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Acts 4 – Their Mind Was Made Up
Acts 4 – Their Mind Was Made Up
Peter (with John) healed a lame man who proceeded to make a commotion in the temple area – leaping and praising God. This gave an opportunity for Peter to preach another sermon proclaiming that Jesus was rejected and crucified but GOD raised Him up and He is now Lord and Christ.
THEN, this chapter shows that the religious leaders interrupted Peter and arrested both him and John. Noting that vs. 14 states that these leaders were ‘seeing the man who had been healed standing with them’.
When Peter explained that it was by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, WHO YOU CRUCIFIED, WHOM GOD RAISED FROM THE DEAD, by this name this man stands here before you in good health.
How to respond to such? Evidence is often a stubborn thing! BUT, it is apparent that their minds were already made up before they arrested them. Reminds me of the old saying: “My minds made up, don’t confuse me with facts.” They had NOTHING TO SAY. But they felt compelled to say SOMETHING, thus they commanded them not to preach or teach in the name of Jesus. The whole while, this man, the evidence that could not be answered, stood there!
Now, we have the recorded history of this event. People still have to decide how to respond. Should they admit that it was by the power of Jesus, in His name, that this was done? But that would be to admit that His claims in fact were TRUE – He is the Son of God, The Messiah, Lord of ALL.
I wonder what we would have done if we were part of the rulers of the Jews at that time. Would we refuse to believe the evidence? Would we admit we were wrong about Jesus and become a believer? While we don’t know what we would have done, we do know how we are responding NOW when faced with the same evidence. What is your answer?
Hugh DeLong
