Fighting Against God - Acts 5:12-42

© April 27th, 2025 by Rev. Rick Goettsche SERIES: Acts

Americans love a good underdog story. We love it when the big guys lose and the little guys come out on top. This is a common theme in sports, and we often end up rooting for the underdogs. Take the Chicago Cubs, for example. After 107 years, when the Cubs finally had a chance to win a world series, most people (even many of you Cardinals fans) were rooting for them. It was time. The same thing had happened with the Boston Red Sox a few years earlier (though Cardinals fans may not have celebrated that victory as readily). Movies like Rudy, Rocky, The Bad News Bears, The Mighty Ducks, Remember the Titans, and others like them hold a special place in our hearts. And we refer to events like the 1980 US men’s Olympic hockey team winning the gold medal as “The Miracle on Ice.” We love when the underdog wins, and thus tell ourselves that anyone can prove victorious on any day.

Today, we get to see that there are some situations where the underdog can’t win—and that’s ok. When someone puts themselves up against the Lord, they will most assuredly lose. The flip side, however, is that if we are on the Lord’s side, it doesn’t matter what the odds against us may be, He will ultimately prove victorious.

Healings

Today we pick up in the middle of Acts chapter 5. We last saw the early Christians dealing with the fallout of the sin of Ananias and Sapphira. The church had begun to show incredible generosity, and Ananias and Sapphira desired to appear generous in the eyes of others and had thus misrepresented their gift (which was generous, but maybe not as generous as others). The result was that God took their lives instantly, which struck great fear into the church and the surrounding community as they saw God’s power and holiness on display.

After that account, Luke turns his attention back outside the walls of the church and gives us a glimpse of what the early days of this ministry were like.

12 The apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 But no one else dared to join them, even though all the people had high regard for them. 14 Yet more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord—crowds of both men and women. 15 As a result of the apostles’ work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall across some of them as he went by. 16 Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed. (Acts 5:12-16, NLT)

The early days of the church were marked by an abundance of signs and wonders. The apostles did all sorts of miracles, but they were also continually teaching the scriptures. It is interesting that Luke tells us that though people held the apostles in high regard, many didn’t dare to join them. One must assume that this was because of the stories of Ananias and Sapphira. People were interested in what the disciples were doing but were also leery of committing to their cause. This may be the reason God performed such miracles through the disciples here—it was a way to testify to His power through them, so that even though people were afraid, they also had to take note and listen.

Apparently, the apostles were healing all sorts of people. Their reputations had become so prominent that people would bring sick people into the streets in hopes that even Peter’s shadow passing over them might bring them healing. We aren’t told that people were healed because of Peter’s shadow (though God could certainly do that), but this gives us a sense of how well-known their healing abilities were.

Another important aspect of this was that people began to come from villages around Jerusalem to seek healing from the apostles. This was the beginning of the fulfillment of Jesus’ statement that they would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. People were now coming from Judea, the area around Jerusalem. And the disciples healed all those who came.

We must always be careful in these accounts, however. Some have concluded that God will heal every person who desires genuine healing (and has genuine faith). But we must remember the context. In the book of Acts, the Lord was establishing the ministry of the apostles in a places, and such expansions often were accompanied by many miraculous signs in those places. While God absolutely has the power to heal every person who comes to Him, it is also apparent that He does not always do so.

I think it reasonable to conclude that while God healed everyone who came in these times, it was to solidify and validate the ministry as it took hold in a new place. It would be wrong to conclude that God’s intent is always to heal every physical ailment in every place. I think it is just as possible that sometimes the Lord chooses not to heal for His own good purposes as well.

Similarly, when Luke talks about the disciples driving out evil spirits, it would be wrong to conclude that every illness is a result of demonic activity. Demons are real and can cause genuine problems for human beings (including physical ailments), but not every sickness is a result of demonic activity. We must always be careful to read passages like this in their broader context. They are reporting what happened at this particular time and place, not necessarily making sweeping statements for us to apply to all times and places.

Opposition

As you might expect, this kind of ministry attracted a lot of attention. And if you recall, Peter and John had gotten in trouble with the religious leaders before for healing and preaching in the temple. The religious leaders had told them to knock it off, but they insisted that they must obey God rather than men. So, they kept preaching and healing. It should not come as a huge surprise to us, then, that they encountered additional opposition from the religious leaders.

