Here in Acts 4:5-12, Luke describes the first part of Peter and John's trial before the Sanhedrin. The religious authorities broke up Pete's sermon in Solomon's Porch and tossed the two apostles in the pokey for the night.
"On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem" (v5). These are the positions that made up the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council, including the high priest.
The Roman government allowed these 71 men to handle all things Jewish among the people, in particular, matters regarding the temple. This same group oversaw the conspiracy and manipulation of the system to execute Jesus.
Dr. Luke tells us that our old friends "Annas the high priest and Caiaphas” were in attendance, as well as two men named "John and Alexander, and all who were in the high priestly family" (v6).
The Gospel accounts seem to go back and forth in telling us who the high priest was during Christ's crucifixion. The entire high priesthood during these years centered on Annas. He held the office from AD 6-15.
His son-in-law Caiaphas was the current high priest when this all goes down (AD 18-36). Several of Annas' sons also served in the position, including Jonathan ("John" mentioned above? Hmm, could be.) in AD 36.
Annas clearly wielded great power and influence. He had an iron-fisted grip on the high priesthood.
Roman authorities had removed him from the position, but he was able to manipulate the system to get his puppets into place.
Annas was more like a mafia boss still running his empire from prison than the God's high priest. More godfather than God lover.
Annas and his toadies pound the table and demand Peter and John to tell them what was going on (v7). The room had to be thick with tension and threat.
These same men conspired to crucify Christ. Certainly these two bumpkins from boondocks would face a similar fate.
At this point, Pete testifies. Well, not so much testifies as preaches. He begins his third sermon in the opening chapter of Acts (Acts 2:14-40; 3:12-26).
The man Jesus called Rocky answers the bell and begins throwing haymakers. Let's call this "Rocky III."
God had filled him with the Holy Spirit. Pete wasn't just baptized in the Spirit. God had filled him to the brim.
Remember, while Peter was the leader of the disciples, he was continually tripping over himself. One moment he's declaring Jesus is Messiah and the next moment Jesus calls him Satan.
Just some two months prior Pete denied Jesus three times! When the Spirit fills ordinary people, they do extraordinary things.
This is a reminder that while God's Spirit indwells all believers, He completely fills others. The thing that keeps most of us from being filled with the Spirit is that we are full of it.
In other words, we are full of ourselves. Full of sin. Full of self. Jesus is our example. We must empty ourselves in humility (Phil 2:1-11) in order to be filled with His Spirit.
Jesus had actually predicted, promised and prophesied this moment. "And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say" (Lk 12:11-12).
And that's EXACTLY what (or should I say "Who"?) was happening to Peter. God's Spirit had filled and empowered him.
Rocky pulls no punches and comes out swinging. He tells them that this "good deed done to a crippled man" (v9) was done "by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified" (v10).
He immediately turns the tables on the sinful Sanhedrin and puts them on trial for murder!
Yeah, we healed the guy. And we did it in the name of Jesus! Now what in the world are you going to do about it? This is Spirit-filled boldness!
Rocky swings with a two-punch combination. He first charges the council with killing the Christ. BAM!
He unleashes the second punch by testifying that "God raised (Jesus) from the dead!" (v10). POW!!
Again, the resurrection of Jesus is central to the proclamation of the Gospel in the book of Acts. Clearly these early disciples saw the empty tomb just as important as Calvary's cross.
Pete tells them that it's by the name of Jesus, the One who killed and the One God raised that "this man is standing before you” (v10).
First Rocky uses the clear evidence of the once disabled man for proof, he now flips back to the OT to support his charges even further. "This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone" (v11).
He quotes Psalm 118:22, a verse quoted and reference many times in the NT as being about Jesus (Lk 20:17; Eph 2:20; 1Pet 2:4-8).
The verse from Psalm 118 speaks of the massive construction project of Solomon’s first temple. According to Jewish tradition, masons quarried and cut enormous stones for the temple miles from the project because no hammer was to be heard at the construction site.
The first stone that arrived, the cornerstone, didn’t match specifications. It wasn’t what builders expected. They rejected it and put it aside (some even say they rolled it over the side of the cliff into the Kidron Valley below).
It was only later that project managers realized this was exactly the stone they should have used to start the project!
Jesus is saying that this rejected cornerstone in Solomon’s temple that the psalmist wrote about foreshadowed His arrival as Messiah. Christ was rejected because He wasn’t the kind of stone they expected.
The people want a king. A REAL king. A warrior king. But what they didn’t realize was that Christ is EXACTLY the kind of king they need.
The builders (religious leaders) may reject Him, but Jesus that doesn’t change the fact that He is indeed the THE Cornerstone.
Pete is drawing a line in the temple sand. Jesus is Messiah. He has been sent from God the Father. Either accept Him or reject Him. And once you’ve made your choice, prepare for the consequences.
With the Sanhedrin wobbling on the ropes, Rocky goes for the knockout. "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (v12).
He boldly tells the council that God's salvation is found only in Jesus. In other words, everything God tells us about salvation in the OT is about Christ.
Pete makes it VERY clear. Christianity is VERY exclusive. But it is also VERY inclusive. Jesus is the only way (Jn 14:6). But anyone may enter through Him.
This is an EXTREMELY unpopular thing to proclaim in our world today. We must pray for Spirit-filled boldness to stand up for this truth.
"Rocky III" is over quickly. This fight does NOT go the distance.
©2011
Jay Jennings
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