“In & Out of Jail”

Acts 5:17-21 

17 Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. 20 “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.”

21 At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.

Parole

The Philippine President Benigno Aquino III was not happy that the convicted former Batangas Governor Jose Antonio Leviste was granted parole.

Leviste was freed on parole following the approval of his parole application for serving the minimum term of his prison sentence.

Leviste was convicted in 2009 for the murder of his long-time aide.

In 2011, Leviste was found by NBI agents at his office in Makati, instead of serving his prison time in jail.

“I can’t understand why they had to set free someone who had demonstrated his readiness to defy the law even while supposedly behind bars,” Aquino said, referring to Leviste’s walking out of prison in 2011 and staying at his office in Makati City.

Imprisoned for a crime committed is justifiable but to be imprisoned for jealousy is upsetting.

The high priest and all his associates arrested the apostles because of jealousy.

1. Jealous

17 Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.

The high priest did not consent to the apostles’ preaching about the resurrection Jesus. The high priest and all his associates were Sadducees who did not believe in resurrection.

The high priest was supposed to be leading the Jewish people in their faith in God. Because of politics, the process of choosing the high priest has been corrupted. The high priest and all his associates belonged to the party of Sadducees.

The Sadducees strongly opposed the preaching of the resurrection of the dead. Why?

In politics, there is a party for the administration and party for opposition. Since the high priest belongs to the party of the Sadducees, they were the administration. There was also an opposition party which was the political party of the Pharisees. The Pharisees believe in resurrection and eternity while the Sadducees did not.

That was the very reason they extremely dislike each other’s political group. It’s similar to the obvious political differences among political parties these days.

It was not the Pharisees who put the apostles in jail but the Sadducees. The Apostles were testifying about resurrection and that favored the Pharisee Party. The Apostles were doing wonders, healing the sick or those tormented by impure spirits.

The high priest and all his associates were not against healing but the apostles who were not even residents of Jerusalem were getting all the attention. They needed to stop the preaching of resurrection or else, the seat of the high priest might be given to the party of the Pharisees.

Their political interest was not outwardly mentioned when they involved the Pharisees and used the same reason when they crucified Christ.

In John11: 48 we recall… 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”

The Jewish leaders were given privileges to lead their people under the Roman Empire. If they cannot control the people, the Roman Soldiers will take charge. If that happens, all their privileges financial and prestige will be taken away from them.

Barangay Election

Barangay Election in the Philippines is actively participated not only by the wealthy. Even people who do not have campaign funds want to be elected as chairman. More people wanted to be elected because they perceive that the offices of elected government officials are another means of employment or source of income. The noble purpose of serving the people is not a main agendum but to earn.

Remember the parable of Jesus about the workers in the vineyard in Matthew 20:6-7About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ 7 “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.

Under the Roman Empire, there was also a problem of employment in Israel. The high priest and all his associates maintain peace and order to protect their offices. They put the apostles in jail to protect their offices, source of income, and prestige. They were afraid the apostles were a threat to their offices, their source of livelihood. The best way to secure their office is to eliminate all threats like the apostles.

The jealousy that filled the high priest and all his associates made the apostles arrested.

Being locked up in jail was not enough to put off the fire of apostles’ zealousness to teach others

2. Zealous

19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. 20 “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.” 21 At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.

The apostle understood the threats and knew the danger they were facing. Their zealousness in preaching, however, did not come from human inspiration but from God.

An angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out.

There were stationed guards guarding and the doors of the jail were securely locked. An angel of the Lord appeared and helped them got out of jail and gave them instruction.

As they were told, they entered the temple courts and began to teach the people. The apostles did not device a plan of going to the temple courts, not on their own initiatives. They did not intend to escape nor propose a strategy on how to continue teaching.

An angel of the Lord helped them to be freed and told them what to do next.

Did the angel show himself in a visible form of man? How was the angel of the Lord looked like? How did the author of Acts or the apostles know that it was an angel of the Lord? Did the angel introduce himself as angel of the Lord to the apostles?

Those questions were not readily answered in our passage.

Two things are sure: They were freed and instructed to continue teaching the people.

In our generation, not many people, not even so-called Christians would believe if you were to claim that an angel of the Lord appeared to you. We do not need to argue or debate about angels’ appearing but we are for sure, have heard or even read instructions for us to keep teaching about the resurrection of Christ.

Angels or not, the Lord has various means of reminding us that we were mandated to tell others about the death and resurrection of Christ.

Are we to go on our initiatives or are we to wait for zealousness to go and witness?

The zealousness that filled the apostles despite the dangers or threats from the high priest and all his associates was the result of being filled with the Holy Spirit. They entered the temple courts and began to teach the people as soon as they were freed and heard instruction from the angel of the Lord.

The Lord  Jesus Himself will give us zeal and peace when we are filled with His Spirit. Zeal and peace from God is the inner experience of assurance of God’s presence in us.

When others see the zealousness of testifying about Christ, that zealousness is the outside manifestation of being filled by the Holy Spirit.

Way to the Post Office

An evangelist was scheduled to conduct an Evangelism Crusade in East Asia. He asked a little boy where the post office is, “Where is the post office located?”

The boy instructed him the way to the post office and the evangelist thanked him.

The evangelist said, “Come to the crusade tonight, I will tell you the way to heaven.”

“You do not even know the way to the post office, how do know the way to heaven?” the boy was puzzled.

Many people do not believe in us when we tell them about heaven or about Christ Jesus. Not too many Christians have a wonderful idea what awaits believers in heaven. Not a few believers can readily explain in words their description of God. More church-goers are not serious about their faith in God because they have little or no idea how much excitement awaits us in heaven and when we see Christ face to face.

The zealousness in telling others about Christ does not depend on how much we learned intellectually about God. We can only have zealousness in sharing what we have experienced of Christ.

Zeal in testifying about Christ transpires our personal experiences with the Lord. That personal experience with Christ is realistic when we are filled with His Spirit.

Keep on desiring and pleading that Christ may fill with His Holy Spirit. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, anytime, anywhere, in our daily lives, at work places, in school, in the shopping mall, or in the bus, there will always be opportunities to testify about Christ.

We experience zealousness from the Holy Spirit if we personally experience God’s power.

Being put in jail cannot stop the apostles to testify but their zeal in testifying about Christ was a result of their personal encounter with God’s through the angel of the Lord.

Pray and ask God to reveal more of Himself to you.

And you will have that zeal to testify about God’s wonderful work in your life.

><((‘> … ><(((‘> tmec\2021 <‘)))>< … <‘))><

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published.