Jesus’ Presence with the Apostles

Annoyed that Peter and John were preaching that the resurrection of the dead comes through Jesus, the captain of the temple and several other Jewish officials arrested Peter and John in the temple courts (Acts 4:1–2). They meant to put the Apostles on trial for their deeds, but the proceedings had to wait until the next morning because it was already evening and too late for the court to gather. In the meantime, many who had heard Peter’s sermon trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ (vv. 3–4).

When the next day arrived, the interrogation of Peter and John took place, and in today’s passage Luke begins the record of the Apostles’ testimony to the Jewish authorities. Peter and John were set before the Jews’ “rulers and elders and scribes . . . with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family” (vv. 5–6). Luke describes here a gathering of the Sanhedrin, the ruling council of the Jews that handled most community matters. Both Pharisees and Sadducees served on the Sanhedrin, but Luke’s description indicates that a large number of influential Sadducees were there. Annas headed one of the most significant priestly families, and he had served as high priest before the Romans deposed him and replaced him in the role with his son-in-law Caiaphas. Luke refers to him as the high priest because although Caiaphas held the role formally, the Jews continued to regard Annas as the true high priest, since they did not believe that Rome had the right to intervene in their religious affairs. This same Sanhedrin had gathered just a few weeks before to put Jesus on trial, with Annas and Caiaphas playing key roles in our Lord’s execution (see John 18:1–28).

The Jewish officials sought to discover the power or name by which the Apostles had healed the lame beggar and preached the gospel (Acts 4:7). As Jesus promised, the Holy Spirit came to the assistance of Peter and John in that moment, equipping them to give an answer to the Sanhedrin (v. 8; see Luke 21:10–19). Peter clearly stated that the same man whom the Sanhedrin had crucified, Jesus of Nazareth, was raised from the dead and that by Him the formerly lame man was healed (Acts 4:9–10). Nothing inherent in the Apostles led to the beggar’s healing. Instead, Jesus was with them and in them to restore the man. The act of healing was Jesus’ act through His Apostles.