Jesus has Enemies – Acts 4:1-22
How do you give allegiance to a government that aligns itself against God’s will? Last week, a three judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled unanimously in a South Carolina case that using Jesus’ name at a town council meeting at the invocation is unconstitutional. The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia has made use of this in their own state of Virginia and they faxed a warning letter to Hashmel Turner, a Fredericksburg, VA City Council member because he won’t stop using Jesus name in prayers to open the meetings.
Having the government oppose your faith is one thing, but how do you handle it when your own religious leaders try to lead you astray?
You know, it’s hard to accept that good news has enemies! There is an evil in the world that we must face if we would faithfully follow Jesus Christ. This evil is behind all the movement our country is experiencing with moral and spiritual decay. It is involved in all those who would manipulate the world with political and legal moves that lead us away from God’s will. It is also involved in all those who would control the world with terrorist actions. There is a Satanic network of evil that continues to work against the will of God subtly and sometimes not so subtly. And in Acts 4 we meet the enemy. He will attack the church on three fronts as Luke’s record in chapters 4-6 reveal. Here, in chapter 4 he begins to attack externally with threats of persecution, later, in chapter 5 we see how he works internally with greed, and again in chapter 6 we see how he works internally with attempts to form distraction. But, ironically, it will only work to spread the gospel.
The forces of hell are working against the kingdom of God. Satan is furious according to Revelation 12:12, being thrown down and knowing his time is short, he is determined to destroy as much as he can as he goes. He’s the ultimate terrorist. Headed for hell and taking as many with him as he can, Satan is the most powerful and dangerous evil force in the universe. While he is no match for God, he is allowed by God to test us and to take all who are not in God’s family, all who are not members of the church that Jesus built down with him. I make no claim to understand why God gives him this liberty. But I trust God and know that God’s love in Jesus Christ is real and our job as Christians in this world is meaningful and crucial. I also know that while Satan’s work is damaging, he can not overcome us. We are at war. But we will win. We are not home yet, but we are on the way. And all who remain faithful to Jesus, our Captain and Lord, will receive glory and eternal life in Christ forever. It is one of the benefits of membership in the church.
Look with me at Acts 4:1-22 and notice the stirring of enmity against the early church.
It was the Jewish leaders, those very men who had tried and condemned Jesus to death on the cross not long before this, that gathered now against those who preached Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus has enemies. But look! As soon as Luke tells us that they arrested Peter and John for preaching the gospel, he also tells us that their preaching hit home and had its saving effect in the hearts and minds of many. The count was about 5000 now, and climbing! The church was on the grow! You could put the preachers in prison, but you couldn’t stop the message preached from penetrating the darkness and saving the lost who were seeking God’s truth. 5000! That’s amazing! No wonder the Scribes and Sadducees were disturbed. Their unbelief was stubborn. They were not about to accept Jesus as the Christ. They believed the Maccabean revolt had ushered in the Messianic age… at least that was their theology. Unlike the Pharisees, they were not looking for the Messiah to come.
Change is hard when your mind is made up.
Have you ever tried to make a Republican into a Democrat or a Democrat into a Republican? For some people, you’d come nearer making a Muslim terrorist into a Church of Christ preacher. Or vise versa. Change is hard sometimes. Last week we talked about major life changes as we looked at the cripple beggar that was healed. We saw that the power of Jesus Christ to heal the lame also had power to save the lost when many who heard the word believed.
But not everyone accepted the word. Not everyone was changed by the message of Jesus Christ. In fact, some were only hardened in their positions against Christ. Their unbelief played into the hands of the enemy of God and Satan used it to attack the church. You see, you and I are all on one side or the other. We are either for Jesus or against him. We either stand in the ranks of the saved in Christ and resist the devil’s attacks, or we don’t. It’s a scary thing to think about, but some who are actually enemies can be found mixing with the faithful. Like Judas among the Apostles, there are sometimes enemies within the walls of the church. We will see later how Luke records a more subtle attack of the enemy, from within. But today is different, it is clear to everyone that Peter and John are on one side and the Scribes and Sadducees and their ilk are on the other side. The lines are much clearer in Acts 4. Notice the enemy first.
