Obey God Rather Than Men

Acts chapter 5 verses 12 to 42.

Acts 5:12–42

Let me pray for the reading and preaching of God's Word.

Heavenly Father, we confess that

we find ourselves sometimes

in our sinfulness,

vying for supremacy with you.

Instead of seeking to be conformed to your will,

we want you to consecrate and put a stamp of approval

on our will.

We,

even when

ostensibly seeking to do your service,

often promote ourselves,

seek to preserve ourselves.

But Lord, we want to be aligned more closely with your purposes.

We want to be on your side.

To obey you at all costs.

So teach us, Lord.

Speak to us in your Word.

That we might do so more and more.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Let's read Acts chapter 5, 12 to 42.

Acts 5 · chapter mention

Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles,

and they were all together in Solomon's portico.

None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem.

And more than ever, believers were added to the Lord,

multitudes of both men and women,

so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats,

that as Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on some of them.

The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem,

bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits,

and they were all healed.

But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him,

that is the party of the Sadducees,

and filled with jealousy,

they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.

But during the night, an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors

and brought them out and said,

Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.

And when they heard this,

they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.

Now, when the high priest came and those who were with him,

they called together the council,

all the senate of the people of Israel,

and sent to the prison to have them brought.

But when the officers came,

they did not find them in the prison,

so they returned and reported.

We found the prison securely locked

and the guards standing at the doors,

but when we opened them, we found no one inside.

Now, when the captain of the temple

and the chief priests heard these words,

they were greatly perplexed about them,

wondering what this would come to.

And someone came and told them,

Look, the men whom you put in prison

are standing in the temple and teaching the people.

And the captain with the officers went and brought them,

but not by force,

for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.

And when they had brought them,

they set them before the council,

and the high priest questioned them,

saying,

We strictly charge you not to teach in this name,

and yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching,

and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.

But Peter and the apostles answered,

We must obey God rather than men.

The God of our fathers raised Jesus,

whom you killed by hanging him on a tree.

God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior

to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

And we are witnesses to these things.

And so is the Holy Spirit,

whom God has given to those who obey him.

When they heard this,

they were enraged and wanted to kill them.

But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel,

a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people,

stood up and gave orders to put the man outside for a little while.

And he said to them,

Men of Israel,

take care of what you are about to do with these men.

For before these days,

Theodos rose up,

claiming to be somebody.

And a number of men, about 400, joined him.

He was killed,

and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing.

After him,

Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census

and drew away some of the people after him.

He too perished,

and all who followed him were scattered.

So in the present case,

I tell you,

keep away from these men and let them alone.

For if this plan or this undertaking is of man,

it will fail.

But if it is of God,

you will not be able to overthrow them.

You might even be found opposing God.

So they took his advice,

and when they had called in the apostles,

they beat them

and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus

and let them go.

Then they left the presence of the council,

rejoicing that they were counted worthy

to suffer dishonor for the name.

And every day,

in the temple

and from house to house,

they did not cease teaching and preaching

that the Christ

is

Jesus.

This is God's holy

and authoritative word.

In Joshua 5,

13 to 15,

just before

God's miraculous conquest

of the heavily fortified Jericho,

there is this interesting dialogue

between Joshua

and the commander of the Lord's army.

He says,

When Joshua was by Jericho,

he lifted up his eyes

and looked,

and behold,

a man was standing before him

with his drawn sword in his hand.

And Joshua went to him

and said to him,

Are you for us

or for our adversaries?

And he said,

No,

but I am the commander

of the army of the Lord.

Now I have come.

And Joshua fell on his face

to the earth

and worshipped

and said to him,

What does my Lord say

to his servant?

And the commander

of the Lord's army

said to Joshua,

Take off your sandals

from your feet

for the place

where you are standing

is holy.

It's a fascinating dialogue

because Joshua asks,

Are you for us

or against us?

But the angel responds,

No,

for I am the commander

of the army of the Lord.

He doesn't say,

Well, I'm for you.

He says,

No,

but I am the commander

of the army of the Lord.

