2018 Weekly Devotional - Week 13

Week 13

Acts 4:1-14 “And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.3 And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand. 5 On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6 with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well.11 This Jesus[a] is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.[b] 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men[c] by which we must be saved.” 13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. 14 But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. 15 But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, 16 saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17 But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” 18 So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, “

Popular culture tells us that the “most interesting man in the world” drinks a certain alcoholic beverage. How shallow! If that character is the most interesting man in the world his influence can only extend to our choice of a brew. Is it not telling that we as a culture associate what we deem to be most interesting with an alcoholic beverage? I know someone who is far more interesting and influential. He was born alongside railroad tracks in Denison, Texas but his family soon moved to Kansas where his father worked at a creamery. He was just an ordinary kid who enjoyed hunting, fishing, and athletics. He was an ordinary student and after graduation from High School worked for two years at an ordinary job before applying to college. He was accepted into the U.S. Military Academy and graduated 61 out of 164. He was just an ordinary cadet. He married an ordinary girl from Texas and started a family. Not many would call him interesting much less influential. However, he ended up serving with extraordinary men like George Patton and under extraordinary men like Admiral Pershing, General Douglas MacArthur, and General George Marshall. By June 6, 1944 he was the Supreme Allied Commander. Dwight D. Eisenhower was just an ordinary man who did extraordinary things and was very influential.
The Bible says that the Jewish authorities understood that Peter and John were uneducated and untrained men, just ordinary guys. There was no denying that these ordinary men had played a part in a bona fide miracle. After all the formerly crippled man was standing with them! What the authorities could not reconcile in their minds was how these ordinary men had done such an extraordinary thing! But the authorities also took note that these men had been with Jesus. In all of history there has never been a person like Jesus. He is the most extraordinary person of all time. Fully God and fully man! We are not asked to be extraordinary people. We are not asked to do extraordinary things on our own or in our own strength. We are asked to serve with and under an extraordinary person! When we do so, Jesus can do extraordinary things through us. So this begs the question; are you spending time with Jesus? Would others recognize that you have spent time with Jesus? He is the most interesting man in the world!

In Christ,

John