The Problem with Resurrection

Welcome

Good morning and welcome to church. It’s a blessing to be here and to see you all here today.

As I was preparing for the message today, I wanted for us to keep moving forward with our study in the book of Acts, but I was also aware of the fact that today is Palm Sunday and we are entering into Holy Week. Believe it or not, next Sunday is Easter!

We’ve been in the book of Acts, in particular looking at the events surrounding Peter and John’s healing of the paralytic man at the temple gates, their arrest and trial before the Sanhedrin Council, who were the ruling authorities in Jerusalem under Roman oversight.

As I reflected on this, I realized that I have already been preaching a direct connection between this event and Christ’s crucifixion and that some of the events connect back with the events surrounding Palm Sunday, Christ’s arrival in Jerusalem.

Let’s start today with our passage from Acts and then we’ll link it back to the triumphal entry of Palm Sunday...

Acts 4:13–22 CSB

13 When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus. 14 And since they saw the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in opposition. 15 After they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin, they conferred among themselves, 16 saying, “What should we do with these men? For an obvious sign has been done through them, clear to everyone living in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17 But so that this does not spread any further among the people, let’s threaten them against speaking to anyone in this name again.” 18 So they called for them and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 Peter and John answered them, “Whether it’s right in the sight of God for us to listen to you rather than to God, you decide; 20 for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” 21 After threatening them further, they released them. They found no way to punish them because the people were all giving glory to God over what had been done. 22 For this sign of healing had been performed on a man over forty years old.

[pray]

I went to college and studied for my undergraduate bachelor’s degree at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia, Arkansas. Now, you’re going to laugh, but our mascot at SAU is the Mulerider. Now, I know that sounds a little bizarre, but in rural southwestern Arkansas there was a day when young farmers would work the fields, using the family mule to pull the plow. Then they would ride the mule into school to study and learn state-of-the-science agricultural methods that would improve their farming yields and thus, their bottom line.

Here’s a short promotional video from my alma mater: https://youtu.be/NLO29yucjVk?si=O_XcVT0kzpasqshA

Yes, that’s really my hometown in Arkansas. I know some of those people that appear in that video. They still go to the church in which I was called to ministry. And yes, I’m a Mulerider too.

Now while that Mulerider holding the flag looked majestic riding with the sun setting behind her, most people don’t consider mules and donkeys to be elegant or majestic animals.

I. The Council Deliberates & Decides

You may remember that Peter & John had been taken into custody by the religious council after they healed the paralytic at the temple gate and then began preaching the gospel, gathering a large group in the temple causing a commotion prior to the afternoon prayer.

Peter and John were arrested and held for questioning. During their questioning, Peter took the opportunity to boldly share the gospel and preach an appropriate message to the Jewish council. He told them that they had collaborated against their long-awaited Messiah and murdered him on a Roman cross, a brutal and horrible way to die.

Our text picks up at that point...

A. The Council Had a Problem

Acts 4:13–14 CSB

13 When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus. 14 And since they saw the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in opposition.

The problem that we see here is that the Sanhedrin Council, the leaders of the Jewish religious community, had committed themselves to a course of action in the plot against Jesus and they could not change course, even though they had proof in front of them that physical healing had taken place in the name of Jesus Christ. This living proof really complicated matters for them.

They were trapped, since they could not deny the miracle that stood in their presence and additionally they could not explain how these “uneducated and untrained men” had taken part in the miracle and stood before them defying them publicly.

Peter and John were ordinary men, fishermen by trade, though they had studied under the rogue rabbi, Jesus of Nazareth. They were nowhere near being the highly trained religious professionals that sat on the council judging their participation in the disturbance at the temple gate.

The Council’s problem was that they had taken a position against Christ and these followers of Christ were stirring up trouble at the temple and continuing to preach the message that had caused them so much trouble. And seemingly these ordinary commoners were getting bolder in their message. Peter and John continued to preach the message, citing passages from the Old Testament scriptures. Their message was continuing to incite a dangerous reaction among the residents of Jerusalem.

B. The Council Took a Position

The Council continued to dig themselves deeper into a hole as they commited themselves further against their Messiah...

Acts 4:15–16 CSB

15 After they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin, they conferred among themselves, 16 saying, “What should we do with these men? For an obvious sign has been done through them, clear to everyone living in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.

I find that wording interesting in verse 16, “an obvious sign has been done through them, clear to everyone living in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.”

The problem with the Council’s position is that they had already committed themselves to a lie that they had propagated after Jesus’ death...

Matthew 28:11–15 CSB

11 As they were on their way, some of the guards came into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 After the priests had assembled with the elders and agreed on a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money 13 and told them, “Say this, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him while we were sleeping.’ 14 If this reaches the governor’s ears, we will deal with him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 They took the money and did as they were instructed, and this story has been spread among Jewish people to this day.

Again, their biggest concern throughout these events was to maintain the uneasy peace that they had with the Roman government that controlled Jerusalem. The very peace that had put them in control over Jerusalem under the oversight of the Roman government.

The Council decided to double down on their position by moving to threats against the apostles...

Acts 4:17–18 CSB

17 But so that this does not spread any further among the people, let’s threaten them against speaking to anyone in this name again.” 18 So they called for them and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

The Council stated their primary concern here was that the gospel message of Jesus Christ be completely squelched. Their greatest desire was that this message go no further to create further feelings against the Roman government.

They wanted the end of Jesus to be the end of any possibility for rebellion.

C. The Council Abandoned the Gospel

Peter and John had a response for the Council when they were ordered to be silent, though I don’t think their response was expected...

Acts 4:19–20 CSB

19 Peter and John answered them, “Whether it’s right in the sight of God for us to listen to you rather than to God, you decide; 20 for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

Such a bold and brave response!