We live in a very partisan world.

And us versus them

attitude pervades

our culture,

our society.

And people are eager

to co-opt God

for their own agendas.

But the Lord of heaven's armies

will not be reduced

to a pawn in our own battles.

He has his own purposes

and priorities

that he is sovereignly

working out.

So it is said

that during the American Civil War

when someone asked

President Abraham Lincoln

if he believed

that God was on his side,

Lincoln replied,

Sir,

my concern is not

whether God is on our side.

My greatest concern

is to be on God's side

for God is always right.

Instead of asking ourselves,

how can I use the Bible

to support my opinion,

we should ask,

is my opinion biblical?

Instead of asking,

is God on our side,

we should ask,

are we on God's side?

In Acts 5,

we see a struggle

between two Jewish factions,

the Jews,

led by the high priest

and the Sanhedrin,

and then the Jewish Christians,

led by the twelve apostles.

There is a struggle

for authority

and jurisdiction,

for the right to speak

and teach the Jews

in Jerusalem,

but Luke makes it

very clear in this passage

that while the Christians

are on God's side,

that the Jews find themselves

in opposition to God.

And the main point

of this passage

is that even when

opposed by men,

we must obey God

and preach Christ.

That's the main point.

We are going to explore

that main point

by looking at profiles

of three different

groups of people.

First, the odd people.

Second, the jealous leaders.

And third, finally,

the joyful witnesses

of Jesus.

So let's look at

the odd people.

In the preceding passage,

we saw God's judgment

of Ananias and Sapphira,

and that struck great fear

into people's hearts

so that they learned

that God was not a person

to trifle with.

And verses 12 to 16

is Luke's summary

of the aftermath

of that event,

how the church

continued to grow.

He says in verses 12 to 13,

Now many signs and wonders

were regularly done

among the people

by the hands of the apostles,

and they were all together

in Solomon's portico.

None of the rest

dared join them,

but the people

held them in high esteem.

So the gathered believers

earlier prayed

in chapter 4

for boldness,

and they asked God

to continue to stretch out

His mighty hand

to heal and to perform

signs and wonders.

And so we're seeing

an answer to that prayer here,

because many signs

were done regularly

among the people

by the hands of the apostles.

And these signs and wonders

included healings

and exorcisms.

And even to non-Christian

onlookers,

it was obvious

that something supernatural

and spiritual

was happening

among the Christians.

And so that,

it says,

none of the rest

dared join them,

but the people

held them in high esteem.

People were awed

by the Spirit-filled church.

They took the Christians

seriously

and respected them.

They didn't treat

the church

with snarky condescension

or casual dismissiveness.

They couldn't

because the hand of God

worked so powerfully

among the church.

So many of them

did not dare

to join the gathering

of believers.

Verses 14 to 16

continue this summary

of the church's growth.

It says,

And more than ever,

believers were added

to the Lord,

multitudes of both men

and women,

so that they even

carried out the sick

into the streets

and laid them on cots

and mats.

That as Peter came

by it,

that as Peter came by,

at least his shadow

might fall on some of them.

And the people who,

people also gathered

from the towns

around Jerusalem,

bringing the sick

and those afflicted

with unclean spirits,

and they were all healed.

So we see here

an explosive growth

of the church.

We were told that

the church grew

to 3,000 in chapter 2,

verse 41,

and then to 5,000

in chapter 4,

verse 4.

And so thousands

of people have been

coming to faith,

but now it says

in verse 14,

even more than that,

more than ever,

believers were added

to the Lord.

And because the gathering

of the believers

at Solomon's portico

had ballooned

to such a size,

it was increasingly

difficult for people

to get a personal audience

from Peter

and the apostles.

So some people

resorted to

superstitious practices

of laying out

the sick on the street,

on cots and mats,

so that as Peter

came by,

at least his shadow

might fall on

some of them.

