“As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them […] and they arrested them and put them in custody.” (Acts 4:1-3)
The speeches of Jesus’ disciples attracted a great deal of attention. This was further reinforced by the miracles performed in His name and by the explosive growth of the church. The priests, the teachers of the law, and the leaders of the people watched this with gritted teeth. They had done everything they could to get rid of Jesus. At last, they had succeeded in putting Him to death—but His influence continued unabated and was even growing stronger. Thousands of people were coming to faith in Him! This greatly annoyed the religious authorities. They were “filled with jealousy,” Luke notes in Acts 5:17.
The only solution they could think of was to arrest the disciples, put them in prison, and threaten them to keep quiet. However, this did not have the desired effect. With great courage, Peter and John testified, “We cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” They found strength in the steadfast prayers of the church and were filled with the Holy Spirit, who enabled them to bear witness boldly. Jesus’ opponents could not stand against that. In fact, a large number of priests themselves came to faith (see Acts 6:7).
Pray today for Christians who suffer because of their faith. Pray that they may persevere through the power of the Holy Spirit.