Tuesday: Facing the Sadducees
Read Acts 4:1-30. How is the great-controversy theme being manifest here? In what ways is this just one example of how it has played out all through history? How do we see Satan working here, and how do we see the Lord working, as well?“The priests and rulers saw that Christ was extolled above them. As the Sadducees, who did not believe in a resurrection, heard the apostles declaring that Christ had risen from the dead, they were enraged, realizing that if the apostles were allowed to preach a risen Saviour, and to work miracles in His name, the doctrine that there would be no resurrection would be rejected by all, and the sect of the Sadducees would soon become extinct.”-Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 78.
What got these leaders especially upset was the healing that the Lord did through Peter (see Acts 3:1-10). But, when confronted by these leaders, the disciples didn’t waver. The priests were not expecting this from “uneducated and untrained men” (Acts 4:13, NKJV). Sending the disciples out of the room, they conferred among themselves, thinking that if they commanded these men not to teach in the name of Jesus, they would meekly comply (Acts 4:18). How wrong they were.
Instead, the disciples went back and joined the others, and together they praised God (Acts 4:24). They prayed for more boldness and that God would stretch out His hand for more healing (Acts 4:29-30). They did not need to wait long. Because of the disciples’ growing popularity, people brought their sick out onto the streets to allow Peter’s passing shadow to fall on them (Acts 5:15). Multitudes came from nearby towns, and their sick were all healed (Acts 5:16).
All through here we can see the great controversy unfolding: unscrupulous leaders seeking to suppress truth; faithful people reading their Bibles and praying for divine power, sickness healed, and souls won. Though things, at least on the surface, don’t always work out so well as they did here, we must never forget how, ultimately, the great controversy will play out, and the final victory that is ours because what Jesus had accomplished for all humanity is certain.
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A man over 40 years old who was born lame was made to walk for the first time (Acts 3:2; 4:22). He had hoped to be the recipient of some spare change from the passersby, and would have been content with that being grateful He lived to see another day.
However God having weighed the suffering before the man’s birth and determined the appropriate limits sent his agents at the appointed time to change the circumstances, of which He sometimes allows to play out in the great controversy (John 9:1-3; 1 Corinthians 10:13).
The sad turn in the Biblical account is that an occasion of rejoicing and praising God (Acts 3:6-8); one well appreciated by the common folk (Acts 3:9-11; 4:21), was offensive to leaders whose human ideas were threatened. They could not afford to publicly acknowledge the obvious miracle and its source without undermining their corrupt agenda (Acts 4:14-17).
It is pathetic when believers become so identified with a cause or committed to an agenda of human devising they feel compelled to reject even the plainest truth so as to preserve their position and protect their program. Whenever the truth in its plain and simple form has to be sidelined or opposed in favor of some ‘noble’ cause then the cause itself must be questioned.
Any agenda worthy of God’s support will get it, and in a timely manner. Accept truth as revealed in scripture even when it appears to work against long held positions, and trust the Lord to defend the position if it is of divine origin (2 Chronicles 20:15).
None will miss Heaven because of a failed temporal agenda, but willfully and stubbornly rejecting truth may form an impenetrable barrier to the land of the pure and the holy (Genesis 3:24; 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12). Seek the way of the Lord and embrace His truth (John 14:6; 16:13).
Well put, as much as we see the leaders of that time, sadducees and pharisees as blind, we are not safe in these last days. Bible ought to be our sole guide 3 John 1:3
3 For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the
Today we are faced with different challenges that may divert us from preaching the risen savior and soon coming King but the more earnestly we pray to God he will strengthen our faith and boldness to preach him and let the whole world know of his unending grace. Prayer will always conquer all.