Since this passage

distinguishes people,

which refers

to the general population,

from believers,

and Luke typically

uses the word people

to refer to the general public

and not specifically

to believers,

it's likely that

the people who are

bringing the sick

out to the streets

for Peter's shadows

to pass by

are not believers,

but sympathizers

who are interested

in what's going on

among the Christians

and want a piece

of the miracles

that are taking place.

It's clear that God

was doing extraordinary

miracles through the apostles.

Later in Acts 19,

we see sick people

get healed

by just touching

even the handkerchiefs

and aprons

that Paul had touched.

But in this instance,

Luke doesn't tell us

whether or not

people were actually

healed by Peter's shadow.

But the fact that

people went to such an extent

as to hope that

even Peter's shadow

might fall on them

to heal the sick

shows that their expectation

for powerful miracles

of God

was at a fever pitch.

Luke is demonstrating

the extraordinary growth

and popularity

of the church

during those days.

And not only did people

put out the sick

out on the streets,

people from outside

of Jerusalem,

from the surrounding towns,

the countryside of Judea

were now also

bringing the sick

and those afflicted

with unclean spirits

and they were all healed.

The word is now

spreading beyond Jerusalem

so people are making

long treks to get there

in hopes,

in faith,

that God will heal them.

This is a period

of great revival

for the church

and God did heal

all those who came

in those ways in faith.

So that's the odd people.

Now, but whenever

the Spirit of God

is powerfully at work,

Satan always tries

to undermine

and discredit

that work.

Whether it's through

internal discord

like we saw

with Ananias and Sapphira

or in this case

with external pressure.

So goodwill

and favor

among people

and ill will

and persecution

from people

are not mutually exclusive.

And often they occur

side by side.

In this case,

the persecution

is driven by the leaders

of the Jewish community.

It says in verses 17 to 18,

But the high priest

rose up

and all who were with him,

that is the party

of the Sadducees,

and filled with jealousy,

they arrested

the apostles

and put them

in the public prison.

We were introduced

to the Sadducees

early in chapter 4.

They were a Jewish sect

much like the Pharisees,

but there were key differences

between them.

Sadducees did not believe

in the resurrection of the dead

as the Pharisees did.

And the Sadducees,

it appears,

were more powerful

in Jerusalem itself.

It seems like

they were the dominant

party within the Sanhedrin.

And it says

that they were filled

with jealousy.

John 11, 47 to 48,

in there,

the Jewish council

discuss among themselves

what to do with Jesus.

And they say,

What are we to do?

For this man

performs many signs.

If we let him

go on like this,

everyone will believe

in him.

And the Romans

will come and take away

both our place

and our nation.

So a similar dynamic

is at work here.

The apostles declared

the resurrection of Jesus

from the dead,

which contradicted

the Sadducees'

doctrinal belief

that there is no

resurrection of the dead.

The apostles

were gaining a following.

The Church of Christ

was growing like never before,

which means,

especially at this point

when most of the converts

are Jewish converts,

they're siphoning adherents

away from the Jewish leaders,

from the Sanhedrin,

from the Sadducees.

And if the Jewish leaders

lose their clout

among the Jewish people,

then they are at risk

of having their

political power,

authority taken away

by the Romans as well.

And so they are

filled with jealousy

because they are

more concerned

with self-preservation

than God glorification.

They resent

the popularity

of the apostles.

And because of that,

they miss out

on the powerful work

of God

because they're

too preoccupied

with themselves.

So out of envy,

the Sadducees

arrest the apostles

and put them

in the public prison.

But it says

in verses 19 to 20,

during the night,

an angel of the Lord

opened the prison doors

and brought them out

and said,

go and stand

in the temple

and speak to the people

all the words

of this life.

So God intervenes

directly by

sending his angel

as a representative

to bring the apostles

out of prison.

And then he directly

contradicts

the Jewish leaders

strict charge

to not to speak

in the name of Jesus.

God gives the apostles

three commands.

Go,

stand in the temple,

and speak

to the people.

Just the day before,

the apostles

had been arrested

for speaking

to the people

about Jesus

in the temple.

But God tells them

to go back

to that very same

public setting

to stand up

and speak

to the people.