17 The high priest and his officials, who were Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But an angel of the Lord came at night, opened the gates of the jail, and brought them out. Then he told them, 20 “Go to the Temple and give the people this message of life!”

21 So at daybreak the apostles entered the Temple, as they were told, and immediately began teaching. When the high priest and his officials arrived, they convened the high council—the full assembly of the elders of Israel. Then they sent for the apostles to be brought from the jail for trial. 22 But when the Temple guards went to the jail, the men were gone. So they returned to the council and reported, 23 “The jail was securely locked, with the guards standing outside, but when we opened the gates, no one was there!” 24 When the captain of the Temple guard and the leading priests heard this, they were perplexed, wondering where it would all end. 25 Then someone arrived with startling news: “The men you put in jail are standing in the Temple, teaching the people!” (Acts 5:17-25, NLT)

We are told that the high priest and his officials were motivated by jealousy. They wanted to be the authority, they wanted to be the people of honor, but the apostles were stealing that place from them. It is interesting that Luke describes jealousy as their motive, and not a desire to correct false teaching (though they certainly would have described the apostles’ teaching as such). They became so angry with them that they had them all arrested and put in jail. The way the text reads leads us to think that they probably arrested all twelve of the apostles and threw them in jail!

I wonder what the scene was like in the jail that night. In other places in Acts, we will see that the apostles tended not to behave like ordinary prisoners. In some cases, they spent the night singing and rejoicing in who God is. I have no problem believing that’s what they did on this night as well.

Though Luke doesn’t tell us much about what the disciples did that night, he does tell us about the actions of an angel. He said that an angel of the Lord came during the night, opened the gates of the jail, led them out, and then told them to start preaching again.

I have lots of questions about what this was like, but they aren’t answered for us here. Elsewhere in Acts, we see times where God miraculously delivered the apostles from prison, and made it so the guards were unaware of what was happening. Something similar must have happened here because in the morning when the guards went to retrieve the apostles, they discovered they weren’t there, but the gates were still securely locked!

I don’t want you to miss the irony that Luke intends for us to see here. Luke makes a special point to mention that the people who threw the apostles in jail were Sadducees. Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection, and they also did not believe in the spiritual realm. This would include angels. Yet, it was angels who delivered the disciples! Just because you don’t believe in something doesn’t mean it isn’t real! Luke mentions this because he wants us to see the irony of the apostles’ deliverance.

That morning, when the religious leaders got themselves dressed and ready for the trial and assembled the rest of the Sanhedrin, they expected to be in a position of power and authority, hopefully having softened up the apostles by leaving them to rot in jail overnight. They hoped their display of power might weaken their resolve. But the apostles’ resolve was stronger than ever. The religious leaders were shocked to find that no one in the temple guard knew where they were. They were even more shocked when someone came running to tell them that they had found the apostles… back in the temple square, preaching more boldly than ever!

This was not the way the high priest and his cronies had expected this day to begin. They felt that they must right the ship quickly.

Further Threats

They faced a problem. These men were supposed to be on trial, but they were becoming ever more popular, and they weren’t sure how best to handle them.

26 The captain went with his Temple guards and arrested the apostles, but without violence, for they were afraid the people would stone them. 27 Then they brought the apostles before the high council, where the high priest confronted them. 28 “We gave you strict orders never again to teach in this man’s name!” he said. “Instead, you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching about him, and you want to make us responsible for his death!”

29 But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. 30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead after you killed him by hanging him on a cross. 31 Then God put him in the place of honor at his right hand as Prince and Savior. He did this so the people of Israel would repent of their sins and be forgiven. 32 We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey him.” (Acts 5:26-32, NLT)

They tried to arrest the apostles somewhat gently and quietly, because they were afraid that to do anything more might cause a riot. They finally brought the apostles before the Sanhedrin, where the high priest himself addressed them. He reminded them that they had previously told them never to preach in Jesus’ name again. Note, however, that he carefully avoided saying the name of Jesus. He hated that Jesus had become more popular and powerful than they had, so he refused to even say the name himself.

He also accused the apostles of trying to make them (the religious leaders) responsible for the man’s death. This is an ironic charge, since Pilate said Jesus had done nothing worthy of death, so he said Jesus’ blood would not be on his hands. Do you remember what the religious leaders said?

25 And all the people yelled back, “We will take responsibility for his death—we and our children!” (Matthew 27:25, NLT)

The religious leaders were responsible for Jesus’ death, but they did not want to admit it. They wanted to blame the apostles for engaging in a smear campaign. But the apostles were simply speaking the truth.

