““We gave you strict orders never again to teach in this man’s name!” he said. “Instead, you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching about him, and you want to make us responsible for his death!””
Acts 5:28 (NLT)
After the temple guard and leading priests are perplexed that the apostles aren’t in prison—and are back out teaching in the temple—the captain and his guards go to arrest them. But they do it without violence, because they’re afraid the people would stone them. Even in that detail, I see something: when the enemy sends weather or warfare your way, it’s often because he’s scared of you. In all reality, the enemy is scared of you. It should not ever be the other way around.
When they bring the apostles before the high council, the council says, “We gave you strict orders never again to teach in this man’s name.” It’s interesting they won’t name Jesus—because they recognize there’s power in his name. Then they admit, “you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching about him,” and they still won’t say his name. And they say the apostles want to make them responsible for his death. They don’t want to recognize who he is, what he’s done, and the power in his name.
But Peter and the other apostles are ready to obey God rather than humans. That hits me today: we should obey our Heavenly Father over any human teaching that does not align with what He says to do in the Bible. We should obey Holy Spirit and listen to what the Lord is telling us over our experience or the wisdom of man. We must put God first. He is on the throne. We are not.
And even while being persecuted, the apostles are preaching to the high council: God raised Jesus from the dead after y’all killed him, and God put Jesus in the place of honor at his right hand. Jesus is Prince and Savior, and God did this so people would repent and be forgiven.
Notice this: the men attacking the apostles refuse to say Jesus’ name. They won’t name him, because they know there’s power in the name of Jesus. Do you know of the power in the name of Jesus? Do you act like it? Do you pray like it? Rest in that power today. Trust him. Obey God rather than men. Be a witness.