Now when the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court), even all the council of elders of the sons of Israel, and sent word to the prison for the apostles to be brought [before them]. 22 But when the officers arrived, they did not find them in the prison; and they came back and reported, 23 “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened [the doors], we found no one inside.”

24 Now when the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard these things, they were greatly perplexed, wondering what would come of this. 25 But someone came and told them, “The men whom you put in prison are standing [right here] in the temple [area], teaching the people!” 26 Then the captain went with the officers and brought them back, without hurting them (because they were afraid of the people, worried that they might be stoned).

Acts 5:21b-26 (AMP) 中文

Opposing God

A few posts earlier, we saw the Spirit of God working again mightily through signs and wonders done by the apostles. A holy fear spread among the crowd. Sick and possessed were being healed and delivered in dramatic ways. People were being drawn from cities outside Jerusalem and the church was growing. But the Jewish religious leaders were jealous so tossed all the apostles into prison. But God sent an angel to free them.

Court with no defendants

The religious leaders proceed with their plans. They head to the temple in the morning to meet together and hold a trial of the apostles. Little do they know their defendants aren’t in prison anymore. The same power that released them from jail released Jesus from the grave. “At this point the religious leaders had to wonder just what they were dealing with. There was the repeated evidence of supernatural power at work with the followers of Jesus.” (enduringword.com)

Right under their noses

It’s actually funny. The leaders were gathering in the temple preparing to try the apostles for their “crimes”. Yet the apostles were at the same time in the temple area again preaching Jesus, right under their noses! They were so focused on their dirty dead they were blind from the truth.

Fear Whom?

The religious leaders didn’t hurt them (as in flog them) when bringing them back to the prison (v26). Why? They feared the people – and their lives. They didn’t want a riot which would cause Rome to crack down on them and possibly remove them from power. Their hearts were exposed yet again. They feared the people, their position, their “face” (as the Chinese would say) rather than God. 

RЯeflection

• Who (or what) do we fear? It’s a natural emotion and it can be useful in dangerous situations. But when fear grips and paralyzes us, it reveals a lack of trust or belief in God, that He is in control and loves us enough to care for us. We should fear the Lord. This article has a number of classic verses on fear.