Evening star., 1920-01-17

VINO, from the DAYS Of Moses had
formed the ruling power of the ma
'ioh' an EFFORT was made to work up
criminal charge against them The
question that the court put to them
acknowledged the fact that the man
had been healed. but it was Worded so
as to entangle them. BY an old Jew
ish law the cure. if performed in any
other name than that of Jehovah -
rendered them liable to punishment
by death.
Peter faced a double danger when
he commenced his defense. He ran
the risk of being condemned for
sorcery if he affirmed that the cure
had been through the name of Jesus.
He also faced a hostile court, whose
membership was largely Sadducean.
who were not only responsible for
the death of Christ. but who also We're
aware that if Peter dared TO take the
chance of facing them with the claim
that he had performed the miracle in
the name of Jesus that the evidence
would be incontrovertible that He
was alive and working among men.
If so then the story of His resurrec-
ton was established, which was op-
posed to their fundamental teachings
concerning the impossibiliiy of any
future life While Peter pointed out.
the deed was a good deed and hence
the court erred in not recognizing
the moral character of the miracle. he
proceeded to affirm the resurrection OF
Jesus and to preach his Saviorhood.
Every great epoch in Christian his
tory has been born in deep religious
conviction that has aroused men TO
action. The courage of Peter and
John facing death for their belief in
the resurrection of Jesus impressed
the court who recognized them as
having been companions of Jesus.
n,
whose boldness challenged them and
caused them to cringe under the
charge that they had crucif1ed Jesus.
No court could intimidate them.
Facing the half circle OF hostle
judges, the apostles. whom they had
planned to entangle. had filled them
with CONSERVATION and confusion as
Peter quoted the very words that the
risen Lord had quoted from the hum
dred and eighteenth psalm c'the stone
you builders rejected has become the
head of the corner'). Their poise and
power may have made them think
that these unlearned men, who had
never graduated from any rabbinical
school, must have absorbed their
knowledge from Jesus.
The effectiveness of the quotation
becomes more apparent when it is re-
called that it was chosen from the
psalm that was song of triumph of
the Maccabees. whose efforts had been
disapproved by the priests and vim
dicated by God as the source of the
national renaissance. History was
repeating itself when they listened
to the testimony of the two. who
dared to stand before them ready to
face the penalty of death by citing
the act of mercy. which they had per-
formed as an evidence that God had,
through the resurrection of Jesus, re-
jected their leadership fthe Sanhe-
drin. Remembering the prophecy of
Jesus. which was literally fulfilled in
their being brought before the San
hedrin. the apostles had turned the
guidance of the Holy Spirit and
preached the word that He gave to
them. They were filled with the same
passion for men. as the Master, and
under the fire of the Holy Spirits
presence they preached the saving
grace of the risen Lord Jesus to those
who had condemned Him.
The fact of the resurrection had for
the first time been officially presented
to them. The presence of the healed
man and the unshaken testimony of
the fearless apostles could not be
contradicted. When the courtroom
was cleared for private conference
the Sanhedrin passed over the fact of
Christ's resurrection. possibly because
they were worried in mind and con-
science as they recalled how they
had bribed the Roman guard to be
silent concerning the events of resur-
rection morning. They had silenced
the soldiers and they planned how
they could hush up the apostles by
commanding them not to preach.
If their decision was weak. then
their action was weaker, when the
apostles. recognizing that their al
legiance to the Lord Jesus Christ be-
ing greater than to the Sanhedrin
freed them from loyalty to those who
assumed that they possessed authority
over the action" of mems spiritual
life. commenced to question their au-
thority. This first Christian stand for
religious liberty surprised the Qourt
who dismissed them with another ad-
monition not to preach. When we. re-
call that the authority of this coun-
Gil over the conscience of every He
brew was recognized by the Lord. it
is astonishing that Peter and John
should have decided to continue to
preach against their DEGREES. 1t was
in the fellowship of the church under
the leadership of the Holy Spirit that
lowship of communion with the in
power to their determination to be
them. In their prayer there is re-
vealed the fact that they possessed
an intelligent hold on the God of
creation, history, redemption and of
immanent power. They sought help
and strength to carry on their work
in spite of the threats and peFsecu-
ton. They received a marvellous mani
festation of His presence, giving them
mower TO preach the gospel of the risen