Jesus Christ Is A Person, Not An Idea

18 And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."

Continuing from our last study and meditation we begin with the Sanhedrin calling Peter and John back in for sentencing. If you remember they are working together, both the Pharisees and the Sadducees, to find ways to threaten the apostles from preaching and teaching the name of Christ. We tried to expose how these political leaders were corrupt and building a system that only benefited themselves. They were blinded and controlled by the sins of greed, the love (pride) of honor, and power (1 Jn.2:15,16). Because of their corruption they could not see the purity of the miracle and purpose of knowing the resurrection of Christ. We should sympathize with these foolish men because we all once walked in the same darkness (Isa.9:2). I would count myself a fool to stand face to face with these “so-called gods” and give them such an offensive message. A fool for Christ I shall then be!

And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.

The message of Jesus Christ being risen from the dead was a severe and offensive message to this very council that murdered Him a few weeks before. The miracles and power of this man that continue, even after His death, are not enough to silence these hypocrites and cause them to listen (Mk.12:29). Instead, they take action to silence Peter and John by various forms of threats. It doesn’t say how they threatened them, but whatever the threats, Peter and John stood firmly upon the rock of Jesus Christ. To the Sanhedrin, Peter and John were like Elijah, that troubler of Israel during the reign of King Ahab who apostatized from the Mosaic covenant (1Kings 18:17).

They did not want the name of Christ to continue, because His name contained so much power! It is a name that is abused to this day. When they found that they could not put a stop to the spreading of His Name, they found a new way to suppress His power, by joining it with their pantheon of gods and practices, which was Rome’s sin. We join His name to pagan practices like the Roman apostate “mass” and call it Christian. My dear friends, pagan “practices” do not need to be redeemed; they need to be transformed (Rom. 12:2). Christ doesn’t need to be saved. He is holy, harmless, and undefiled (Heb.7:26). But we defile His name when we invent things like “Saving Christmas”. Christ is a name that doesn’t need to be saved. Rather, His name is the only name that can save. Why do we want to redeem demonic practices that degrade His name (1Tim.4:1-2)? God is not ashamed to place His name on us and call us Christians (Num.6:24-27), IF we are willing to forfeit and turn from our pagan practices that pollute what Christ has intended to be good (Acts 15:20). We continually lower God to accommodate our pleasures, but this is an abomination in His sight (Jude 4). We are gearing up toward a season that is supposedly intended to exalt the name of Jesus Christ, but we deny His name in the majority of most of the “seasonal” practices. We violate His name by tolerating a pagan practice called the “mass” that crucifies the Son of God over and over again mocking His onetime sacrifice for sin (1Pet.3:18). If the season of Christmas was intended to exalt His name, why then does it need to be saved? Christ’s name causes demons to flee (James 2:19;4:7). I’ll tell you why the season needs to be redeemed. Because those who practice it don’t know God (1Jn.1:6). They don’t know how holy His name is (Rev.4:8). They are like these religious hypocrites who command people to stop using His name because it causes so much division and so much demand for separation (Mat.10:34;Heb.4:12).

2 Cor 6:17-18 Therefore "Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you." 'I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." NKJV

If they allowed these preachers to continue teaching the way of Christ it would cost them a lot of money and bring about the whole destruction of their monetary system of greed and self-indulgence. Is that not what we do at Christmas time? Christ was not born into this world for one day of remembrance, but to save His people from their sins (Mt.1:21). His death was for as often as we would depend upon His grace (1Cor.11:25). Is there a day out of the year we do not need Him!? Yet, some of us only come to Him one day out of the year only to give to ourselves. We go out to find the best gift to see that joyous expression on our children or loved one’s face when they open their gift, but if they fail to receive it with joy as they ought we are unsatisfied. Therefore all our giving is to satisfy ourselves; not to please and satisfy God. The day is not set apart to glorify Him, but to glorify our own name or the name of some fictional character called “Santa”. You see how we suppress the truth in our unrighteousness (Rom.1:18)? But if we would give, as the Father gave the Son to satisfy His own anger towards sinners and exalt His own righteousness, we open up a gift that pleases the giver of every good gift.

James 1:16-18 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. NKJV

You see the birth of Christ is about the Father giving us His beloved Son (Jn.3:16) and the Father giving the Son an inheritance, which is those whom He redeemed (Ps.78:71), as a love gift for willingly going into the world to exalt His Father’s name and glory (Ps.79:1). You see for the Christian it is not a time of year that we get vainly excited about giving; it is a time of year that we have set apart to remember a particular gift that the Father gave us to satisfy Himself. A gift, which if opened rightly (Lk.13:3), will satisfy the Father’s righteous anger towards our vain use of His common gift of life that was intended for everyone (1Jn.2:2). A gift, which if understood rightly, would cause us to be thankful every day for His indescribable gift (2Cor.9:15). A gift that we are just beginning to open; and a gift that opens us up to a whole new way of life (Acts16:14). To the world Christmas is about their own “so-called” giving; but to us, as God’s beloved children, it is about the things He gave to us. The Father gives Himself through the life, death, and resurrection of the Son; and the Son gives us the Holy Spirit who makes Christ and the worship of His Father a reality in our heart. He makes our common and lowly giving, which is meager and vain in God’s sight, to be as acceptable and as worthy as His beloved Son. But if our giving is in the name of a pagan practice or a hidden “metaphor” (like Santa Claus) that suppresses the truth of Christ; our giving is not acceptable in His sight.

2 Cor 6:14-16 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people." NKJV

But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.

Peter and John hold their ground and position to exercise their right to teach about the person of Christ. Peter and John were not willing to compromise the message of Christ just to create peace with the very enemies of Christ. Peter and John’s goal was not to destroy the nation by incurring more of God’s wrath in compromising the identity of the only One who could redeem their nation. No! Peter and John only wanted to destroy their false ideas about the one who has the power to save and to lead their nation in righteousness. This statement is a statement that the name they were preaching is God's name. Therefore, Peter and John taunt them to judge their own hypocrisy in God’s sight, because they were “acting” as God over the consciences of Peter and John.

For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."

The defense of the apostles broadens in this statement. The Sanhedrin are forced to judge Peter and John as liars, because their conscience is so strong by having been eyewitnesses of Christ’s miracles, one of which they just performed by faith in His name, and are also personal disciples of the things He taught that were undeniable truths. They were not only taught by Christ, but by the Father.

Luke 9:28-36 Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening. And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him. Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" — not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!" When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone. But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen. NKJV

The days for Peter and John to remain silent about what they have seen and heard are over. Because of the Holy Spirit being given to them at Pentecost, a fire has been ignited in their hearts that burn for the glories of Christ (Lk.24:32), and no threats or persecution was going to prevent them from preaching and teaching in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth – Immanuel. Rather it (the persecution) served them to preach even more boldly and fervently the salvation of God through Him. One of the reasons they were once silent was because they, too, were tempted to worship idols. Peter wanted to dedicate honor to Moses and Elijah, but it wasn't until he received the Holy Spirit that he understood that Moses and Elijah's honor is found in giving honor to Christ. Moses and Elijah didn't need a tabernacle dedicated to their name, because they are welcomed into the honor of Christ's name. Everytime Christ is honored and glorified they are honored and satisified to be accepted by His gracious name.