In the bottom half of the 5th chapter of Acts, the apostles stand, for the third time, before the authorities to face their fate.

The first time the apostles stood and faced their fate, they didn’t. That is, they didn’t stand, they turned and ran. And they didn’t face their opponents, they scattered leaving Jesus to face betrayal and arrest alone.

Luke 22:56-63  A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, "This man was with him."  But he denied it. "Woman, I don't know him," he said.  A little later someone else saw him and said, "You also are one of them." "Man, I am not!" Peter replied.  About an hour later another asserted, "Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean." Peter replied, "Man, I don't know what you're talking about!" Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed.  The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times."  And he went outside and wept bitterly.  The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him.

The night Jesus was arrested, his disciples fled. They ran into the night, they melted into the crowds and Peter even denied his Lord. One thing ruled their hearts that night; fear. Fear of being arrested with Jesus. Fear of being judged by the religious authorities. Fear of being punished by the Romans. Fear of being ridiculed by their countrymen.  Fear of the unknown. Just plain old fear. 

I have a question about that first time they could have stood before the officials.  Did Peter and the other Apostles know who Jesus was?  Did they have an intellectual understanding of who Jesus was? Remember, Peter answered that question way back in Luke 9.

Luke 9:18-20 Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say I am?"  They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life."  "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "The Christ of God."

Their fear, their running, their hiding, their denial wasn’t because of a lack of knowledge.  They knew who Jesus was. 

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The second time the apostles stood and faced arrest because of their association with Jesus, they did. That is, they stood their ground and faced their accusers.  A few short months after their fear in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter and John stood on the steps of the Temple in Jerusalem and they healed the crippled guy.  Then they offered the grace of Jesus to the crowd, and 5000 believed. They did not run when the priests and the Sadducees began to grumble. They did not hide. Rather, they ended up in jail. Watch what happened the next morning.

Acts 4:18-21 Then they (the Sanhedrin) called them (Peter and John) in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.  But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." After further threats they let them go.

Something had changed. Something had fundamentally changed about Peter and John.

The powers-that-be expected to be able to bully Peter and John into submission. They expected Peter and John to cower when their authority was questioned. They expected them to do what they had done before and run and hide.  But they did not respond as expected. When they were questioned, Peter and John proclaimed the good news of Jesus Christ. When they were ordered to speak the name of Jesus no more, Peter and John boldly declared they could not and would not stop.

Something had changed since Gethsemane.

Acts chapter 4 is a story of the followers of Jesus moving beyond knowledge. Acts chapter 4 is evidence of a deepening relationship with the risen Christ.  Acts chapter 4  begins to reveal a deepening relationship that transforms straight up knowledge into conviction which overcomes fear.

You see, something had changed.

Then do you remember the prayer they prayed after being released in Acts 4?  It was a marvelous prayer.  I prayer I wish I could pray. 

Acts 4:29-31 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.  Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."  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.

God answered that prayer and continued to work miracles! Listen as we move to the bottom half of the 5th. 

Acts 5:12-16  The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon's Colonnade.  No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.  As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by.  Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed.

But these dramatic and numerous miracles did not go unnoticed.  The apostles are called to stand, for the third time, before the same bunch of men who had crucified Jesus and who had told them not to speak in his name any more.  Once again the Sanhedrin was deciding their fate. 

Acts 5:17-28 Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy.  They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.  But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out.  "Go, stand in the temple courts," he said, "and tell the people the full message of this new life."  At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people. When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin-- the full assembly of the elders of Israel-- and sent to the jail for the apostles.  But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, "We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside."  On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were puzzled, wondering what would come of this.  Then someone came and said, "Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people." At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them.  Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest.  "We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name," he said. "Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood."  

Back in chapter 4, the intervention of the Holy Spirit and the favor of the crowd enabled Peter and John to be released without punishment. Almost immediately, they were back on the streets proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ.  But in the bottom of the 5th the authorities are not going to go so easy on them. 

You see, something is continuing to change.  Listen to Peter’s response.
 
Acts 5:30-33 “The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead-- whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree.  God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.  We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."  When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death.

This is the type of thing that often happens to believers when the Holy Spirit is leading them a step deeper into relationship with Jesus. The time comes
in the journey of a believer when they move from the first flush of knowledge
which has been changed into conviction… to become a connection with the suffering of Jesus. The time comes in the journey of a believer when God’s purposes require more than knowledge, more than courage…when God’s purposes require identification. The time comes in the journey of a believer when the Holy Spirit desires to form in the heart of the believer the same type of love for Jesus that Jesus has for the believer… a love so great that one would lay down his life for Jesus, just as Jesus has laid down his life for us.  Wow, The Holy Spirit has changed them. 

His disciples are ready to die for Jesus but that doesn’t come till chapter 7. Here in the bottom of the 5th, help comes from an unexpected place.

Acts 5:34-39  But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while.  Then he addressed them: "Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men.  Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing.  After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered.  Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.  But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God."

Something has indeed changed!  In the words of Gamaliel if God is behind something it cannot fail.  That is why 1,974 years later we still stand and call ourselves Christian. This thing we call church is indeed from God and has endured the test of time.  It is the power of the resurrected Jesus coming through the Holy Spirit that has changed the disciples from hiders… to speakers… to identifiers! 

The apostles faith has moved from a mere knowledge of Jesus which wasn’t enough to keep them from running and hiding, to a boldness that enabled them to stand before the authorities and keep on preaching, to now, in the bottom of the 5th, an identification that is ready to suffer with Jesus

Acts 5:40 His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.  

They are flogged before they are released. Most likely they received 40 lashes minus one; 40 lashes minus one! If you have seen the Passion of the Christ, plug the flogging part in here. It was a lot more than a slap on the wrist! But watch their attitude about their cruel beating.

Acts 5:41-42 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.  Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.  The apostles’ courage has gone a step deeper…to identification with Jesus.  There comes a time in the journey of a believer when the blessings still come, but so do opportunities to be counted worthy to suffer disgrace for the Name.  And this, too, is a reason for rejoicing!  Because…. something has changed!