The Third Sermon - Preaching The Cross

Acts 5:42

INTRO: Good morning church. We continue our look at the cross today with Acts 5:42 – “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.” This tells us that the apostles preached Jesus "daily in the temple, and in every house". Last time we read of the healing of the lame man at the Gate called Beautiful at the temple. Peter has declared this healing was done by the power of Jesus, “whom you crucified”. The Sadducees were incensed at this! But Acts 4:14 tells us – “And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.”

We do not find that the council gave any reason why the doctrine of Christ must be suppressed. They could not say that it was either false or dangerous, or of any evil tendency; and they were ashamed to own the true reason… that it testified against their hypocrisy, wickedness and tyranny. What the Sanhedrin did not do is of great significance. They had denied the resurrection of Jesus Christ, a fact Peter had boldly affirmed in their presence, but they could not deny the healing of the lame man.

They conferred among themselves determined to oppose the teaching of the apostles. The best thing they could think of, at the moment, was to threaten them. Therefore they "commanded” the apostles “..not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus" (Acts 4:18).

The early days of preaching and teaching in Jerusalem must have been exciting. The word "multitude" was used to describe the number of the disciples. Can you imagine a time when hundreds of people were responding to gospel preaching in a desire to be baptized into Christ? It was a time of great generosity as people shared their material blessings with those who had little or nothing. It was a time when miracles of healing were very evident. All of this, however, did not go unnoticed by the high priest and his henchmen! So...

I. THE "ADDING" OF DISCIPLES CONTINUED DRAMATICALLY

A. Teaching continued on Solomon’s porch and Acts 5:14 tells us – “And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,”.

1. Remembering Acts 2:41 – “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.” these are people being baptized!
2. We also remember Acts 2:47 – “… And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” these are saved people being added!

B. The apostles have been warned, commanded, not to speak in the name of Jesus and then let go. What happened? Let’s read in Acts 4:23-31 – “23. And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24. So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: "Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, 25. "who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: `Why did the nations rage, and the people plot vain things? 26. the kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ.' 27. "For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28. "to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. 29. "Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30. "by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.''”

1. Notice this next verse, Acts 4:31 – “And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.” God gave this visible sign that His promise of miraculous power to the Twelve would continue to be honored. The place was shaken.
2. They had prayed to be granted that “Your servants with all boldness may speak Your word,” Then in v. 31 we are told “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.” This was not a repetition of the wonder at Pentecost, but a continuation in the apostles of that power "from on high" which had been promised, and the result was their speaking the word with boldness.
3. We know they spoke of the crucifixion and we read in Acts 4:27-28 – “"For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together "to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.”
4. They also spoke powerfully of the resurrection - Acts 4:33 – “And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.”

II. BUT HOSTILITY TO THEIR PREACHING WAS VERY REAL

A. I recall when Paul was giving his defense to King Agrippa what he said about Christ...

1. Acts 26:26 – “For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner.” Done in a corner? In a manner of speaking it was done in a little corner of the universe known as the Planet Earth; but it was not unnoticed. As some of the Sadducees and Pharisees were able to see while He was among them: “The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, "… Look, the world has gone after Him!”” John 12:19.
2. The preaching of the apostles was not done in a corner hidden from view either. They were in Solomon's porch - they could hardly be missed!

B. Let’s move on to Acts chapter 5. Acts 5:12 – “And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon's Porch.” They had prayed in Acts 4:29-30 – “grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.''”

1. We read “…through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done…”
2. Their power and authority were vastly strengthened; and the forward thrust of Christianity was greatly augmented.
3. Acts 5:14-16 – “14. And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15. so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. 16. Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.”

a. The scripture does not tell us that any of the people upon whom Peter's shadow fell were healed. However, this does emphasize the overwhelming popularity they were experiencing.
b. Luke testified, particularly at the close of Acts 5:16 that Peter performed many miracles of healing, but he does not describe the mode.

C. Done in a corner? Oh no! The results were predictable. Acts 5:17-18 – “Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison.” Ah, the Sadducees again

1. Preaching of Jesus' resurrection was grossly objectionable to them. It was a repudiation of their system; and therefore they seized the apostles.
2. That teaching would undermine the Sadducees credibility. Their solution? Jail them!

D. But God had other plans for them. Acts 5:19-20 – “But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, "Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.''”

