The Sanhedrin have just released Peter and John from custody because there are no legitimate charges on which they can hold them. "On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them." (Acts 4:23) The religious leaders threatened Peter and John not to preach anymore in the name of Jesus, and the two apostles relate these threats to the body of believers who have now become "their own people". The group the apostles return to is made up not only of their blood relatives but also by their brothers and sisters in Christ.
Like loving family members, these believers take their concerns for their brothers Peter and John to the Lord. "When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. 'Sovereign Lord,' they said, 'You made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of Your servant, our father David: 'Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against His anointed one.'" (Acts 4:24-26)
They begin their prayer by reminding themselves that nothing is too difficult for God. He is the God who spoke into the dark nothingness and created all things; therefore, He is fully capable of handling the enemies of His people. They also remind themselves of God's holy word and of His mighty promises by quoting a verse from a Messianic psalm written by David. Psalm 2 predicts that plots will arise against God's people, but it also assures God's people that no scheme against His kingdom will ever succeed. "The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. He rebukes them in His anger and terrifies them in His wrath, saying, 'I have installed My king on Zion, My holy mountain.'" (Psalm 2:4-6) David was given this prophetic vision because he could relate to a king whose throne is constantly under threat but whose right to rule is upheld by the Lord. God chose David to be king of Israel and no plots against David were ever able to thwart God's plans for his life. The Lord protected David and his throne. So also God has chosen Jesus Christ to be King of kings. No plots against His kingdom and church will ever be able to succeed. Jesus will sit enthroned as the head of all nations. Those who believe in Him will reign with Him. No scheme will ever be able to bring down the church that is going to exist for all eternity.
The believers continue in prayer, "Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed." (Acts 4:27) They say to the Lord, "We know how powerful this group of religious leaders is. We know how cruel Rome is. If the two groups conspire together, as they did against the Lord Jesus, we could all perish." Their prayer reminds me of the prayer of King Hezekiah of Judah who received a threatening letter from King Sennacherib of Assyria. Assyria had conquered the northern kingdom of Israel and intended to conquer the southern kingdom of Judah. Sennacherib's letter boasted of all the nations Assyria had already trampled underfoot. He even insulted the God of Israel by comparing Him to the false gods of other nations, saying, "Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my predecessors deliver them?" (2 Kings 19:12) Sennacherib laughed at the idea of a God who can protect His people and he taunted Hezekiah by saying, "Why do you think your God will deliver you? Has any god ever delivered anyone from the great power of Assyria?" Hezekiah knew exactly how many kingdoms had already fallen to Assyria, but he also knew that his God was more powerful than all the kingdoms of the earth put together, so he took the letter to the temple and spread it out before the Lord and prayed over it, saying, "It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, Lord, are God." (2 Kings 19:17-19)
The Christians in our passage today know that God is a higher authority than the Sanhedrin or even the Roman Empire. They know that the Jews and the Gentiles were able to conspire together to put Jesus to death because since the creation it had always been God's plan for the Christ to give Himself as an offering for the sins of mankind. "They did what Your power and will had decided beforehand should happen." (Acts 4:28) The people say, "Lord, if it had not been Your will, no scheme would ever have succeeded against Jesus Christ. There is no power that can stand before Almighty God. There is no plot that can prevail against the Maker of all things. It's only because the death of Christ is the method You chose to save the world that the Jewish leaders and the Roman government were able to put Jesus to death."
So, because the Christians know it is God's will for the kingdom of Christ to prosper, and because they know it is God's will for the gospel to go out to all the world, they pray with confidence, "Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable Your servants to speak Your word with great boldness. Stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus." (Acts 4:29-30) Like King Hezekiah, they ask the Lord to show the kingdoms of the world that He alone is God. They say, "Protect us with Your mighty hand and relieve us of our fears so that we may boldly proclaim the name of Jesus Christ. Cause signs and wonders to accompany our message so that the world may know that Jesus Christ is Lord and that His name is the only name by which anyone can be saved."
In response to their prayer, God shakes the meeting place in the same way He shook Mount Sinai on the day He gave the law to the people through Moses. (Exodus 19:18) He shakes the meeting place in the same way He shook the ground on the day He gave Israel victory over the Philistines. (1 Samuel 14:15) He shakes the meeting place in the same way He shook the temple on the day He called Isaiah to be a prophet. (Isaiah 6:4) He shakes the meeting place in the same way He shook the ground on the day Jesus perished on the cross. (Matthew 27:51) He shakes the meeting place in the same way He shook the earth when Christ arose from the dead on Sunday morning. (Matthew 28:2) God's answer to their prayer is a resounding yes! "After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly." (Acts 4:31)
The power of God is with the believers and He enables them to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ boldly and without fear. King Solomon once made the observation that "the righteous are as bold as a lion". (Proverbs 28:1) With the mighty protective hand of God upon them, the world is about to hear the believers roar.
No comments:
Post a Comment