This might seem

foolhardy to us.

If our personal welfare

is the highest good

that we are seeking

to preserve,

this command

makes no sense

to us.

But if we understand

obedience to God

as our highest good,

if honoring God

is our higher priority

than preserving ourselves,

then this command

makes sense.

This is not to say

that every Christian

should deliberately

put themselves

in dangerous situations,

in persecuted places.

In Matthew 10, 23,

Jesus says,

when they persecute you

in one town,

flee to the next.

So later,

it says in Acts

Acts 14 · chapter mention

chapter 14,

5 to 6,

that when both Gentiles

and Jews

with their rulers

were seeking

to stone Paul

and Barnabas,

they learned of it

and fled

to Lystra

and Derbe.

However,

still later,

in Acts 21,

when a prophet

warns Paul

that he will be bound

and imprisoned

if he goes to Jerusalem

and the Christians

in Caesarea

urge him not

to go to Jerusalem,

Paul answers,

I am ready

not only to be imprisoned

but even to die

in Jerusalem

for the name

of the Lord Jesus.

And he goes there anyway.

So there isn't

a one-size-fits-all

biblical answer

to whether or not

Christians should

flee persecution

and continue

to proclaim

the gospel

where they are.

It seems that

in certain specific

situations,

God calls some

Christians

to stay

in spite of persecution

to continue

to proclaim

the gospel,

even at great

personal risk

to themselves.

And that's what

God does here

in Acts chapter 5.

Acts 5 · chapter mention

And the apostles

are not permitted

to sugarcoat

the message

or to speak only

of the things

that were acceptable

to their persecutors

because the angel

of the Lord

says clearly

in verse 20,

speak to the people

all the words

of this life.

The words

of this life

refer to the words

of Jesus.

Earlier in chapter 3,

verse 15,

Jesus was described

as the author

of life,

meaning Jesus

is the founder

or the pioneer

of life.

He is the first

born from the dead,

the first to rise

from the dead,

as it says

in Acts 26, 23.

He's the one

through whom

God gives

eternal life

to His people.

So He's the author

of life.

And the words

of this life

is that word

about Jesus.

Just because

the Sadducees

do not believe

in the resurrection

of the dead

and oppose anyone

who teaches

the resurrection

of the dead,

the apostles

do not get

to leave

that part

of the gospel

out.

Likewise,

just because

people nowadays

disbelieve

in the resurrection,

we don't get

to modify

or leave

out that part

of Jesus'

physical resurrection

from the dead.

Just because

people nowadays

cherish their autonomy

and don't want

to submit

to the lordship

of Christ

does not mean

that we can

leave out

that part

about dying

to ourselves

and carrying

the cross

and following

Jesus.

We too

must speak

to the people

all the words

of this life.

And that's exactly

what the apostles

do.

It says in verse 21,

when they heard

this,

they entered

the temple

at daybreak

and began

to teach.

At the earliest

opportunity,

the disciples,

the apostles

returned to the

temple that

they were arrested

in on the

previous day

and began

to teach.

It says in verse 21,

now when the high

priest came

and those who

were with him,

they called

together the council,

all the senate

of the people

of Israel,

and sent to the

prison to them

to have them

brought.

So the high

priest arrives

and uses

his authority

to summon

the council,

which is the

Sanhedrin,

the highest

Jewish religious

political

and legal

council.

And this

council is

also called

all the senate

of the people

of Israel.

The word senate

is a translation

of the word

that means

the elders

of Israel,

which reveals

how the Sanhedrin

viewed themselves.

They viewed

themselves as

representatives

of the entire

Jewish people

everywhere.

And so

after this

dignified

introduction

of the

high

priest

and

the

elders

of

Israel,

the Sanhedrin,

what happens

next is like

something out

of a comedy

sketch.

It exposes

the powerlessness

of the Sanhedrin.

It says in

22 to 26,

but when the

officers came,

they did not

find them in

the prison,

so they

returned and

reported.

We found

the prison

securely locked

and the guards

standing at the

doors,

but when we

opened them,

we found

no one

inside.