1. This deliverance from the prison was certainly an exceptional thing. This is another of the supernatural wonders that attended the inception of Christianity.
2. I notice though that the reason had nothing to do with the injustice, the personal discomforts, and such things - it was all about teaching "the words of this life". This means all the words relative to eternal life in Jesus Christ. A similar meaning to what we see in John 6:68, where Peter's words to Jesus are recorded, "you have the words of eternal life."

E. What did the apostles do? We continue in Acts 5:21-28 – “21. And when they heard that, they entered the temple early in the morning and taught. But the high priest and those with him came and called the council together, with all the elders of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22. But when the officers came and did not find them in the prison, they returned and reported, 23. saying, "Indeed we found the prison shut securely, and the guards standing outside before the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside!'' 24. Now when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be. 25. Then one came and told them, saying, "Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!'' 26. Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned. 27. And when they had brought them, they set them before the council…” Let’s stop there for a moment.

1. The first thing we see is they did EXACTLY as they were told by the angel. They went to the temple and taught. The command to go straight back and preach in the Temple sounds to a prudent mind almost incredible. To obey that command seems like an act of reckless audacity. Yet, they went.
2. It is clear now that the purpose of the angelic rescue of the apostles from prison was not connected with their personal safety; for the angel's directive put them right back in a position that was vulnerable to the persecution of the priests. We conclude then, that the purpose of their release was the continuation of their preaching the word of God to the people.
3. None of the miracles done by the apostles, through them, or upon their behalf should be viewed as anything other than God working with them for the preaching of the gospel.
4. Sign after sign was given to these hard-hearted leaders of Israel, but they remained stubborn. Under the circumstances, they could not have failed to know that God was with the apostles of Christ, but they were determined to carry forward their opposition in the face of all this.
5. It seems to have been utterly beyond their comprehension that God would remove their whole nation rather than allow them to block the world-wide proclamation of the faith in Christ.

III. THE HIGH PRIEST'S CHARGE

A. Acts 5:27b-28 – “…And the high priest asked them, saying, "Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man's blood on us!''”
B. The high priest said three very distinct things here.

1. First, he reminded them they had been forbidden to teach in Jesus' name. It seems incredible to me, the hatred which the Jewish religious hierarchy had for the blessed name of Jesus, which name they simply would not say under any circumstances, saying "this name," as is said here instead, and always referring to Him as "this man" or "that man."
2. Second, he accused them of filling Jerusalem with their doctrine. I suppose we should not be surprised at that. These religious leaders had been replacing God’s word with their own “doctrine” for generations.
3. Third, he accused them of trying to lay the blame for Jesus' death on them.

a. They remembered well the crucifixion ... they had initiated it.
b. Guilty people often want to shift blame to others - guilt is not fun. Thomas Scott wrote in his commentary; “See how those who with presumption will do an evil thing, yet cannot bear to hear of it afterward, or to have it charged upon them. They could cry daringly enough, ‘His blood be on us’; but now they take it as a heinous affront to have Christ's blood laid upon them.”

C. The "words of this life" referred to by the angel, challenged their tradition and status quo.

1. Arrogance and prejudice are enemies of truth and are the children of pride.
2. If there is any challenge to arrogance, or prejudice… it is unwanted, and unpopular!
3. This high priest and his crew were well entrenched in position and power - leaving no room for any admission of error – no room for change – and no room for growth.

IV. THE APOSTLES' RESPONSE TO THE HIGH PRIEST

A. They first acknowledged loyalty to God - Acts 5:29 – “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men.”

1. It is true, human authority had commanded them to stop preaching. There was no device by which the powerful priestly enemies of the Lord could intimidate the witnesses of His resurrection.
2. When faced with this choice - God, or men – the only choice is God. They were bluntly told by the apostles that they were subject to God's orders, rather than to the Sanhedrin's prejudice. A new age had dawned, and the religious leaders could not prevent it.
3. The apostles’ response is a truth for you and me as well.

B. They proclaimed the cross of Christ - Acts 5:30 – “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree.”

1. They make clear that Jesus was sent by God - thus, He is the Messiah.
2. The apostles are unafraid of identifying them as guilty of crucifying Jesus.
3. When we read and study the book of Acts, we see the crucifixion mentioned in various ways - but always as central to the proclamation of the word of God.