Look at the impressive array of authority among the enemies! Rulers, elders, scribes, high priest, and several of the high-priestly descent… this was the highest court in the country! Here they gather in somber and serious airs. Their robes and attire made them look so imposing and commanding. Don’t you know this would be an intimidating group?
I wonder what questions must have flashed through Peter and John’s minds. Are we going to be crucified? This is the same court that condemned Jesus. I wonder how you or I would have reacted in their place?
Now look at verse seven.
7 And when they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, "By what power, or in what name, have you done this?"
I can just see Peter and John looking at each other at this point. What kind of question is that? "By what power, or in what name, have you done this?"
Here’s this powerful group who are supposed to be guardians of the Law of God and dispensers of the wisdom of Scripture. Is this the best that they can do?
Jesus had forewarned his disciples of these times. Hadn’t he. Matt. 10: 16 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be shrewd as serpents, and innocent as doves.
17 "But beware of men; for they will deliver you up to the courts, and scourge you in their synagogues;
18 and you shall even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.
19 "But when they deliver you up, do not become anxious about how or what you will speak; for it shall be given you in that hour what you are to speak.
20 "For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
Jesus words were fulfilled right here in Acts 4:8f
Just listen to how God spoke through Peter here…
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers and elders of the people,
9 if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well,
10 let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead-- by this name this man stands here before you in good health.
11 "He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone.
12 "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved."
Peter gave them all they asked for and more!
I love his opening words… if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well,
Is that why this court is in session? Is that it? Are we on trial for a benefit done to a sick man? Is this court really about how this man has been made well? If that’s it, then know this… here’s your answer: by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead-- by this name this man stands here before you in good health.
Then Peter proceeds to preach Jesus to them. You have to love it. This is the same message he tells everyone! But his case for the authority of Jesus is sealed up in what happened to this sick man… who, by the way, is right there with Peter and John! Was he put in jail too? Maybe so. But he can testify as to what happened too.
I really don’t think these officials expected this reply. I imagine they expected these guys to cower and submit to them, but these guys were just like Jesus! This court was facing Jesus all over again! This time in his followers. What on earth could they do? The Bible says that they saw them as uneducated and untrained? That was only in the sense of worldly academics. Peter and John were educated and they were trained by the best!
The first thing the court notices about Peter and John is their confidence. Where did that confidence come from? Are you confident in Christ? The only way to attain that confidence is to spend time with Him! You’ll never have Christ’s confidence unless you’ve been with Him. But listen to me! If you walk with Jesus, you’ll talk like Jesus and you’ll stand like Jesus and you’ll be able to stare the servants of the devil in the eye and tell them what for. Listen Church! You and I are members of the body of Christ! We have everything to be confident about in Jesus. This is another wonderful benefit of being a member of the church Jesus built. He died for you and he still stands with you!
Peter preaches the name! The name above all names: Jesus, the Christ! He’s the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He’s the crucified and risen one! Jesus! The Stone the builders rejected, now the very corner stone! Jesus! The only name given among men by which we must be saved! Jesus, the name that heals the sick and saves the lost!
Have you seen Jesus lately? This council could see him. They saw him in the men that knew him. If you haven’t seen Jesus here, you’re either blind or in the wrong church. Where ever you go, if you’re a Christian, people ought to look at you and see Jesus!
And a second, just as important question is: Have you heard the name of Jesus spoken lately? This council didn’t like it, but Jesus was constantly being named by Peter and John. If you don’t hear us confessing the name of Jesus, not just here in this building, but day to day in our lives, then this is not the church you read about in the New Testament.
It is by the confession of our mouths, that Jesus is Lord, and by our continued belief in our hearts that God raise him from the dead that we know we are saved. Stop confessing and believing and you are dead. But continue in a confessing faith and you will receive eternal life.
Acts 4 records that this council wanted to silence the name of Jesus. Look at verses 15-18. But Peter and John defied them, verses 19-20. At this point there were only threats. Later there will be ruthless punishments. But the church prevails. It is of God! Nothing on earth can stop us. All who fight against us are only fighting against God. We win.
It is one of the benefits of membership. Jesus enemies may come against us, but we win.
