SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/23/2017
11:30 AM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-1 Be
Aggressive in Seizing Opportunities
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Acts 4:8-13
Message of the
verses: “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.”
As we look at what Peter was saying to these Jewish
rulers we can see one thing for sure, and that is he and John were not afraid
to tell the truth to these rulers even though when he told them the truth they
were most assuredly offended as they were instrumental in putting Jesus to
death. John MacArthur writes “Submission
is not cowardice.”
Peter begins by asking them if they were on trial for the
healing of the sick man and by doing this he was turning the tables onto the Sanhedrin
and he subtly accused them of injustice as there could be nothing wrong with
healing a lame man.
Peter then continues by saying “as to how this man was
made well,” and this is what these men really wanted to know and
understand. They could not deny that
there was a great miracle done here, but how was it done was their
question. Peter then goes on to tell
them and he adds to tell all of Israel, “let it be known to all of you and all
the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene” the one
that you crucified, “whom God raised from the dead by this name this man stands
here before you in good health.” It is
because that Peter and John were filled with the Holy Spirit that Peter was
able to put the men of the Sanhedrin on trial, which was not the reason they
were brought in there, as the Sanhedrin was putting them on trial, at least
that is what they thought. This reminds
me of when Jesus was on trial before Pilate, when it was actually Pilate who
was on trial before Jesus, or when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus, it was
really Jesus who was in charge, as He always is, and the same goes here with
the Spirit filled believers. Peter took
this opportunity to really give out the gospel message to these men, men who
had put Jesus to death. John MacArthur
writes “By pointing out that they executed Jesus but God raised Him up, Peter
showed them to be the enemies of God.
That approach was frequently employed in Acts (cf. 2:23-24; 3:14-15;
10:39-40; 13: 27-30). Peter refused to
compromise the gospel by deleting what would offend the Sanhedrin. He spoke courageously because he was devoted
to the truth and entrusted the outcome to his Lord. That is an example for all persecuted
believers to follow.”
The Sanhedrin had the wrong idea of what the Messiah was
like, and that was their most formidable barrier to accepting Jesus Christ, for
in their minds, and in many of the minds of Israel, the Messiah could not die,
but come in to, in their case remove the Romans, but like others today they had
not studied the proper portions of Scripture, places like Isaiah 52-53, and
Psalm 22, which clearly shows the Messiah must indeed die, and even how He
would die. Peter uses Psalm 118:22 to
show them their error “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the
chief corner stone.” Jesus was indeed
that Stone, and they were the ones who rejected Him. Jesus Christ is the true cornerstone, the
most important piece of the foundation of any building. “19 So then you are no longer strangers and
aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s
household, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
Christ Jesus Himself being
the corner stone, 21 in
whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy
temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together into a
dwelling of God in the Spirit.”
We will continue to look at these verses in our next SD.
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: Boldness in
telling the truth of the gospel is something that I believe the Lord gives to
me when He has someone for me to tell them the truth of the gospel.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Trust that the Lord will keep me calm and
give me the right words to speak as I teach Sunday school tomorrow on two
verses in Revelation chapter one that talk about the importance of knowing the
Jesus Christ will come again.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “Luke.”
Today’s Bible
question: “What kinds of garments did
the high priest wear?”
Answer in our next SD.
9/23/2017 12:02 PM
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