C. They proclaimed the resurrection by reference to exaltation - Acts 5:31 – “Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.”

1. The “One” that the Jewish rulers had declared unworthy, God declared to be Prince & Savior. It is implied that repentance as well as remission of sins is a gift; however to give repentance does not mean to bestow it without the exercise of our own will; for repentance itself is an act of our will.
2. The great need of Israel? Repentance. This statement that Israel needed to repent was totally unacceptable to the Sanhedrin. That they, the religious leaders of the people, needed to repent was preposterous in their eyes. As Walker said: “They were as much incensed as a body of bishops would be today, if the same charge should be made against them. They had absolute confidence that their descent from Abraham guaranteed them complete possession of every promise of the Old Testament.
3. Pride and arrogance led them to prejudice, the “us vs. them” mentality which still divides the people of the world into the imagined “good guys vs bad guys”, friends versus foes. The “us” group consists of people who agree with our beliefs, share our worldview, and hold to our same prejudices and preferences. In the “them” are those who disagree with us or hold a different ideology. There are many dangers in having an “us vs. them” mentality as a Christian, the uppermost being that it is contrary to the heart of God our Father.
4. Last week we saw that the great possibility because of the cross, was forgiveness, the blotting out of our sins. Something not possible under the Law of Moses and something the religious leaders should have embraced. Instead they rejected the Just One.

D. This is not a retelling of a tale heard from others, for the apostles proclaim in Acts 5:32 – "And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.” ... "we are his witnesses of these things"

1. The high priest and Jewish leaders could deny, complain, and do bodily harm, but there was no way they could bury the truth of Jesus.
2. Their predictable response? Acts 5:33 – “When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.”[KJV] ... their answer for any opposition seemed to be "kill it"!

a. This sermon was essentially the same as the one delivered on Pentecost; but the results produced by the declaration of the gospel were different. On Pentecost the people were pricked in the heart, they believed and many repented. Here the priests were infuriated and filled with murderous intent.
b. The difference being the ground on which these words fell. Paul affirmed this in 2 Corinthians 2:15-16. It saves some, destroys others, yet it is not the gospel, but people's response to it. There is an old saying "It is the set of the sail, and not the gale, that determines the way we go."

3. The word "Obey," is used here, indicating that "a lifelong obedience to God" was a continuing condition to be fulfilled by those desiring to enjoy the continued gift of the Holy Spirit. In Galatians 4:6-7 we read – “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!'' Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” [NKJV] Here is declared that the Holy Spirit is given to men, not to make them sons, but as a consequence of their already being sons. The popular notion to the effect that God sends the Holy Spirit with the purpose of making men desire to serve Him is totally wrong.

CONCLUSION: In the past few weeks we have seen three sermons given by the apostles.
The first sermon was on the day of Pentecost following the resurrection when Peter preached the gospel, convicting those listening of their guilt and confirming the risen Christ. Peter told them the answer to sin, of what Jesus had done for all of us, and how to accept God’s grace that was offered. Three thousand obeyed.

The second sermon of the apostles was on Solomon’s porch at the temple following the astounding miracle of the healing of the man born lame. Peter preached the cross and the resurrection to the people gathered there. The religious leaders showed up and detained the apostles. We saw the defense Peter gave, convicting those same leaders and we are told five thousand people believed.

In this third sermon the apostles are again teaching on Solomon’s porch. It was a time of great teaching and healing and people flocked to the apostles even from the surrounding cities. For some physical healing of course, but for those who believed the healing of their souls. Peter again preaches the gospel message, the religious leaders interfere and put the apostles in common prison. God sends a messenger to release the apostles and confirms they are to continue the work.

Each one who hears the gospel message is at some point going to give an answer. Even ignoring the message is an answer. What is your answer to gospel truth? To the cross? Jesus' crucifixion is not isolated in history, it happened - and it happened for you and me.

Preaching the cross does not always make sense to the prideful and arrogant people, who have become stubborn and prejudiced. My hope and prayer are that the preaching of the cross of Jesus will affect each of us and make of us better people. . Like the high priest, we make the choice - he chose badly - will you?

We are about to sing the invitation song. God’s invitation to “come” is always open.

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Adopted from Sermon by: Cecil A. Hutson