The next day the council of all the rulers and elders and teachers of religious law met in Jerusalem. Annas the high priest was there, along with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and other relatives of the high priest. They brought in [Peter and John] and demanded, "By what power, or in whose name, have you [healed the lame man]?"
— Acts 4:5-7 NLT
Key Thought
All the Jewish powerbrokers in Jerusalem met to try to solve their Jesus problem. They had crucified Jesus, but that backfired on them with his resurrection. They found themselves trying to prevent things from getting out of control. These bigwigs called two simple, Galilean fishermen who were followers of Jesus to appear before them. They questioned them. Then, they made a terrible mistake. They asked: "By what power, or in whose name, have you [healed the lame man]?" Ouch for them and glory to God. We know what the answer was before Luke gave it in the next verses (Acts 4:8-12). Nevertheless, we do need to notice that this was one of many times that no matter the circumstance, scripture, question, or problem, the disciples always ended up with the same answer: Jesus! Shouldn't all our conversations about everything always end up with the same focus? I love how Paul stated: "For all of God's promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding 'Yes!' And through Christ, our 'Amen' (which means 'Yes') ascends to God for his glory" (2 Corinthians 1:20).
Today's Prayer
Father, thank you for Jesus. He is my answer for everything that life throws at me and every opportunity you place before me. Thank you for my love, my joy, and my answer — Jesus of Nazareth, your Son, and my Savior, through whom I live, rejoice, and pray. Amen.
Related Scripture Readings
- Philippians 2:5-11
- Colossians 1:15-23
Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Sunday, February 25, 2024
Illustration
![Illustration of Acts 4:5-7 NLT — The next day the council of all the rulers and elders and teachers of religious law met in Jerusalem. Annas the high priest was there, along with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and other relatives of the high priest. They brought in [Peter and John] and demanded, "By what power, or in whose name, have you [healed the lame man]?"](https://img.heartlight.org/overlazy/creations/24637.jpg "Illustration of Acts 4:5-7 NLT — The next day the council of all the rulers and elders and teachers of religious law met in Jerusalem. Annas the high priest was there, along with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and other relatives of the high priest. They brought in [Peter and John] and demanded, \"By what power, or in whose name, have you [healed the lame man]?\"")
About This Devotional
Unstoppable! is a one-year devotional guide through the book of Acts. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage, a reflection and a prayer. The reflection opens up the day's scripture and shows how it challenges one to live for Jesus.
Unstoppable! is written by Phil Ware.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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