On the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem; and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent. When they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, "By what power, or in what name, have you done this?"
As we enter back into the story of Peter and John’s arrest, Luke paints for us the scene that will provide the backdrop to what will happen next. After spending the night in jail, Peter and John were brought before the Sanhedrin. Now the Sanhedrin was the senate and Supreme Court of the Jewish nation. The Sanhedrin comprised the political, religious, and judicial leaders of the Jewish people that formed their governing body. These were the most powerful people in the nation gathered together in one room. In our culture today, this would be the equivalent of having the members of the house, senate and the justices of the Supreme Court together.
In addition, there were the religious leaders of the Jewish people. Luke tells us that both Annas, who was the former high priest, and Caiaphas, who was the current high priest, were present at the meeting, along with two men named John and Alexander. While we are not exactly sure who John and Alexander were, those reading Luke’s letter would be very familiar with who John and Alexander were. What is so significant about these men is that these were the very men who had condemned Jesus to death. These were the very men, who only a few months earlier had arrested Jesus, tried Jesus, convicted Jesus, and handed over Jesus to be crucified. And now Peter and John found themselves not only before the very men who had condemned Jesus to death; Peter and John also found themselves before the entire political and judicial leadership of the Jewish nation.
Now, imagine yourself in this story as Peter and John. Put yourself in the shoes of Peter and John as they stand in the middle of the room surrounded by the most powerful and prominent men in the Jewish nation. And as you stand in the center of this room surrounded by 70-80 of the most powerful men of the Jewish nation, they begin to question and interrogate you. And the question that they ask you is direct and to the point: "By what power, or in what name, have you done this?" In other words “How were you able to do this? How were you able to heal this man who had been crippled and unable to walk his entire life?”
You are Peter and John; what would you be thinking? How would you be feeling right about now? You are face to face with the very men who had condemned Jesus. You are face to face with the most powerful people in the nation. One word from these men and you are dead. So, what would you be thinking? How would you be feeling? And how would you respond? Luke records for us Peter’s response in the verses that follow. Let’s look at them together:
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well,
Luke tells us that Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit. As he faced the religious, political, and judicial leaders of the Jewish nation, Peter was equipped and empowered by the Holy Spirit to respond to their questioning. And Peter begins his response by revealing the ridiculous nature of the situation, because the situation that Peter and John were in seemed to make no sense. Normally, in the Jewish and Roman culture of the day, a person who performed such an act of healing or rescue would be brought before the Sanhedrin to receive a civic award. But Peter and John were not receiving a reward for what they had done; instead Peter and John were being put on trial for what they had done.
If Peter was making his response in the language we use in our culture today, his response would sound something like this: “So you mean to tell me that we have been ordered to testify at a judicial hearing in front of the most powerful people in the Jewish nation because we saved someone from a devastating physical disease? Seriously? Instead of giving us an award, you want to put us on trial because you want to know how we were able to save someone from a lifetime of physical suffering? Well, if that is why we are in front of you today, if you want to know how and more importantly why we were able to heal this man, here is the answer.”
Tomorrow, we will see their answer and discover a timeless principle. In the meantime, have you ever been in an intimidating situation. What were you feeling? What were you thinking? How did you respond to that situation?
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