Acts 4 records the conclusion of Peter and John’s healing of the lame beggar. It caused such a stir that the Jewish religious leaders had them arrested and put in jail overnight. Then they brought Peter and John before them to examine them for what they had done. We’re told Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit before he responded. This is a vital point, because Jesus promised when we are brought before the authorities for His sake, His Spirit will tell us what to say. In any case, Peter’s response is classic. He tells the Jewish leaders if they are being brought to trial for a good deed done to a crippled man (interesting point to put on the matter!), the explanation is simple: the miracle was done in the name of Jesus. Peter went on to say there is no other name under heaven given among us by which we must be saved. The religious leaders wanted to punish Peter and John, but they couldn’t deny a great miracle had been done, so they warned them not to preach any more in Jesus’ name, and then let them go. The two went back to the rest of the believers and testified to what God had done among them. Then they cried out to God and prayed for…boldness! We might have thought they would have prayed for protection, but it was boldness for which they asked.
In Acts 5 we read the sobering account of a couple named Ananias and Sapphira who sold some property and brought a portion of the proceeds to the apostles, but said it was everything. As a result, they DIED. Yes, they died. They didn’t die, because they didn’t bring a 100% of the proceeds of the sale to the apostles. They died for lying about what portion they brought. We’re told this brought fear to the church. The apostles continued to perform incredible miracles in Jesus’ name, and eventually they were all brought before the Jewish religious leaders again and punished for their activities. Nevertheless, they continued to live powerfully in Jesus’ name.
In Acts 6, we read of one of the first problems in the early church: the Hellenistic or Gentile widows weren’t being treating equally in the distribution of food. When the problem was brought to the apostles, they didn’t say it wasn’t a problem, but they did say they wouldn’t be solving it themselves. They weren’t going to give up their ministry of prayer and devotion to the Word of God to “wait tables.” The solution was to select what we call “deacons,” who were godly men to take care of the situation. The result was the church was strengthened, and even a number of Jewish priests became obedient to the faith. At the close of Acts 6, Stephen, one of the deacons, is arrested by the Jews and put on trial for his faith. We’ll read the conclusion of the matter tomorrow.
As we return to Matthew 2, we read of the coming of the wise men to see Jesus, and the slaughter of the babies and toddlers who were two years of age and under in and around Bethlehem by King Herod. The slaughter was Herod’s effort to kill Jesus, and to stop Him from ever threatening his throne. Jesus escaped this attempt, because an angel appeared to Joseph and led him to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt. Thus, Jesus spent His early years as a refugee in Egypt. When Herod died, an angel told Joseph to return to Israel, but because another Herod was ruling, Joseph moved the family to Nazareth in northern Israel.