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By: Pastor Matt You may listen to this devotion in audio form via podcast here.
Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
- Acts 4:18-20
Have you ever witnessed something amazing? Maybe you had great seats at a football game, and the spectacular, game winning play happened right in front of you. You can’t wait to tell your friends and family about it. You tell the story over and over, to anyone who will listen. You recount every detail of what happened, the loud roar of the crowd, the pure joy in seeing your team win. You cannot help speaking about what you have seen and heard.
It is often similar when we are a new Christian. We can’t help but speaking about what we have seen and heard. We’ll tell anyone who will listen about how the Lord has changed our life, and the free gift of salvation that is available to everyone.
Over time, though, it can be easy to lose this same excitement and energy for the gospel. We slip into an easy, comfortable routine of a life in which we don’t really share the great and good news that we have encountered in Christ.
There are lots of reasons for this. Sometimes it is like our reading today, when there are social pressures not to speak of the Lord. We may not have the Sanhedrin commanding us not to speak the name of Jesus. But it is increasingly easy to find ourselves in a position—out in public, or at work, or among unbelieving friends—where we feel pressures to leave Jesus out of things. If so, Peter and John are an encouraging example to us.
At the beginning of our reading, in verse 13, the elders and the teachers of the law “took note that these men (Peter and John) had been with Jesus.” Maybe that is the key to the whole passage. This chapter is talking about Peter and John being with Jesus during his time on earth, through his ministry, his death and resurrection, and his ascension. In order for us to witness to Christ, to feel compelled to speak about what we have seen and heard, we need to encounter and know the Savior.
Of course, we did not live with and follow him for three years during his time on earth like Peter and John did. But we do need to encounter him in our lives—through Word and Sacrament, and prayer, and in the community of God’s people, the church. This is why being in worship on a weekly basis is essential to the life of a Christian. It is less a religious or social obligation than it is a divine promise that God has made to us that he will show up. The means of grace—Word, Sacrament, and prayer—are the ways the Lord has promised to be present. Do you encounter him there?
Over time, coming to worship can become drudgery. Maybe we find ourselves taking more weekends at the coast, or we let other obligations keep us away. Or maybe we show up physically, but stop expecting to find Jesus there. Ask the Spirit for eyes to see and ears to hear. Pray that God you open you to his living Word. Ask the Lord to make you his witness, where you again cannot help speaking about what you have seen and heard.
Lord God, we wish to see Jesus. By your Spirit’s power, give us eyes to see his glory. Through Christ we pray. Amen.