They Were Just Like Us

     In Acts 5 we find the apostles before a very angry Sanhedrin just itching to put them to death.  Verses 27-29 say, “And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, saying, ‘We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.’ But Peter answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men.”

     It required extraordinary courage for Peter and the others to stand before the council and say the things they did. The Sanhedrin charged the apostles with disobeying their specific command to teach no more in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:18). The apostles said that it was right for them to disobey. The Sanhedrin accused the apostles of trying to bring the blood of Jesus Christ upon their heads. The apostles turned right around and accused them of killing Jesus (Acts 5:30). The Sanhedrin denied that Jesus possessed divine authority. The apostles boldly declared that “God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins” (Acts 5:31). By then much of the Sanhedrin saw red and were prepared to kill the apostles (Acts 5:33). Had they not heeded the advice of Gamaliel (Acts 5:34-39) they may very well have killed them.

     We tend to shake our our heads at the faith and courage of those men. In doing so we join the countless throng of saints throughout the ages who have marveled at them. It is not difficult to begin imagining that they were a different breed of human, a group of first century “supermen” exempt from the discouragements and fears that often plague “the rest of us.” After all, what else could explain their ability to stand with such determination before an enraged Sanhedrin? 

     Well, they were not supermen. In fact, they had not always been as bold as they should have been. Even after this event Peter, the spokesmen for the group, would briefly turn hypocrite and lead others astray by his example (Galatians 2:11-13). God shows us their failings so that we will recognize that they were just like us, fraught with all the frailties and fears indigenous to humanity. Like us, they occasionally succumbed to temptation. Like us, they experienced illnesses and death. Like us, they sometimes needed a brotherly or sisterly shoulder to cry on. Like us, they needed to be encouraged.  Like us, they needed to be saved!

     So if they were not supermen, if they really were just like you and I, how did they manage to do what they did? I believe we find all the answer we need in Acts 4:13, the first time two apostles were brought before the council. “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” They had been with Jesus. They had traveled with Him, listened to Him, received their training from Him, imbibed Him, and been saved by Him. They had been with Jesus.

     When ordinary people are filled with extraordinary faith that they have been with Jesus becomes apparent to all who are paying attention. Our ordinary daily lives should show us the truth of this. Why do faithful Christian spouses patiently work at their marriage when folks all around them with similar troubles and fears separate from one another? It is because they have been with Jesus. Why do faithful Christians sacrifice financially by contributing to the church when folks all around them are saving like mad to purchase more things and to visit more places? It is because they have been with Jesus. Why does the faithful Christian see the glory of God in the brilliant morning sunlight while other folks are grumbling about going to work in the morning? It is because they have been with Jesus. Why doesn’t the faithful Christian curse and throw out vulgar gestures when someone cuts them off while driving or shoves in front of them in the grocery line? It is because they have been with Jesus.

     Living hand in hand with Jesus does not reveal itself only when one’s life is on the line. It is something that shines through in every action a Christian takes. Of course, it does require a very mature, committed faith to hold its resolve in the face of personal danger. It is the type of faith all saints should work for. Christians often say that they do not know what they would do if faced with the same challenges of some of our earliest brethren, such as those faced by the apostles in Acts 4 and 5. I don’t believe that is the correct attitude. It seems that all committed Christians should be prepared to not just have their faith tested, but to cling to it to the very end, even if that end is death (Matthew 10:22). Such would certainly not be easy, but it would be expected by the One prepared to welcome them on the other side.

     Yes, we are ordinary people. None of us are masquerading as regular humans until we find the nearest phone booth. Yet we are all capable of extraordinary things through our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Living the faithful Christian life each day is every bit as extraordinary as surviving the most trying moments with faith intact. Both are made possible because the saint has been with Jesus.