January 16 / Acts 4:32-37

Acts 4:32-37

Today’s reading is the second “transition section” that we have seen in Acts. The first was at the end of Chapter 2. In these transition sections time passes, but we don’t know how much. So it could have been that Peter and John appeared before the Council in the first few weeks after Jesus’ Ascension or it could have been months. (We don’t imagine it would have been years.) Likewise, the time passage in today’s reading could also be weeks or months, but this time also, possibly years. Our Chronological Bible has Jesus’ death in A.D. 30, with Stephen’s martyrdom in A.D. 32, so we have only Chapter 5 in our readings before we meet Stephen in Chapter 6.

And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus… (v. 33a). Time has passed since Jesus’ Resurrection and Ascension and the Holy Spirit’s anointing at Pentecost, but the one focus for the apostles is the Resurrection. The apostles are seeing miracles and signs and wonders taking place in Jesus’ name, but the preaching focus is the Resurrection. Later, in I Cor. 15:17, 19 the apostle Paul writes of the power of the Resurrection in our lives: And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins… If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. Jesus’ Resurrection is the game-changer for us as Christians. Many people have died for their faith, but none have come back bodily from their death.

When I am sharing my faith with a non-believer, I ask a series of questions. Do you believe that Jesus lived? Do you believe that He died, that He was crucified? Do you believe that He rose from the dead. I typically get “yes” answers for #1 and #2a, with a “maybe” for #2b and either a “no” or an “I don’t know” for #3. Then it’s time to launch into evidence for Jesus’ Resurrection. If you’ve never read it, a short book by Josh McDowell, More Than a Carpenter, provides in simple terms a number of evidence items for the Resurrection.

Folks, we need to have Jesus’ Resurrection as the foundation of our faith and as the center of our witness. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus…

Slava Bohu!