Boldness

Acts 4:13

What a contrast this verse is to many who go by the name of Christian.  “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.”  This writer for many years did not want those in authority over him to think of him as common, or uneducated, especially not the ones I lived with or went to church with. 

In fact, I can testify, to my shame, that not often was anyone astonished by my boldness in proclaiming Jesus Christ as the answer to any problem you and I may be facing.  Take a moment to visualize the setting, Peter and John are in the center of this room, they came from jail the night before and with them is the man who was born lame, and he is still excited about being able to walk, and he is walking very well.  Yes, they are in the center, and sitting or standing around them are the leaders, and I bet the one that was healed is standing because if you were born lame and now can do what you only dream about doing, there is no way you are going to sit.  So the well educated rulers and elders and scribes gather with Annas the high Priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family.  Now that has got to be a little intimidating for just about anyone, and these guys are just common uneducated fishermen.

You do remember what Peter said: “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”  (Acts 4:8-12 ESV)  It is not often that I am in total agreement with these religious leaders but what boldness, Peter was speaking as a man with all authority, to men who believed (wrongly) that they were in charge.   And in the middle of all that is happening, the astonishment of the boldness of uneducated common fishermen, one point was not hidden; these men had been with Jesus.

Could it be that no one recognizes that we have been with Jesus?  Being with Jesus can happen anywhere; it can even happen at your local church!  But if that is the only place where you are meeting with Jesus, then more than likely no one is astonished by your walk, they may see you as a very religious person, and that puts you in the same boat with the guys who surrounded Peter, John and the man who was lame, but no one is saying you have been with Jesus.

So as we look at the life of Jesus, what did He do to spend time with the Father?  Now it is a must to understand that Jesus was never off line with the Father, but that is not true with you and me, we are easily disconnected, in fact, many of us who go by the name of Christians are rarely on line.  So let’s look at the one Peter refers to as the Holy and Righteous One, the Author of life, the Son of God, Jesus.  And doctor Luke tells us that after Jesus healed a man full of leprosy great crowds gathered to hear him and be healed, and look what Jesus did; “But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.”

(Luke 5:16 ESV) 

Do you remember doctor Luke reporting on the man with the withered hand who Jesus healed on the Sabbath, and did those religious guys get upset?  Jesus left and went to the mountains because He needed to talk with the Father about 12 guys; this is that account: “In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles:”  (Luke 6:12-13 ESV) could it be that our flesh does not like spending time with Jesus?  That time with Jesus may require changing what we enjoy, like ____________ and O my, that list is so long, but looking to Jesus we see He put time with the Father above what the flesh enjoys.  Mark’s gospel addresses this; “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. (Mark 1:35 ESV)

What are people saying about you?  Are they saying you’ve been with Jesus, and if so they are astonished.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice