They commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus

Acts 4  from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, ² being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. ³ And they laid hands on them and put them in jail until the next day, for it was already evening. ⁴ But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

⁵ On the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem; ⁶ and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent. ⁷ When they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?” 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 chief 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.”

¹³ Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. ¹⁴ And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply. ¹⁵ But when they had ordered them to leave the Council, they began to confer with one another, ¹⁶ saying, “What shall we do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. ¹⁷ But so that it will not spread any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no longer to any man in this name.” ¹⁸ And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹ But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; ²⁰ for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” ²¹ When they had threatened them further, they let them go (finding no basis on which to punish them) on account of the people, because they were all glorifying God for what had happened; ²² for the man was more than forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed.

²³ When they had been released, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. ²⁴ And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, “O Lord, it is You who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them, ²⁵ who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said, ‘Why did the Gentiles rage, And the peoples devise futile things? ²⁶ ‘The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the Lord and against His Christ.’

²⁷ For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, ²⁸ to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur. ²⁹ And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, ³⁰ while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” ³¹ And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.

They commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. It’s the name of Jesus, speaking of Him, teaching of who He is, the Redeemer, Savior and Lord, it’s saying things like: 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, which got Peter and John in trouble. So too will the world reject and despise Jesus disciples today when they witness and testify of Jesus, of who He is and what He did on the cross. In many places the same order that was given the Peter and John: They commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus, has been given to Christians today. In our schools we are no longer allowed to teach or speak the name of Jesus. In many work places it is forbidden to teach or speak the name of Jesus. In public places it is often forbidden to teach or speak the name of Jesus. Certainly if you say, like Peter,  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, you will be rejected, despised. You will be called a bigot, intolerant, insensitive and unloving.

The truth is that it isn’t really the name of Jesus that is offensive. It is teaching who Jesus is that the world resists and finds offensive. It is teaching and speaking that He alone is the way to salvation, the way to the Father, which the world rejects. It’s really not Jesus the man who they reject, no one objects if we do the things that Jesus did, if we love others, if we extend mercy and grace, if we are a friend of sinners, no one will protest, no one will object, we will not be persecuted as Jesus was, as He said His disciples would be, as Peter and John were in today’s text. What the world really rejects and despises is when we teach who Jesus is, when we say: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) How is that offensive? Why does eternal life through Jesus Christ, the Son of God offend people? If we look at what Jesus Himself said in the following verses we will better understand. In John 3:17-21 Jesus says:    For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.  He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.  For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.  But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”           What the world finds offensive is that darkness, evil and sin is exposed by the Light of Christ. Men love darkness rather than the light. They love the things that satisfy self and flesh and reject any notion that they need a savior.

In today’s text it says:      Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.    It wasn’t that Peter and John acted like Jesus, it wasn’t that they did the things that Jesus did which caused them to be recognized as having been with Jesus. It was their confidence to teach and speak as Jesus did, to reveal from God’s word who Jesus is, it was the fact that although they were uneducated and untrained, they were able to speak the truth of who Jesus is with confidence. What response can we expect if we too will speak and teach as Jesus did. We can expect the same response that Peter and John received:  They commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.      No one will forbid us from doing good works. No one will tell us we cannot love and serve others. These things we should do. But the world will command us not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus, the Christ. The world  will reject the message of salvation from sin and deliverance through the cross. The message of who Jesus is and what He did is offensive because: Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.

So what will we do? Will we do the things the world says are permissible and acceptable or will we, like Peter and John, say?      “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 about what we have seen and heard.”     Will we like them pray?     And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence,  while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”     The disciples got there answer:      And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.        We too will get the answer the question is, whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to the desire of the world rather than to God. What will we pray?

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ, my Redeemer thank You that because of Your love I have eternal life in Christ. Because of the Light of Christ I can see my need of a Savior. Holy Spirit I pray that You will fill me and lead me, that through You I will have the confidence to not only do the things that Jesus did, loving and serving others; but that I will also speak and teach others in the name of Jesus. Give me the confidence to be a witness for Christ, that I:    may speak Your word with all confidence,  while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.      Amen