The name of Christ is the central issue in the great controversy .ln heaven Lucifer coverted the position of Christ and not that of the father.All scripture given by the inspiration of God is the revelation of Christ Jesus ,and that is why he explained about himself from the Torah to the prophets on the way to Emmaus.You can see that there are doctrines we hold onto in the bible yet none of these doctrines individually or collectively constitute truth until they are centred in ,or informed by, and pervaded with the love of Christ .For truth is not just a bunch of abbstract factual information to memorize,quote and argue about .Truth is a person and that person again is Christ.By disbelieving the ressurrection and second coming the Saduccees were acting there part in the great controversy.The same we do when we show our unbelief in one these fundamental principles,we will be fighting against Christ
Let’s read (Philippians 2:5-11) we see that God the Father exalted Jesus and gave Him the name that is above every name. This is the same name that the disciples speak about in their teachings and even when they are healing people. The name of Jesus is powerful and,’’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.’’ (Acts 4:12).Today’s lesson is all about us recognizing that there is power in the name of Jesus. They did try to forbid the disciples from speaking about the name of Jesus and it was to no avail. Our belief is based on Jesus and what He did for us on the cross, hence the moment Jesus is out of the equation it will never work. In these last days, are we hearing more and more of the name of Jesus? This is what we ought to hear, teach and tell others about. Let it be crystal clear to people that whatever we are doing it’s not by our own power, but it’s Jesus in us. Even when we face opposition let us not waiver, let’s be like the disciples who would gather and pray to God to give them more boldness to speak more of the name of Jesus. What do you do when you receive a bad report? The disciples spoke of what the chief priests and elders told them but instead of having fear (1 Timothy 1:7), they raised their voices to God in one accord. Never underestimate the power of prayer. We are told to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).I see people who are of one spirit and unstoppable. I just love their boldness and their dependence on the power from above.
Point of correction its (2 Timothy 1:7)
This story reminds me of the great controversy scene in Revelation 12 where the dragon or satan failing to kill the child of the woman (Jesus) tried to kill the woman (The church) but God prepared a means of escape for the woman. He continues to protect His church from the wrath of the Dragon. Let us remain faithful, even through persecution and the victory that was won at the cross will be ours.
‘However, many of those who heard the Word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand (Acts 4:4).We can see a tremendous growth in the early Church, compare with (Acts 2:41). As long as the Word of God is being preached in its purity, we see growth within individuals and the Church at large. What I love the most is that ,they did not only grow in number but they were growing spiritually as well (Acts 4:8).As you are growing spiritually , you need not to speak anyhow. Peter when he spoke, he was filled with the Holy Spirit hence it was the Holy Spirit who was in control not Peter as a person. Read (John 14:26) the Spirit of God teaches us ALL things including our speech.
Look at Peter before the Sanhedrin. Practically the same group of people before whom he quivered and denied his Savior. Now he is standing bold and erect to defend the cause he once betrayed. This tells me that our point of greatest failure can be our point and greatest victory if we learn the lessons Jesus is trying to teach us through defeat.
May God grant us His Spirit so that where and when necessary we may be able to exhibit such boldness and courage in the face of opposition and persecution. May He help us in these times of relative peace to make the most of the time, using it to be more and more settled in the truth. Oh for more of the Spirit of the living God Who alone can enable to develop well rounded Christlike characters in practical terms. Oh Lord be gracious to us and meet us at this vital point of need.
Having failed dismally in his bid to destroy the Son of God, and thus to thwart His Messianic mission, the evil one was more so enraged by the threat of the disciples to carry on with their Master's work of preaching the gospel of salvation by spreading the news of the resurrected Christ far and wide. The archenemy was not a happy camper, and the great controversy continued in earnest. He used the Sadducees' false doctrine of "no resurrection of the dead" to downplay the message of the apostles, that Jesus had risen from the dead on the third day and that they had seen Him with their own eyes, several times, before witnessing His ascension to heaven.
No doubt some of these leaders threatening Peter and John to silence them, would have been among the killers of Christ and sought to use every means possible to bury any notion that Jesus could have got out from that tomb, sealed and guarded so that it was impossible for one man to get past. This was their sore disappointment.
