“And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide,” Acts 4:1-3.

Please note that both Peter and John were engaged in the preaching, 4:1.

THE FIRST THING WE WILL NOTICE IS THE CONTRAST BETWEEN THE REACTION OF THE CROWD IN THE TEMPLE WHO LISTENED TO PETER AND THE RELIGIOUS AUTHORITIES OF THE TEMPLE.

We noted last week that 5000 men were saved and likely many more women and younger people. 

1. However, “the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees” were anything but pleased at this wonderful work of God!. It says they were “grieved”! They arrested Peter and John and  “put them in hold”, that is, in prison.

2. What grieved them was the preaching of the resurrection from the dead through the Lord Jesus. How they hated to hear preached that the One they had crucified was alive!

3. Note that those who crucified the Lord Jesus are still the enemies of the Gospel. Verse 6. There is no remorse for their killing of Christ, no repentance over their sin, for those forsaken by God cannot repent. Shorter catechism: Question 87: What is repentance unto life? Answer: Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, doth, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of, and endeavour after, new obedience.

NOTE - Repentance is a GRACE! It is a gift from God and cannot be generated by our own energy or striving!

What a warning there is to you all not to RESIST the Lord’s STRIVING with us over sin. I was saved through the verse 3 of Genesis 6. “And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man.” 

We will return to these verses next week in the will of God.