Ac 5:22-32 But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned, and told, 23 Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within. 24 Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow. 25 Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people. 26 Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned. 27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, 28 Saying, Did not we straightly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. 29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. 31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
First of all that was a miracle in and of itself. The fact that the guards didn't even know that they were no longer in the prison. God transported them from the prison to the temple supernaturally. That should have been enough to convince them that this was a move of God. God can take you from the prison to the palace was demonstrated with Joseph, who went from being in an Egyptian prison to the second in command or the Prince of Egypt in a day. Daniel went from being dinner for the lions in the lion's den to a ruler in Babylon in a day. Although they didn't want to acknowledge that this was God's doing, they knew it was unusual and phenomenal so they were very careful how they handled the matter. They realized that the people were really paying attention and being influenced by and to what the Apostles were saying and doing. However, when they brought them before the rulers, they reprimanded them and reminded them that they had been warned not teach and preach Jesus. But I like the way they responded, "we would rather obey God than man!" That is so powerful! I mean, you need to understand, they are standing before a council of men in great authority. Theses men had the power to have them put to death and yet they did not bite their tongue. They were not at all intimidated or threatened by their power. If we could only have a small portion of this kind of courage, we would be dangerous to the enemy. Their family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers don't even know they are Christians. They are afraid of what people will think, say, or react to knowing that they are saved and filled with the Holy Ghost. It's time for the body of Christ to rise like an island in the sea and let the whole world know that Jesus is God and he is alive and he lives in me! Keep the fire burning!
