The Rejected Stone
After the healing of the lame man at the gate called Beautiful in Jerusalem, Peter and John were arrested and questioned concerning their action. Peter affirmed that it was by the authority of Jesus Christ that the man had been healed, then he affirmed: “This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone. Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:11,12).
It has been said that the best defense of the Christian faith is a changed life. The Jewish leaders were seeking occasion against Christ, but standing before them was a man who formerly could not stand, who was living evidence of the resurrected Lord.
There were primarily two groups present—first Peter, John and the healed man, who were defending the Christ and second the Jewish council which was opposing Christ and trying to stop the spread of the truth. After Peter and John’s bold assertion that the Christ “whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole” (v. 10), which they could not deny, the council privately conferred as to how they could deter this information from spreading further.
They could not deny that Peter and John had been with Jesus and that the lame man who had been healed, so they “commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus” (v. 18). They could not deny the truth, but were more interested in defending themselves than in what was right. Peter and John were not intimidated by what was popular nor by the decree of the council. They said, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (vs. 19,20).
When a person’s heart is right and his feet are firmly on the chief cornerstone, he can stand and not be silenced by popular opinions, nor threats from men.
It has been said that the best defense of the Christian faith is a changed life. The Jewish leaders were seeking occasion against Christ, but standing before them was a man who formerly could not stand, who was living evidence of the resurrected Lord.
There were primarily two groups present—first Peter, John and the healed man, who were defending the Christ and second the Jewish council which was opposing Christ and trying to stop the spread of the truth. After Peter and John’s bold assertion that the Christ “whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole” (v. 10), which they could not deny, the council privately conferred as to how they could deter this information from spreading further.
They could not deny that Peter and John had been with Jesus and that the lame man who had been healed, so they “commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus” (v. 18). They could not deny the truth, but were more interested in defending themselves than in what was right. Peter and John were not intimidated by what was popular nor by the decree of the council. They said, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (vs. 19,20).
When a person’s heart is right and his feet are firmly on the chief cornerstone, he can stand and not be silenced by popular opinions, nor threats from men.