This post is Day 6 in a series of studies about “Followers of Jesus”. I strongly suggest you begin with the introduction to this study, please click here to read it.

Feel free to comment below with your own thoughts about each verse and how you will be acting on each thought. Also, if you haven’t yet signed up to receive the notifications of new studies, you can do that today (the form is at the bottom of the page).

Followers of Jesus – Day 6

What a testimony! They had been with Jesus. Peter and John had spent the night in prison, because they had been teaching a crowd that had gathered in the streets after these two disciples had healed the crippled man who had sat at the temple gates for a long time.

Acts 4:13

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

The Thought

What a testimony the last phrase of this verse is! They had been with Jesus. Peter and John had spent the night in prison, because they had been teaching a crowd that had gathered in the streets after these two disciples had healed the crippled man who had sat at the temple gates for a long time. (Acts 3:10)

The healed man had made such a commotion that a crowd had gathered wanting to know what was happening. Peter and John made the most of the opportunity and were telling the people that it was through Jesus that this had happened. We can read Peter’s first sermon recorded for us in the rest of the chapter.

In Acts 4:5-6 we read of all the people who were there listening to Peter and John’s defence. An impressive crowd of religious leaders, local politicians and family, who couldn’t decide what to do with their “criminals”! I am often amazed at how God gets his message out to people who don’t want to listen.

In the end Peter and John were freed with a warning not to speak about Jesus any more. That didn’t work!

Action

Read chapters 3 & 4 of Acts and be encouraged today by what these early disciples accomplished. It was because they had “been with Jesus”.

Think about the end of our verse today and take time to “be with Jesus” so that you will be bold to speak out for Him.

Pray for safety and encouragements for missionaries working in areas where they can be put in jail for teaching about Jesus today.

Ask yourself if people recognise that you have “been with Jesus” through what you do and say in your daily life.