If you recall, in the fourth chapter of Acts, Peter and John were thrown into prison overnight, but then released in the morning. After their release, they continued preaching the good news of Jesus’ resurrection, proclaiming that:

“…there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

And then the Council (the religious leaders) commanded them not to speak or teach any longer in the name of Jesus, to which they replied:

“Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20).

Threats and intimidation could not deter them from their mission — to speak the name of Jesus to all who would listen. Interestingly, it happened once again in the fifth chapter of Acts as the high priest and religious leaders were once again filled with jealousy as hundreds more were joining the Christian community in Jerusalem. They laid their hands on several of the apostles and put them in a public jail only to find that an angel of the Lord came during the night and opened the gates of the prison, commanding them to:

“Go and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this Life” (Acts 5:20).

Proclaim the whole message of “this Life.” What is that? It is the message recorded in the Gospel of John that Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6) and that He offers LIFE (zoe, spiritual life) to all who will receive Him. That’s the message that they proclaimed on the temple steps, and it’s the same message that we should be proclaiming today.

As the apostles proclaimed this message, the prison guards reported to the chief priests that the apostles whom they had just imprisoned were no longer there, even though the gates were locked. Then I love this part, as someone came and reported to them:

“Behold, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people” (Acts 5:25).

Once again, the apostles were hauled before the Council and were given:

“…. strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us” (Acts 5:28).

And now, for the second time, Peter, along with the other apostles, addressed the Council with these words:

“We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior to grant repentance to Israel and the forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him” (Acts 5:29-32).

Preaching the message of salvation through Jesus Christ superseded the orders from the Council to keep silent. How can anyone keep silent about something so amazing as Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, and how through repentance and faith, the Holy Spirit can enter a person’s life and redeem them? And two thousand years later, that’s still our message!

As the Council was deciding what to do with the apostles, Gamaliel (a Pharisee) suggested that they let them go because if their words were from God:

“…you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may be found fighting against God” (Acts 5:39).

The Council took Gamaliel’s advice, but unfortunately, the apostles were flogged, but even still:

“…they rejoiced because they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name” (Acts 5:41).

And amazingly, every day they just kept on teaching and preaching that Jesus is the Christ.

On these two occasions, Peter (along with the other apostles) confronted the members of the Jewish Council. On the first occasion, they stated plainly that:

• We cannot stop declaring what we have seen and heard; and
• We must obey God rather than men

Two incredible statements that need to become signature points for our lives. It’s about giving a testimony of what God has done in our lives through Jesus Christ, and for each of us to always obey God’s will rather than the persuasive arguments and temptations of others. To make it even simpler, try this: 1) Share your faith; and 2) Always obey God.

Let’s look for opportunities this week to share our faith, and let’s remember to always obey God, regardless of the pressures we face to do otherwise.

Hope to see you next week.