Peter and the apostles did not back down. Much as they had done the last time, they spoke truth to the men who believed themselves the most powerful people in the land. Peter reiterated his previous statement that they had to obey God rather than any human authority, and then proceeded to proclaim the gospel message once more in the middle of the Sanhedrin.

Resolution

None of this was playing out the way the high priest and other religious leaders had planned. They were not sure how best to proceed, until one wise rabbi spoke up.

33 When they heard this, the high council was furious and decided to kill them. 34 But one member, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, who was an expert in religious law and respected by all the people, stood up and ordered that the men be sent outside the council chamber for a while. 35 Then he said to his colleagues, “Men of Israel, take care what you are planning to do to these men! 36 Some time ago there was that fellow Theudas, who pretended to be someone great. About 400 others joined him, but he was killed, and all his followers went their various ways. The whole movement came to nothing. 37 After him, at the time of the census, there was Judas of Galilee. He got people to follow him, but he was killed, too, and all his followers were scattered.

38 “So my advice is, leave these men alone. Let them go. If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God!” 40 The others accepted his advice. They called in the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go. (Acts 5:33-40, NLT)

The council wanted to kill these men but knew they couldn’t. Their hands seemed to be tied. Then a Pharisee named Gamaliel spoke up. Gamaliel was the grandson of the famous rabbi Hillel and was a respected rabbi in his own right. Most of us are familiar with one of his students, a man known as Saul, but who later became known as Paul. It seems likely that young Saul was likely still studying under the wise rabbi at this time.

Gamaliel was a Pharisee, and therefore did not agree with the Sadducees about much of anything. He probably did not agree with the apostles either. But he advocated a wiser approach. He cited several other examples of people who had claimed to be the Messiah, but whose campaigns eventually fizzled out. His point was simple—if they are not of God, they will ultimately fail. But if they are, we will not be able to stop them!

Of course, Gamliel was right, though the best response would have been to say, “So let us examine their claims in detail to see if they are right or not!” But he did not do that. Nonetheless, the rest of the council agreed with him and decided against killing the apostles. Instead, they ordered them to be flogged (whipped severely, causing significant lacerations across the back and chest), and to never speak the name of Jesus again. It was one more attempt to flex their muscles and get their way.

But it didn’t dissuade the apostles.

41 The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. 42 And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: “Jesus is the Messiah.” (Acts 5:41-42, NLT)

They rejoiced at their hardships. They saw their suffering as a sign that God counted them worthy. Rather than cursing God for allowing them to be beaten, they rejoiced that God had given them the opportunity to serve Him in a way that was making such a significant impact. After all, you don’t attack someone who isn’t a threat. The disciples understood that God was using them to do something amazing. So they continued to preach boldly about Jesus everywhere they went.

Conclusion

So where does this account leave us? What are we to learn from it? First, God will always prevail. In the times when it seems like darkness is winning, remember that God is still on the throne. His purposes cannot be thwarted. This should give us boldness and should even lead us to behave in ways that won’t make sense to the rest of the world. We can stand boldly against the most powerful forces around us, knowing that if we are on the Lord’s side, nothing can stop us. That truth should give us boldness in serving Him.

Second, blessing does not always mean deliverance from hardships. We tend to think that being blessed by God means being spared any suffering or difficulties. But that isn’t what the scriptures teach at all. On the contrary, the disciples all suffered greatly for their faith. We must understand that there are blessings far greater than comfort and ease, and often it is only in those hard times that we can genuinely see God’s work, and it is often only in the hard times that we are able to learn the lessons He wants to teach. Do not be afraid of hard things, and do not assume that hard times are necessarily God punishing you. He may be teaching you and opening you to a greater blessing yet.

Finally, we must always keep the focus on Jesus. The goal of the religious leaders was to keep the disciples from talking about Jesus. They tried to do it by force, but that’s not the only tactic Satan uses. He sometimes uses distraction instead. If he can get us to focus on other things instead of Christ, he accomplishes the same thing. Remember that the world needs Jesus, and we should keep our focus on Him. Make it your aim to testify to Jesus everywhere and with everyone. The disciples understood this, and would not let anything dissuade them or distract them from this singular goal. We should follow their example in our lives as well.

© April 27th, 2025 by Rev. Rick Goettsche SERIES: Acts