Now when the

captain of the

temple and the

chief priest

heard these

words,

they were

greatly

perplexed

about them,

wondering what

this would

come to.

And someone

came and

told them,

look,

the men

whom you

put in

prison are

standing in

the temple

and teaching

the people.

Then the

captain with

the officers

went and

brought them,

but not by

force,

for they were

afraid of being

stoned by the

people.

It appears

that the

miraculous prison

break happened

without the

guards even

knowing.

The officers

sent by the

Sanhedrin to

bring the

apostles found

the prison

still locked

and the

guards still

standing in

their station,

and yet the

prison was

empty.

They thought

they were

fully in

control of

the situation

with the

apostles safely

guarded behind

bars, but

they were

powerless before

God.

And as they're

wondering what

had happened

to them and

what's going to

happen next,

they hear this

news from

someone who

had observed

them in the

temple coming

and reporting

that they are

back in the

temple preaching,

doing exactly

what they had

told them not

to do.

And so they

send their

officers to

grab them,

but not by

force because

they were

afraid of

being stoned

by the

people.

Ironically,

this forcible

arrest looks

more like an

escort service.

the Sanhedrin,

all the

Senate of

the people

of Israel,

afraid of

being stoned

by the very

people that

they believe

themselves to

have authority

over.

This entire

episode is

highlighting the

powerlessness of

the Sanhedrin

before Christ and

his apostles,

and Luke's

making the

point that

the mantle of

leadership among

God's people has

passed on from

the Sanhedrin to

the twelve

apostles.

You know,

given that the

public sentiment

was in their

favor, the

apostles probably

could have

resisted arrest

at this point.

I mean, they

were afraid of

being stoned,

so the

officers probably

would not have

been able to do

anything about it

if the apostles

just refused to

go.

But the

apostles go

willingly, just

as Jesus went

willingly to the

cross.

The apostles

disobeyed the

civil authorities

when their

directives clearly

contradicted God's

commands, but in

doing so, they

were willing to

suffer and be

punished for their

disobedience by the

same civil

authorities.

That's what

Christian civil

disobedience looks

like.

They never

resorted to

violent protest

or forceful

resistance.

repentance.

This is because

they were

following Jesus'

teaching.

In Matthew

Matthew 10:16–33

chapter 10,

verses 16 to

33, Jesus

said to his

disciples,

Behold, I am

sending you out

as sheep in

the midst of

wolves.

So be wise as

serpents and as

innocent as

doves.

Beware of men,

for they will

deliver you over

to courts and

flog you in their

synagogues, and

you will be dragged

before governors and

kings for my

sake, to bear

witness before

them and the

Gentiles, and

you will be

hated by all for

my name's sake,

but the one who

endures to the

end will be

saved.

The apostles knew

they were called

to bear suffering

witness for

Christ.

Jesus did not

send his people

to be lions in

the midst of

wolves.

He sent them

out to be sheep

in the midst of

wolves.

And everyone

knows what

happens to

sheep in the

midst of wolves.

So let's see

what happens

as they enter

the wolves

den.

In verses

27 to 28,

the Sanhedrin

begins their

interrogation of

the apostles.

It says,

And when they

had brought

them, they

set them

before the

council, and

the high

priest questioned

them, saying,

We strictly

charge you not

to teach in

this name.

Yet here you

have filled

Jerusalem with

your teaching,

and you

intend to

bring this

man's blood

upon us.

It's

curious that

the high

priest doesn't

ask.

I think my

first question

would have

been, how

did you get

out of the

prison?

But they're

not asking

that question,

probably because

it's really

irrelevant for

Luke's purposes,

because we

already know

how they got

out.

The readers

already know.

The main

issue at hand

is the

conflict between

the apostles

and the

Sanhedrin,

namely the

issue of

teaching in

the name of

Jesus.

So first,

the Jewish

leaders object

to the

apostles,

continue to

teach in

the name

of Jesus,

despite their

prohibition in

chapter 4.