Furthermore, if people really believed the disciples version of the resurrection story, their theories and survival as a Sect would be under threat. That was all they cared about and anyone getting in their way would not be tolerated. They did not care about the glaring evidence of the power of God working through the uneducated, low class ordinary men to bring hope and healing to people who were sick, poor and deemed as outcasts.
The only thing that restrained them was fear of reprisals from the common people who heard, saw and experienced the power themselves. God had a mission and it had to be accomplished. No threat of punishment or death could silence God's servants, they were bold as lions in the face of ridicule and even imprisonment. Now they were ready to "drink of the cup" that they so lightly declared and without understanding at the time, that they would when asked by the Master.
We will in our time also face some "Sadducees" who will drag us before councils and courtrooms and unjust judges because of our faith in Jesus. We too, must pray for boldness and fearlessness while we do the Master's bidding for He has promised to be with us and to bring to our remembrance the words that we have hid in our hearts. If necessary God will dispatch angels at our call just as He did for the disciples then.
Today's Song:
SOUND THE BATTLE CRY! SEE, THE FOE IS NIGH;
RAISE THE STANDARD HIGH FOR THE LORD;
GIRD YOUR ARMOUR ON, STAND FIRM EVERYONE;
REST YOUR CAUSE UPON HIS HOLY WORD.
ROUSE, THEN, SOLDIERS, RALLY ROUND THE BANNER,
READY, STEADY,PASS THE WORD ALONG;
ONWARD, FORWARD, SHOUT ALOUD, HOSANNA!
CHRIST IS CAPTAIN OF THE MIGHTY THRONG.
No matter how many Sadducees we may have in this WORLD, we must Stand Firm in the Word of GOD. " GOD is Eternal and does not Change." Luke 21:33. I love Jesus response to this Time and Era he Lived in? My Kingdom is not of this World. If my Kingdom were of this World, my Servants would Fight, so that I should not be Delivered to the Jews: But now my Kingdom is not from here. Pilate therefore said to him, are you a King then? Jesus answered, you say rightly that I am a King. For this cause I was Born and for this cause I have come into the World, that I should Bear Witness to the TRUTH. Everyone who is of the TRUTH Hears my VOICE. (JOHN 18:36-37). So as SDA we must always be ready to TESTIFY to the TRUTH also! AMEN!
As I studied the lesson this morning and clicked on the scripture reference Acts 1-30 that in verse 27, it refers to Jesus who is really the Son of God as, “Your Holy Servant Jesus!” So I checked out the KJV and it rightly says “the holy child Jesus.”
On what basis do you believe "child" to be a better translation than "servant"?
On this fateful and glorious day Peter and John went to the temple to pray and worship. As they arrived they encountered an extraordinary situation, a miserable spectacle - a man with no use of his legs carried to his usual begging spot, the Beautiful Gate. What a contrast it must have been - a sorry sight and a beautiful gate with all its splendour and magnificence. Soon the depth of the man'greats need became palpable for all to see.The poor man's ailments were conspicuous and apparent. Today when we see some of the instances of the so-called faith healing there are neither apparent nor conspicuous ailment. Peter, like Jesus did before, fixed his eyes on him and called the man to do the same. We too need to learn to look up to Christ with hearts fixed on Him.
Peter invoked the name of Jesus Christ for healing power and commanded the man to walk to the chagrin of the leaders of the people. The great controversy was evident - Satan who'd brought the poor man to this condition was confronted by Christ the life-giver [John10:10]. Jesus Christ the Great Healer healed the man [Ps 107:20]. The man lept up with great joy and praise in obedience to the command. We too need to rise up resolutely and walk cheerfully with God.
The lame man had asked for money but got much more. How often do we, like the man, tend to ask for too little, material things? God in His goodness often declines only to give us something far better. Let us learn from this miracle to seek for better things and wait upon the Lord to give us what we need most and what's much better. Again Satan tried to fight against Jesus by trying to arm-twist the disciples not to mention the name of the Lord. Jesus defeated him in yet another display of the great controversy.