Acts 4:5-12
I’ve long imagined Peter and John before this gathering, standing together in a large room facing the many rulers, elders and scribes – but I’ve never imagined the healed man standing there with them! Verse 3 says “they arrested them” – must have been all three. Verse 7 says they “set them in the midst” (correction to my “standing” above!). Verse 9 has Peter speaking about “by what means this man has been healed”. Finally, in verse 10 Peter, speaking about Jesus says “…by Him this man is standing before you well.” (Standing…!) So four references to “them” or “this man”, but I had never pictured the healed man alongside Peter and John.
So what? Let’s go a step further. This man was arrested with Peter and John and spent the night in jail with them. Scripture does not say they were beaten or anything else about them, just that they were held overnight. Can you imagine their conversations? Can you imagine Peter and John sharing with this man the entire evening about Jesus – all the time that they were with Him, all that they had seen Him do. And to talk about his life, death and Resurrection, then living among them another 40 days, then ascending to heaven… And I am now picturing this man taking it all in – I doubt they slept all night!! What a glorious conversation!! I suspect this man came away from this evening healed, born again, and committed to sharing Jesus with whomever would listen. What joy! GLORY!!
Slava Bohu!
What a great point, Fred. I hadn’t thought of the healed man at all. Also just think of Peter’s boldness, how articulate he is. Growing in the power of the spirit.
Wow! I had never pictured him with them all night either. So interesting!