“The high priest rose up, and all his companions filled with jealousy laid hands upon the Apostles and put them in the public jail” (Acts 5:17-18).
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Throughout the Easter season, we read from the Acts of the Apostles, which in many ways could be re-titled: The Early Church Meets Trouble.
For example, this is the second time the Apostles have been arrested by the religious authorities for preaching the truth – and they don’t seem to care!
What a change!
Within a matter of weeks, they’ve journeyed from being cowards to heroes for one reason only: They’ve seen the Risen Christ.
Now they see their own destiny caught up in Jesus.
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We might say these earliest Christians exhibited three important qualities, qualities we all can emulate:
(1) They had courage. They knew they were putting their lives in their hands by preaching openly about the Lord – but they did it anyway.
(2) They were obedient. They never seemed to ask, “Is this particular choice going to get me in trouble or even killed?” No. They only asked themselves, “Is this what God wants me to do?”
(3) They knew their destiny. Just as Christ was raised from the dead, they knew they would rise, too. That knowledge gave them the courage they needed to wake up each morning and fight the good fight.
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That’s the type of faith that moves mountains.
It’s the same faith that Christ offers us – a faith that is courageous, obedient, and resurrection-centered.
It is ours if only we open our hearts and believe.