And then

second,

they don't

like the

fact that

this teaching

that Jesus

is the

Messiah and

Savior implicates

them in

his death,

makes them

look really

bad.

They don't

want Jesus'

blood on

their hands,

especially as

the church

continues to

grow and

enjoy the

favor of

the populace.

This is

similar to

how,

Pontius

Pilate,

before ordering

Jesus to be

crucified,

washes his

hands,

saying that

he is not

going to

have Jesus'

blood on

his hands.

Because in

Genesis 9,

5-6,

God had

decreed

concerning

mankind,

for your

lifeblood I

will require

a reckoning.

From every

beast I

will require

it and

from man.

And from

his fellow

man I

will require

a reckoning

for the

life of

man,

whoever

sheds the

blood of

man,

by man

shall his

blood be

shed,

for God

made man

in his

own image.

Because a

human being

is created

in the

image of

God,

his or her

life is

sacred,

and because

the life of

the flesh is

in the blood,

as it says in

Leviticus 17,

11,

when a life

is taken

and when

blood is

shed,

Scripture

tells us

that the

blood of

the deceased

cries out for

vengeance.

God

most famously

after Cain

murders his

brother Abel

in Genesis 4,

God says to

Cain,

the voice of

your brother's

blood is

crying to

me from

the ground,

and now you

are cursed

from the

ground.

If the

apostles continue

to speak of

how Jesus

was killed,

in part by

the Jewish

authorities,

and how

Jesus that

they killed

is the

Son of

God who

was sent

to save

us,

then the

Jewish

leaders

fear that

the people

will make

them pay

for the

blood on

their hands.

But Peter

and the

apostles give

an unflinching

response in

verses 29

to 32,

we must

obey God

rather than

men.

The God

of our

fathers

raised Jesus

whom you

killed by

hanging him

on a

tree,

and God

exalted

him at

his right

hand as

leader and

savior to

give repentance

to Israel

and forgiveness

of sins.

And we

are witnesses

to these

things.

Notice that

the apostles

do the two

exact things

that the

Sanhedrin

had told

them not

to do.

First,

they once

again speak

in the name

of Jesus,

and then

two,

they tell

him,

you killed

him.

But it's

important to

note that

apostles are

not out

for vengeance.

Their goal

isn't to

stir up the

mob against

the Jewish

leaders.

Instead,

as they have

done in the

preceding

chapters,

they speak

of repentance

and forgiveness

of sins.

The

Sanhedrin,

the leaders

of the

Jewish nation,

also belong

to that

nation for

which Jesus

came and

died.

They,

too,

can repent

of their

sins and

receive forgiveness

for sins.

And Jesus'

blood,

instead of

crying out

for their

vengeance,

vengeance,

for the

vengeance

against his

killers,

instead cries

out for

their

vindication,

their

forgiveness.

This is why

it says in

Hebrews 12,

24,

the sprinkled

blood of

Jesus speaks

a better

word than

the blood

of Abel.

The blood

of Abel

cried out

for justice,

but the

blood of

Jesus cries

out for

mercy.

The blood

of Abel

cried out

for condemnation,

but the

blood of

Jesus cries

out for

forgiveness.

The blood

of Abel

cried out

for retribution,

but the

blood of

Jesus cries

out for

repentance.

Instead of

death,

Jesus'

blood brings

life to

his

murderers.

And this is

because Jesus'

death and

resurrection was

part of God's

plan to bring

salvation for

sinners.

Jesus.

Peter uses an

interesting phrase

to describe

Jesus'

death in

verse 30.

Instead of

saying that

Jesus was

crucified,

he says,

you killed

him by

hanging him

on a

tree.

During that

period,

Jews used

the expression

hang on a

tree to

refer to

the crucifixion.

And this

was an

intentional

allusion to

Deuteronomy

21,

22 to

23,

which says

that a

person who

is killed

by being

hanged on

a tree is

cursed by

God.

Paul cites

that verse

and makes

an explicit

connection to

Jesus.