Acts 4:21–22 CSB

21 After threatening them further, they released them. They found no way to punish them because the people were all giving glory to God over what had been done. 22 For this sign of healing had been performed on a man over forty years old.

The Council really had no case against the apostles. They had no way to punish them because the miraculous sign had been so clear.

However, the Council had already proven themselves in the betrayal of their Messiah Jesus in the way they sent him to the Roman cross.

II. Background on the Sanhedrin Council

This Sanhedrin Council was the council of ruling religious leaders in Israel. These ruling Jews were comprised of Pharisees and Sadducees, and Jesus seemed to almost constantly have conflicts with them.

The Pharisees and Sadducees were different yet similar religious sects of Judaism.

We often fail to understand these nuances of religious society, applying labels and lumping all the religious leaders into the category of Pharisee. Let’s look at these two groups, so that we can understand how their beliefs and understanding of faith influenced the way that they interacted with the gospel message...

The Sadducees - were conservative, literalists in the interpretation of written scripture (what we call the Old Testament).

rejected the idea of resurrection of the dead

rejected the idea of an afterlife, believing that the soul perished after death

rejected the idea of an unseen spiritual world, including angels and demons

tended to be more wealthy and aristocratic

held power in the temple at Jerusalem

had a friendly working relationship with Rome

held control of the Sanhedrin Council during the events surrounding Christ’s death and resurrection

The Pharisees - gave equal authority to the oral tradtion, in addition to the written text of scripture.

accepted that the resurrection of the dead was possible

accepted the idea of an afterlife and both reward and punishment

accepted the idea of an unseen spiritual world, including the existence of angels and demons

represented the common working people

held control in the synagogues (smaller and more remote areas)

resisted Roman rule

Jesus had many debates with the Pharisees, yet only encountered the Saducees near then end of his ministry. There are likely several reasons for this...

Much of Jesus’ ministry was in outlying regions rather than in Jerusalem itself. He only came into Jerusalem for the Passover, which led into the Passion week and his death on the cross.

Jesus disagreed with the Pharasaical tradition of adding to scripture by including the oral tradition. He told them in Mark 7:8 “8 Abandoning the command of God, you hold on to human tradition.””

Jesus encountered the Sadducees when he entered Jerusalem and began endangering their political hold on the temple and the governmental oversight of Jerusalem. As I have told you, they feared that Jesus might bring unwanted Roman attention, upsetting the power structure that they held tightly and jealously guarded.

When the Pharisees and the Sadducees found a common enemy in Jesus, they united and conspired against him. One of the events that set people to talking was the resurrection of Lazarus, in which Jesus brought his dead friend back to life and escorted him out of the grave as a way of showing his closest friends and disciples that he wasn’t just talking about some hypothetical resurrection at some point far off in the future.

The Sanhedrin had a negative response to Lazarus’ resurrection, as you might imagine...

John 11:45–50 CSB

45 Therefore, many of the Jews who came to Mary and saw what he did believed in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and were saying, “What are we going to do since this man is doing many signs? 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” 49 One of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all! 50 You’re not considering that it is to your advantage that one man should die for the people rather than the whole nation perish.”

This was not Jesus’ first conflict with the religious authorities. After a discussion regarding whether or not Jews should pay the Roman tax, the Sadducees challenged Jesus regarding the resurrection of the dead. Jesus gave an answer that might even challenge some of our own beliefs about the afterlife...

Matthew 22:29–32 CSB

29 Jesus answered them, “You are mistaken, because you don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like angels in heaven. 31 Now concerning the resurrection of the dead, haven’t you read what was spoken to you by God: 32 I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”

III. Jesus Entered Jerusalem as a King

It was this kind of verbal quarrelling with the Sadducees that put Jesus in their crosshairs.

Jesus was gaining an immense following, first outside the city, then within Jerusalem. As he came into the city, there were many who looked to him as the one who would throw off their Roman oppressors and bring Israel into a place of power and authority. The residents of Jerusalem were expecting their Messiah to incite a rebellion and become their king.

It was Passover and many who had heard Jesus out in the synagogues had brought tales of the coming of their Messiah into the city. There were probably around 2 million people in the city for the national holiday.

As Jesus and the disciples prepared to enter the city, Jesus made preparations for the only display of his authority and credentials to take the throne as king of Israel.

Matthew 21:1–3 CSB

1 When they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives, Jesus then sent two disciples, 2 telling them, “Go into the village ahead of you. At once you will find a donkey tied there with her colt. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them at once.”

Jesus was setting this up so that a prophecy from the prophet Zechariah (9:9) might be fulfilled.

Matthew 21:4–5 CSB

4 This took place so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled: 5 Tell Daughter Zion, “See, your King is coming to you, gentle, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

Now, I realize that a mule is not a donkey, but they both are considered quite humble and lowly compared to horses and other beasts of burden.

You might not associate the lowly donkey with kings, but this prophecy made the donkey and her colt the royal animal of Jewish kings. Not only did Jesus enter Jerusalem on a donkey, but he road the donkey’s colt with the mother walking alongside...

Matthew 21:6–11 CSB

6 The disciples went and did just as Jesus directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt; then they laid their clothes on them, and he sat on them. 8 A very large crowd spread their clothes on the road; others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them on the road. 9 Then the crowds who went ahead of him and those who followed shouted: Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven! 10 When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in an uproar, saying, “Who is this?” 11 The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Jesus entry into Jerusalem had all the signs that scared the Sadducees that a revolt was on the horizon. This is precisely why the Sadducees moved to silence Christ and as a result felt that they had to silence the apostles as well.

We’re going to look next week at the crucifixion and the resurrection of Christ as we celebrate Easter together.

Conclusion