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A
Time to Speak
It was a strange situation
indeed, in which Peter and John found themselves. In the name of Jesus
they had healed a man, lame from birth, and had not concealed in whose
name and on whose orders they had been acting. Now Israel's highest
representatives at the time were calling Peter and John to account for
this healing. The Jewish authorities had been convinced that, following
the death of Jesus, his case could be filed away forever. But in this
they were thoroughly mistaken. The one ignominiously crucified proved
to be more alive than ever!
It was clearly impossible to
deny the miracle that had happened on their doorstep. However, if the
fact could not be denied, it should at least be hushed up. In the eyes
of the Jewish rulers, a new flaring up of the Jesus-movement would be
neither good nor salutary. It could all too easily lead to a political
and national disaster. The Romans would surely not take it as a joke if
they felt their power was threatened by a Jewish Messiah. The Jewish
authorities also had very serious theological objections to the man
from Nazareth. In their eyes he had not been the promised Messiah but a
dangerous seducer and blasphemer. All publicity for him had to stop. So
they ordered Peter and John not to speak about Jesus.
With all due respect for this
august committee, Peter and John could not obey this order. Neither of
them could have healed the lame. Therefore it would have been a sin,
and disobedience against God, to conceal the name of him who had in
fact revealed his healing and saving power to the sick. Moreover,
Israel had to know that, in the person of Jesus, the long promised
Saviour and Redeemer had come. Peter was absolutely convinced of this
fact, "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name
under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
This message was, and is still, for the Jews; indeed for the Jews first
of all (Acts 13:46; Romans 1:16). The apostles had therefore no option
but to confess, “We cannot help but speak the things which we have seen
and heard” (Acts 4:20).
Today, the task to which the
followers of Jesus of that time felt unreservedly obliged is highly
controversial, not only among Jews but even among Christians.
Unfortunately, down the centuries, a lot of good reasons for Jewish
people to mistrust the gospel have piled up. However, as Christians we
should realise that it was not obedience, but disobedience
toward the word and will of our Lord which so much discredited the
gospel. The answer to the failure of many Christians to prove
themselves true followers of Jesus toward Israel cannot be to conceal
the truth about the salvation revealed in Jesus. This would only be
another form of disobedience and unkindness. If indeed the love of
Christ is burning in us, we too cannot keep from speaking of the great
gift God gave us in Jesus, and we cannot keep from making Israel
jealous through love (Romans 11:11-15).
Hartmut Renz
Hartmut Renz is the Director of
Evangeliumdienst für Israel and a member of CWI’s Council of
Management.
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