> 00:41:32.699 of Gamaliel, that Saul of Tarsus will end up 00:41:32.699 --> 00:41:39.440 becoming Paul. So Gamaliel stands up and says 00:41:39.440 --> 00:41:45.400 to the Supreme Court, to the Sanhedrin, that 00:41:45.400 --> 00:41:51.079 men of Israel, he says, think carefully about 00:41:51.079 --> 00:41:54.260 what you plan to do with these men. Some time 00:41:54.260 --> 00:42:01.539 ago, Thutis appeared. And he claimed he was really 00:42:01.539 --> 00:42:06.320 somebody. And about 400 people followed him. 00:42:06.639 --> 00:42:10.880 But he was killed. And all his followers were 00:42:10.880 --> 00:42:14.820 scattered. Bless you. So they accomplished nothing. 00:42:15.659 --> 00:42:23.519 And after this, Judas from Galilee came along. 00:42:24.199 --> 00:42:26.559 And that was back in the days when the Romans 00:42:26.559 --> 00:42:29.739 made a list of the people, right? And they forced 00:42:29.739 --> 00:42:33.800 everybody to their own hometowns to go and register 00:42:33.800 --> 00:42:36.960 for the census, right? Something that we do know 00:42:36.960 --> 00:42:41.340 occurred in the time of Quirinius in 6 BC, and 00:42:41.340 --> 00:42:44.500 that led to a revolt by this man right here, 00:42:44.559 --> 00:42:50.639 Judas of Galilee, right? He too was killed, and 00:42:50.639 --> 00:42:55.039 all of his followers scattered. Okay, so real 00:42:55.039 --> 00:42:57.880 quickly, history lesson about Palestinian history 00:42:57.880 --> 00:43:01.079 in the last century B .C. and first century A 00:43:01.079 --> 00:43:05.820 .D. Gamaliel is talking about a couple of uprisings 00:43:05.820 --> 00:43:09.440 that had taken place within the realm of most 00:43:09.440 --> 00:43:12.199 people's memory. Certainly these old dudes because 00:43:12.199 --> 00:43:14.659 they're elders of the... nation of Israel, these 00:43:14.659 --> 00:43:16.480 old dudes that were on the Sanhedrin, they would 00:43:16.480 --> 00:43:19.559 have all been alive whenever these things happened. 00:43:19.860 --> 00:43:23.659 Okay. These both, these dudes, Thutis and Judas 00:43:23.659 --> 00:43:27.079 are rebels. And there's a bit of confusion here 00:43:27.079 --> 00:43:29.980 because some people think that Luke is talking 00:43:29.980 --> 00:43:33.960 about an uprising that took place by a guy in 00:43:33.960 --> 00:43:37.440 45 AD by a guy by the name of Thutis. And he 00:43:37.440 --> 00:43:40.519 actually leads a bunch of his followers out to 00:43:40.519 --> 00:43:45.210 the Jordan River. And he tells them once they 00:43:45.210 --> 00:43:47.409 get out there that the Jordan River is going 00:43:47.409 --> 00:43:49.750 to part, and they're going to be able to walk, 00:43:49.809 --> 00:43:51.869 just walk across, and it's going to be dry, and 00:43:51.869 --> 00:43:55.010 the Jordan River will part. And they get out 00:43:55.010 --> 00:43:57.690 there, and the Jordan River doesn't part, and 00:43:57.690 --> 00:44:02.530 the Roman legion shows up, and they just go up 00:44:02.530 --> 00:44:05.750 to Thutis and cut his head off and take it back 00:44:05.750 --> 00:44:08.250 to Jerusalem, and that's the end of the story. 00:44:08.780 --> 00:44:10.760 That's it. That's all there is. They just, people 00:44:10.760 --> 00:44:13.119 freak out and go, well, that didn't work out. 00:44:13.460 --> 00:44:16.820 And go back home. Now that can't be the event 00:44:16.820 --> 00:44:19.679 that we're talking about here because these events 00:44:19.679 --> 00:44:25.559 are taking place in about 37. Okay? 33, 37, somewhere 00:44:25.559 --> 00:44:29.000 in the mid -30s. This is right after the resurrection. 