Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled: and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
Who Do You Know?
Do you know somebody who’s a name dropper, someone who brags, not because of what they have accomplished, but because of who they know? We generally tend to dismiss such people and to look down upon them a little bit. I understand this, but when you read the book of Acts you realize that the early church was constantly name dropping. In fact, they weren’t just dropping the name of Jesus Christ, they were broadcasting it.
The Bible tells us that Peter and John went into the temple where they healed a lame man by the power of Jesus Christ. The religious leaders, who hated and had just crucified the Lord Jesus, roughed up Peter and John a little bit. Then, they set them before them and asked a dangerous question, “By what name have ye done this?” Well, that sure was the wrong question to ask these men because every chance they got, they were proclaiming the name, the person, the power, the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In verses 17 and 18, the Bible says that these leaders panicked and determined that the preaching of Christ must not spread any further among the people. They decided to threaten Peter and John and command them not to teach or speak in Jesus’ name. This opposition was because of Jesus. The message Peter and John had was because of Jesus. The power they had was because of Jesus.
Peter and John were not some prosecuting attorneys making arguments, nor were they defense attorneys defending the Lord Jesus. They were witnesses, merely telling what they knew, telling Who they knew. That is where their power came from, the power to heal this man, the power to save souls, the power to change the world, and the power to make a difference. The power that we find in the book of Acts came by the acts of the Spirit of God, the Spirit which Jesus Christ Himself sent and left for us. Your power doesn’t come from what you do. It doesn’t come from what you know. Your power comes from Who you know, the Lord Jesus.