It’s Not Over ’til It’s Shared!
After Jesus’ death and resurrection at the Festival of Passover, the disciples (here called apostles) remain in Jerusalem until the Festival of Pentecost (50 days later). On that day, they were gathered together in prayer when the sound of a mighty wind, and what appeared to be tongues of fire, descended on them. Suddenly, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the church was born (Acts 2:1-4).
Filled with the Spirit, the disciples begin proclaiming the Good News of God’s love in Jesus. They drew such large crowds that soon the high priest, the religious leaders and the Sanhedrin (the town council) were filled anger and jealousy. They hauled in Peter and John and jailed them overnight. In the morning, they told them not to talk about Jesus to anyone anymore. (Acts 4:1-22)
The disciples were undeterred. They would not be quiet. So again, the high priest and the religious leaders sent the temple guard to arrest and jail them. (The temple complex was about 40 acres and served as an open-air market and community gathering place. It would need its own security force.)
But this time, God directly intervened. During the night, an angel of the Lord opened the doors and led them out of the jail. Then, he told them to go back to the temple complex and continue proclaiming the good news of how much God loves us.
This is an important point. It is not enough to be freed. It is not enough to benefit from God’s mercy. God’s merciful acts are meant to be shared. We should not keep them quiet or hidden away. We should let others know how much God loves us and how much God has done for us.
Have you ever been released from prison? Perhaps from the prison of an abusive relationship or addiction? Maybe the prison of a crippling disease or overwhelming social pressure? Have you ever been freed from a job that was killing your soul? (I have!)
When you finally escaped, did you share your good news? Did you give God the glory? Did you testify to the new life you are now able to live because of what God did for you? God’s liberating grace is Good News. But the act itself, our freedom, is never really complete until that Good News is shared.
When we experience God’s freedom, let’s follow the angel’s admonition and the apostles’ example. Let’s share what God has done for us. Who knows, maybe our words will inspire someone to trust the angel suddenly appearing at their prison door.
God’s peace to us all,
Pastor Ken.