Monday Acts 5:21-32

Opposition intensifies.

Click here for an online Bible. Acts 5:21-32

The high priests had arrested the apostles and put them in jail. During the night, an angel released them from jail with instructions to go preach in the temple area again. In the morning, when the guards went to bring the apostles to the Sanhedrin, they were missing. Then they were found preaching in the temple area.

Notice the motives of the people in this passage. The guards who go and get the apostles are afraid for their physical safety. They feared that if they used force with the apostles, that the people in the temple area would rise up and attack the guards.

The priests were upset because the apostles were blaming them for the death of Jesus. They were jealous of the attention that the apostles were getting.

Many people are only interested in healing. Others are interested in the gospel. The apostles are motivated to obey God at any cost.

When they are brought before the Sanhedrin, they tell the leaders that they must obey God rather than men. Their mission from Jesus was to be witnesses. They tell the leaders that they are just being witnesses to what they have seen God do.

The apostles are in an interesting situation. They have been arrested now at least three times. At any point, the religious leaders may have them killed. They have been delivered by God in miraculous ways. Yet even Jesus was killed by the religious leaders.

There is a cost to following God. It may be giving up the things that we would like to do to satisfy our own desires. It may mean receiving criticism or negative comments. It may even mean death. But the cost is worth the result. The result is being part of God’s plan.