But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law, respected by all the people, stood up in the Council and gave orders to put the men outside for a short time. And he said to them, "Men of Israel, take care what you propose to do with these men. "For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a group of about four hundred men joined up with him. But he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. "After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census and drew away some people after him; he too perished, and all those who followed him were scattered. "So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God."Luke introduces us to a religious leader of the Jewish people named Gamaliel. Now Gamaliel was perhaps the most respected Jewish religious leader and teacher of the first century. His knowledge and his popularity were second to none. So when Gamaliel stood to speak, he had everybody’s undivided attention. Gamaliel’s advice begins with a word of caution: “Be careful about what you are considering here. Let’s think through this for a minute”. This respected leader then gives the most powerful people of the Jewish nation a history lesson: a history lesson that is recorded in both the Bible and in secular literature.
First, Gamaliel reminds the Sanhedrin of a man named Theudas, who had claimed to be the Messiah shortly after the death of Herod the Great in 4 B.C. While we do not have a great deal of information about Theudas, history tells us that his claim to be the Messiah resulted in a failed attempt to overthrow the Romans. Upon being killed, the movement that he started disappeared.
Second, Gamaliel reminds the Sanhedrin of a famous insurrectionist named Judas of Galilee. Judas the Galilean was the leader of a group of Jewish people that became known as the zealots. As a matter of fact, Simon, one of Jesus closest followers, was identified as a member of this party. Judas led the Jewish people in a revolt against the Roman Empire in 6 A.D. after a census was called in order to determine taxes for the Jewish people. This revolt was crushed by the Roman Empire and is recorded by the Jewish historian Josephus. Once Judas died, the revolt and movement disappeared.
After providing two powerful examples from history, Gamaliel makes a recommendation. This recommendation, if communicated in the language we use today, would have sounded something like this: “Members of the Sanhedrin, we have seen men who claimed to be Messiah come and go. We have seen political and religious uprisings come and go. And in every case, once the leader of the movement is gone, the movement dies. So, when it comes to this current situation, I recommend we learn from history. I recommend that instead of killing them that we just tolerate and put up with them for a while. Because if this is another attempt by man, if this is another false Messiah, this movement will die out because the leader is dead. However, if this movement really is directed by God, you do not want to find yourself fighting against God, do you?” Luke then records for us how the Sanhedrin responded to Gamaliel’s recommendation in verse 40:
They took his advice; and after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them.
As the Sanhedrin listened to the recommendation of Gamaliel, they found themselves persuaded to follow his advice. The Apostles were summoned into the council chambers, where a sentence of flogging and release was imposed. Now a natural temptation here is to simply read that they were flogged and move on. But I want us to pause to let this little phrase “they were flogged” sink in. Now you might be wondering “why pause? And what is flogging anyways?” So let’s take a minute and explain what would happen when a person was flogged.
A person who was flogged would first be stripped of clothing. Then their hands would be tied to a post above their head. The whip that was used in a flogging was made of several pieces of leather with pieces of bone and lead embedded near the ends. Two men, one on each side of the victim, usually did the flogging, which was limited to a maximum of forty stripes. The whip would be brought down again and again across the shoulders, back, and legs of the person being flogged.
At first the heavy thongs cut through the skin only. Then, as the blows continued, they cut deeper in the subcutaneous tissues, producing first an oozing of blood from the capillaries and veins of the skin, and finally spurting arterial bleeding from vessels in the underlying muscles. In many cases, after a flogging, the skin of the back would be left hanging in long ribbons and the entire area would be an unrecognizable mass of torn, bleeding tissue.
What Luke is revealing for us in this story is that these early followers of Jesus would have listened and looked on as, one by one, their closest friends experienced this punishment. They would have heard the shrieks and screams; they would have watched as the floor became covered with the blood and torn flesh of their partners in life and ministry.
Place yourself in this story as one of these early followers of Jesus. Imagine what that must have sounded like? Imagine what that must have looked like? Imagine what that must have felt like? Imagine your body being permanently disfigured and scarred. How would you respond to being treated in such a way? How would you have responded to what you would have seen and heard?
Now you might be thinking “wait a minute, Dave. I thought you said that the Sanhedrin took Gamaliel’s advice. I thought these leaders had agreed that they were going to just tolerate and put up with them for a while. If they took his advice, why are they treating them so harshly?” Here’s the thing. From their perspective, they thought they were tolerating the Apostles and were letting them off easy. Remember, the Sanhedrin’s initial response to the Apostles was to kill them.
And it is in this story that we see Luke reveal for us a timeless truth when it comes to God’s co:mission. And that timeless truth is this: God’s co:mission and message is either enthusiastically embraced or violently opposed. The timeless reality is that the message and teachings of Jesus have always provoked a strong response. So often in the accounts of Jesus life that are recorded for us in the Bible, we see the phrase “and a division occurred among them” immediately after Jesus spoke. And that division was a division of strong and polar opposites. On the same occasion, one side would respond to Jesus message and teaching by enthusiastically embracing them, while at the same time, others would respond to the same message and teachings with violent opposition. Sometimes the violent opposition came in the form or verbal attacks; sometimes the violent opposition came in the form of physical attacks; sometimes the violent opposition came in the form of mental attacks designed to trap.
We see this reality revealed throughout this story this morning. We see the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel enthusiastically embraced by multitudes of men and women. We see the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel violently opposed by the religious leaders of the day. And as Luke concludes this story, we see him reveal this reality play out in the lives of these early followers of Jesus in verse 41:
So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
The Apostles left from the Sanhedrin rejoicing in the fact that they had been permanently disfigured and scarred. The Apostles had an attitude and mindset that viewed the horrific punishment that they had received as a privilege and as recognition. The fact that they had been deprived of honor and respect in a way that would mark the rest of their life here on earth was a badge of honor. Now, how could they feel that way? What would make them respond that way?
Luke provides us the answer to these questions when he states that they rejoiced because they had suffered shame for His name. You see, the Apostles suffered because they were fully engaged and enthusiastically embraced the co:mission that they had given. They were living their lives as missionaries that revealed and reflected a genuine and authentic relationship with Jesus as they loved and served those around them and as they shared the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel. Multitudes of people responded by enthusiastically embracing that message. And those who were violently opposed to the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel treated the Apostles how they treated Jesus.
And that treatment served to reinforce that they were actually living in a way that revealed and reflected Christ and further motivated them to continue to engage and enthusiastically embrace the co:mission they had been given. Luke explains that the Apostles and other early followers of Jesus continued to gather together in the temple for corporate times of worship and teaching and continued to scatter into smaller groups in the city of Jerusalem. The Apostles and these other followers of Jesus recognized what followers of Jesus throughout history have come to recognize, which is that God’s co:mission is either enthusiastically embraced or violently opposed.
Here is something to consider: If no one is embracing and engaging you and no one is opposing you as you live your life because you are a follower of Jesus, could it be that the reason that is the case is because your life is not revealing and reflecting Christ? Because the timeless reality is that God’s co:mission and message is either enthusiastically embraced or violently opposed.
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