Peter and John have been arrested for preaching the resurrected Christ and have been held overnight in jail. Today they appear before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish religious rulers who so recently condemned Jesus to death.
"The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest's family." (Acts 4:5-6) Peter and John are now face to face with the men who sent Jesus to the cross. No doubt the Sanhedrin expects to see them so filled with fear that they are shaking in their sandals. But that isn't what happens. Certain that Christ has risen from the dead, and filled with the Holy Spirit, these two apostles don't back down. They won't recant their testimony. They won't deny the Lord and they won't stop preaching in His name.
Once the Sanhedrin is gathered together, they send for the two apostles. "They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: 'By what power or what name did you do this?'" (Acts 4:7) They ask the men something like this, "How did you heal the man who was born lame? We know he had never walked a step in his life until the two of you showed up. We saw him every day begging at the gate in front of the temple. Now he's jumping up and down and praising the name of God. What forces made you able to do this? Whose name did you invoke to heal this man?" The insinuation is that Peter and John healed the lame man through some sort of sorcery. This is the same accusation the religious leaders made against Jesus when they claimed He cast out demons by the power of Satan. (Matthew 9:34, Matthew 12:24, Luke 11:15) We also get the sense that the Sanhedrin is asking Peter and John, "How dare you do such a thing? Who said you could? Who do you think you are? We are the only authority in Jerusalem!"
"Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: 'Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.'" (Acts 4:8-10) Peter points out the fact that he and John have been arrested not for committing a crime but for performing a good deed. They are being persecuted for showing mercy. Jesus forewarned them of such things, saying, "If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also." (John 15:20) During Jesus' ministry the Jewish leaders once picked up rocks intending to stone Him to death and in response He calmly asked them, "I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone Me?" (John 10:32) Peter and John are in the same type of situation in today's passage. They've been called to account not for breaking a law but for doing a good work. This is because they are declaring Jesus of Nazareth to be Messiah and Lord. This is the same reason the religious leaders gave for wanting to stone Jesus to death, "'We are not stoning You for any good work,' they replied, 'but for blasphemy, because You, a mere man, claim to be God.'" (John 10:33)
The Sanhedrin still believes Jesus of Nazareth was "a mere man" and not God. They saw Him die on the cross. They saw Him buried in the tomb. They walked away from the tomb congratulating themselves on a job well done. They can't explain what happened to the body of Jesus, and they have no theory as to how it vanished from a sealed and guarded tomb, but they don't accept the testimonies of those who state that He rose from the dead. They certainly don't accept the testimonies of those who declare Jesus of Nazareth to be Messiah and Lord. They don't believe He is seated at the right hand of God in heaven. They don't believe Peter and John performed a miracle through the power of God because they do not accept Jesus as God. Therefore they have concluded that this miracle was accomplished by occult practices and through the power of demons.
As we continue to study this passage tomorrow we will find the Sanhedrin unable to refute the miracle that has been performed. It has been witnessed by too many people. They can't deny it happened. The only way the Sanhedrin can think of to try and contain the situation will be to forbid Peter and John to speak in the name of Christ. But the situation cannot be contained. The name of Christ is going to continue to spread throughout Judea and throughout the world. The situation cannot be contained because it was never intended to be contained. Jesus Christ came to this world to change hearts and to work miracles in people's lives. He is going to accomplish all that He set out to accomplish. He's still at work today changing hearts and performing miracles in people's lives. No one can oppose Him or stop Him because Jesus Christ is exactly who He says He is: the Son of God, the Messiah, the Lord, the Redeemer, the Savior.
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