Declaration of War - Declaration of Peace

[1]

Monday, September 23, 2019

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 men who believed now totaled about 5,000.  The next day the council of all the rulers and elders and teachers of religious law met in Jerusalem.  Annas the high priest was there, along with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and other relatives of the high priest.  They brought in the two disciples and demanded, “By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?”  Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of our people, are we being questioned today because we’ve done a good deed for a crippled man?  Do you want to know how he was healed?  Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead.  For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’  There is salvation in no one else!  God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”  Acts 4:1-12

The confrontation between the Apostles and the governing body of Israel was what Charles Dickens must have had in mind when he wrote A Tale of Two Cities, it was the best of times; it was the worst of times.[2]  In Jerusalem just a few months after the resurrection the church was a newborn emerging kingdom.  The case of Peter and John vs. the religious rulers was a Declaration of War – Declaration of Peace.

The prophet Isaiah pointed to the coming of the kingdom.  And every time a kingdom is established, of necessity there will be a king.

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Isaiah 9:6

Wherever there is a king crowned, there are those who would dethrone him.  For every declaration of peace in a kingdom, there is a corresponding declaration of war. 

In the case of Jesus, the threat perceived by the Sadducees and Pharisees was to their earthly power.  Christ had said His kingdom was not of this earth[3], but, for those in power, even the perception of a threat is enough to declare war.

I love Peter’s statement…let me say it clearly for you and anyone else….  This was the gauntlet of peace.  Of course, the powerful rulers who led the people of Israel to pray for peace daily had eyes only for their own continued power structure.  They didn’t live by, or even believe their own doctrine and prayers, so naturally they couldn’t imagine God’s peace showing up in a lowly carpenter from Nazareth.

But the straw that broke this camel’s back was two words that pierced the religious rulers’ balloon of power:  Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead.  Thinking to defend their position the rulers had declared war on their own eternal souls!  They had put to death the Prince of Peace.

For You Today

Despite how Jesus was treated, His offer of peace still stands.  It’s that peace that passes all understanding[4], offered without reservation to anyone who will come into His kingdom.  It’s a daily, living, cornerstone of faith that never fails.  Ever!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

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[1] Title Image:  Pixabay.com     Unless noted, Scripture used from The New Living Translation©

[2] For a well-crafted article by John Piper summarizing how to live in such a time go HERE

[3] John 18:36

[4] Philippians 4:7

On Trial

[i]

Monday, September 19, 2016

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 men who believed now totaled about 5,000.  The next day the council of all the rulers and elders and teachers of religious law met in Jerusalem.  Annas the high priest was there, along with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and other relatives of the high priest.  They brought in the two disciples and demanded, “By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?”  Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of our people, are we being questioned today because we’ve done a good deed for a crippled man?  Do you want to know how he was healed?  Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead.  For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’  There is salvation in no one else!  God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”    Acts 4:1-12^(NLT)

Peter and John had spent the night in jail after healing a crippled man at the temple.  Luke writes that when Peter spoke he was filled with the Holy Spirit.  Jesus had predicted it would be like that when he sent the apostles out to spread the Good News:

When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say.  God will give you the right words at the right time.  Matthew 10:19^(NLT)

Peter and John were released from arrest, and they continued to follow where the Spirit led, preaching and teaching about Jesus. 

When anyone follows Christ there are going to be opportunities to tell the Good News.  Jesus also predicted that[ii], and it is simply a matter of courage to speak up when the Spirit opens a door.  You don’t have to plan it; you just need to be ready for it!

There have been times when I had opportunity, and because of preoccupation with other, less important issues, I just didn’t see it; I wasn’t listening for the Spirit’s call.  Then, there were times I just didn’t want to see the opportunity, because I lacked the courage to speak up.  Like Peter, who, when Jesus was on trial, stood outside with the crowd denying he even knew his Master. 

But there have also been times when I was listening and faithful to speak.  Sometimes I felt like I fumbled my way through, and sometimes it just felt natural and right.  But each time, without exception, God blessed the opportunity.

Isn’t it odd, how God can do that? 

Looking back on these opportunities it occurs to me that I could not have prepared much for any of them.  Mostly it just sneaks up on you.  There have been some times when I did prepare, sensing ahead of time that the day might bring an encounter. 

But, prepared or not, when I was faithful to take time with a person and speak a word of truth like Peter spoke when he was on trial, God always seems to give the words to say.  And because of that I’ve learned to relax over the years about being a good witness.  Russell simply has to be available; how good it turns out is up to God.

And…by the way…an available witness is a good witness!

For You Today

Well, did you get up this morning thinking, today there will be an opportunity to be like Peter…I will run into someone who just needs to hear the Good News? 

I have to confess it wasn’t my first thought either…but it might be so, for both of us.  Trust in Christ, listen for the Spirit’s urging, and don’t worry – He will give you the right words at the right time.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!

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NOTES

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[i] Title Image: See page for author, via Wikimedia Commons

[ii] Acts 1:8

A Good Shepherd Speaks Truth to Power

[1]

Jesus had plenty of trouble with the Sanhedrin, Jerusalem’s most powerful religious and governmental movers and shakers; Peter and the rest of the apostles didn’t experience any better.  The larger and more powerful the institution, the greater chance you will run into “keepers of the rules”. 