00:44:29.699 --> 00:44:33.940 Right? So this is 10 or more years later, earlier 00:44:33.940 --> 00:44:37.960 than the story I just told you. But we do know 00:44:37.960 --> 00:44:43.079 of Judas from Galilee and Thutis from Galilee 00:44:43.079 --> 00:44:49.500 at the time of the census at the end of the last 00:44:49.500 --> 00:44:55.039 century B .C. The point of Gamaliel here is if 00:44:55.039 --> 00:44:58.500 we kill these guys, I just want to point out, 00:44:58.539 --> 00:45:00.860 do you guys remember what happened the last time 00:45:00.860 --> 00:45:04.309 we killed one of these guys? Thousands more of 00:45:04.309 --> 00:45:06.550 them sprung up and here we're still dealing with 00:45:06.550 --> 00:45:10.349 them. Right? And if somebody could please show 00:45:10.349 --> 00:45:13.409 up with that body of the Jesus guy, I would certainly 00:45:13.409 --> 00:45:16.610 appreciate it. But to this point, nobody could 00:45:16.610 --> 00:45:19.630 seem to find the body. So we've got to be careful. 00:45:20.250 --> 00:45:23.590 So if this is really of God, Gamaliel is about 00:45:23.590 --> 00:45:25.849 to say, there's not a darn thing you could do 00:45:25.849 --> 00:45:30.590 about it anyway. And if it's not of God, then 00:45:30.590 --> 00:45:33.250 these guys are going to be another Judas of Galilee 00:45:33.250 --> 00:45:36.510 and another Thutis. They're just going with a 00:45:36.510 --> 00:45:40.250 little finally fizzle out. Let's not make this 00:45:40.250 --> 00:45:44.130 last any longer than it has to. So he gives them 00:45:44.130 --> 00:45:48.650 some advice. Verse 38. Leave these men alone. 00:45:48.869 --> 00:45:52.090 Let them go. If their plans and actions are only 00:45:52.090 --> 00:45:54.590 human, right? If they're not of God, they'll 00:45:54.590 --> 00:45:58.110 fail. But if their plans come from God, you won't 00:45:58.110 --> 00:46:01.260 be able to stop these men. You'll only find yourselves 00:46:01.260 --> 00:46:05.000 fighting against God. And his speech won the 00:46:05.000 --> 00:46:08.420 leaders over. They called the apostles in and 00:46:08.420 --> 00:46:11.519 he had them whipped. The leaders ordered them 00:46:11.519 --> 00:46:15.039 not to speak in Jesus' name. Then they let the 00:46:15.039 --> 00:46:18.619 apostles go. They each got 40 lashes of the cat 00:46:18.619 --> 00:46:24.699 -of -nine -tails. And the apostles, rather than 00:46:24.699 --> 00:46:27.000 being beat to a bloody pulp, which they probably 00:46:27.000 --> 00:46:30.199 certainly looked like they were, They were full 00:46:30.199 --> 00:46:33.980 of joy as they left the Sanhedrin because they 00:46:33.980 --> 00:46:37.659 considered it an honor to suffer shame for the 00:46:37.659 --> 00:46:40.599 name of Jesus. Day after day, they kept teaching 00:46:40.599 --> 00:46:43.960 in the temple courtyards and from house to house. 00:46:44.219 --> 00:46:46.880 And they never stopped telling the good news 00:46:46.880 --> 00:46:56.619 that Jesus is the Christ. Well, there you have 00:46:56.619 --> 00:46:59.199 it. The Christian community there in Jerusalem 00:46:59.199 --> 00:47:02.480 after the Pentecost event seems to be growing 00:47:02.480 --> 00:47:06.260 by leaps and bounds, empowered by the Holy Spirit. 00:47:06.340 --> 00:47:10.820 But there are some troubles on the horizon. We're 00:47:10.820 --> 00:47:14.119 going to cover that in our next episode. I hope 00:47:14.119 --> 00:47:17.739 to see you right back here, friend. Until then, 00:47:17.840 --> 00:47:20.519 be blessed and be a blessing.