In Galatians

3,

13,

Christ

redeemed

us from

the curse

of the

law by

becoming a

curse for

us,

for it is

written,

cursed is

everyone who

is hanged

on a

tree.

This is

why Jesus

offers his

forgiveness

and mercy

rather than

vengeance

and justice.

This is

why the

blood of

Jesus does

not cry

out for

vengeance,

because he

was dying

for our

sins and

bearing our

curse on

the cross.

Modern

people living

in the

West don't

understand the

concept of

a curse,

but it's a

fearful thing

for people

who live

in cultures

that understand

and experience

and live in

the midst

of curses.

curse.

When someone

curses you

for a

wrong that

you do,

it follows

you,

it haunts

you,

it inflicts

harm and

injury on

you,

and you

can't get

away from

it until

you make

atonement

and that

curse is

lifted.

in those

cultures where

the curse

is a

common

experience

of life,

people pay

exorbitant

prices to

buy talismans

and amulets

and charms

to protect

themselves from

it because

they dread

it and

fear it.

In

Genesis 3.19,

the curse

of death

came upon

humanity

because of

Adam's

sin.

If you

have lost

loved ones

to death,

you have

experienced

the painful

toll of

this curse.

Every

generation of

humanity has

died ever

since,

and every

man and

woman is

surrounded

and hounded

by death

every single

day.

Do we try

all kinds of

remedies,

medicines,

dietary supplements

and exercises

to stave off

death?

every human

being dies.

That's the

curse.

But Jesus

is the one

person who

is not

subject to

that curse.

He was

born of

the Virgin

Mary,

conceived

by the

Holy Spirit.

If you

look at

the way,

if you

look at

the Old

Testament,

it's the

sins of

the fathers

that are

visited upon

their children.

that's the

way God

designed it,

the man's

headship in

marriage to

work.

So in

Romans 5,

we find that

even though it

was Eve who

sinned first,

it's Adam's

sin that

brings the

curse to

all of

humanity.

God's

sin.

God's

sin.

God's

sin.

God's

sin.

And because

Jesus didn't

have a

human father,

he's the

first and

only human

being in

which that

line,

that curse,

is broken.

sin.

And yet,

Jesus who

alone does

not have a

sin nature

and who

alone does

not sin in

his life,

bears our

curse.

So if we

repent of

our sins and

trust in

him,

we can be

forgiven.

forgiven.

The curse

can be

lifted.

And we

can be

forgiven of

every last

sin,

not in

part,

but the

whole.

All your

guilt gone.

All your

shame gone.

All

condemnation

gone.

We don't

have to

figure things

out on our

own because

Jesus is the

leader who

has already

paved the

way for us.

we don't

have to

feel like we

have to save

ourselves,

to redeem

ourselves,

to justify

ourselves because

in Christ we

have a

Savior.

And if you

entrust yourself

to him,

you repent of

your sins and

follow him,

you have

forgiveness and

the Holy Spirit

indwells you and

gives you

assurance of

these truths.

But the

Sanhedrin

unfortunately does

not turn to

Jesus for

mercy.

It says in

verse 33,

when they

heard this,

they were

enraged and

wanted to

kill them.

Notice the

contrast between

their response

and the

apostles'

response to

the word of

the Lord in

verse 21.

And when

they heard

this,

they entered

the temple at

daybreak and

began to

teach.

But in

verse 33,

when they

heard this,

they were

enraged and

wanted to

kill them.

When the

apostles hear

the word of

the Lord,

they promptly

obey,

even at the

risk of

being killed.

But these

Jewish leaders,

when they

hear the word

of the Lord,

instead of

obeying,

they try to

kill the

messengers of

God.

But thankfully,

there is a

somewhat sensible

man named

Gamaliel.

Most of the

members of the

Sanhedrin were

Sadducees, but

Gamaliel is

distinguished here

as a Pharisee.

And Luke notes

that he was a

teacher of the

law held in

honor by all

the people.

Gamaliel was a

revered figure at

the time.

He was either the

son or a

grandson of the

renowned Rabbi

Hillel, and he