Whether its clergy leaders in a denomination, members of Congress, or business leaders in the community, there are those who are the self-appointed “permission-givers;” they’re in charge, and they will remind you of that in a New York minute!

Rev. Alan Bevere shared this in a clergy Facebook group this week:

The religious leaders argued with Jesus over his interpretation of the law because they wanted to be the permission givers. They could not rejoice in the good Jesus was doing-- healing the sick, reaching out to the marginalized, and offering words of comfort to those who were suffering. Jesus was doing good without authorization from those who were God's permission givers.[2]

Our text naturally divides into two sections, the Pharisees’ point of view (vs. 1-7), and the Truth of the Good Shepherd as told by Peter (vs. 8-12).

Pharisees – Speaking Power Over Truth

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.  The next day the council of all the rulers and elders and teachers of religious law met in Jerusalem.  Annas the high priest was there, along with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and other relatives of the high priest.  They brought in the two disciples and demanded, “By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?”  Acts 4:1-7 (NLT)

It’s really difficult when you’re in charge to sit-by while the unauthorized change everything.  To this collection of Pharisees, Sadducees and other Jewish religious power brokers of the Sanhedrin, Peter and the other uneducated nobodies, fishermen, tax collectors and other riff-raff, were claiming theological ground which belonged to the rulers.  They were going to teach them a thing or two about respect.

The problem was the religious leaders had (as one writer put it) confused the power of position with the power of God.[3]  It works that way when you’re given power; you begin to think you can’t make a mistake, or somehow you are smarter than you really are.

I’ve made that mistake.  In our first pastorate, while we were still in seminary, Elizabeth and I served a little church on the outskirts of New Orleans.  We had a preschooler, and several new babies showed up in the first few weeks.  So, we got the bright idea that the nursery, which was a tiny little castoff room, would be better in the large room behind the sanctuary. 

I was the new pastor and therefore the source of wisdom for all things at the church, so, without telling anyone Elizabeth and I moved all the baby stuff on a Saturday evening as a big surprise for the church.  Come Sunday morning we were in the middle of World War III.  Surprise indeed!

The Pharisees were convinced their position gave them ultimate power from God, and they immediately rejected Peter’s words because he wasn’t one of the certified and approved power brokers.  Ordination withheld!

Question:  What are you in-charge of that would get you angry if someone messed with your space?

The answer that just popped into your mind is that area which poses the greatest possibility of you acting like a Pharisee.

Let’s see how Peter turned this upside down.  Instead of speaking power over truth, here we see:

Peter – Speaking Truth to Power

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of our people, are we being questioned today because we’ve done a good deed for a crippled man?  Do you want to know how he was healed?  Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead.  For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’  There is salvation in no one else!  God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”  Acts 4:8-12 (NLT)

Speaking truth to power is a common phrase of contemporary “progressive” thinkers (those who reject historical, orthodox Christian theology and doctrine…but speaking truth to power isn’t owned by any group.  Rather its a powerful tool of God in the mouth of a humble and obedient servant to bring justice and God’s healing as God chooses. 

Sometimes He uses people like us. 

What does it look like to speak truth to power?  Two components:

God-inspired

Did you notice Peter was “filled with the Holy Spirit”?  Peter was not just ticked-off because they Pharisees made him angry.  Along with the other disciples he had spent long days in the upper room, praying and waiting for the Holy Spirit to move.  And when the Spirit moved, Peter spoke.

Peter had a history of speaking before his brain was in gear; but becoming a man of prayer he began to know the difference…and so should we if we are to be like the Good Shepherd we serve; we wait for the Spirit.

Gospel-centered

Everything Peter said had a clear focus on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.  It was all centered in the Gospel.

What Peter said was God has Power to give life over death

Central to all apostolic preaching is the resurrection.  Without the resurrection there is no Christianity.  Paul said that if there is no resurrection we are still in our sins…we’re dead.

When you speak truth to power, speak in the clarity and certainty that even if the powers that be put you to death for daring to stand up for righteousness, God will raise you up and accomplish His will.

What Peter said was God’s Purpose is to save all who “will”

Peter referred to Jesus as the stone the builders rejected, a bold picture of Jesus as God-incarnate…worthy of worship.  He said this cornerstone of truth was sent to save us from sin and death. 

Peter spoke the truth that you can choose Jesus, or you can choose sin and death; but you can’t have both.

What Peter said was the ONLY Pathway to God is Jesus

In some circles[4] Jesus is not the only way to God.  If you claim that Jesus is the only way to God, you’re deemed an exclusivist and narrow-minded. 

But that was what Peter said – no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.

The choices are obvious when it comes to speaking Christian Truth to power – Christ, crucified, risen and coming again….OR…heresy and death. 

You can be a Good Shepherd follower, or you can follow the crowd.

As for me and my house, I’ll follow the Good Shepherd!

In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, amen!

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[1] Title image: By Diana Ringo (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons

[2] Alan Bevere, Not Just Good Work, But Kingdom Work, April 20, 2015

[3] Mitzi J. Smith at WorkingPreacher.com, Commentary on Acts 4:5-12

[4] By this I mean progressive-thinking persons who hold that Jesus is not the only way to salvation.