Acts 4: 13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished, and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
In David Epstein’s book The Sports Gene, he argues that many of the greatest athletes have genes that predispose them to superior performance in their sport. Runners who have superior VO2 max (genes that predispose them to responding well to aerobic exercise); swimmers with long torsos and short legs; NBA players who have freakishly wide wing spans compared to their height; water polo players with longer forearms for more forceful throwing; the list goes on. Swimmers like Michael Phelps, sprinters like Usain Bolt, tennis players like Serena Williams, basketball players like Lebron James, are perfectly suited for their sport – they are extraordinary humans.
Acts 3-4 talks about a couple of guys doing some extraordinary things. At the beginning of Acts 3 we read that Peter and John healed a man who had been lame since birth. They then fearlessly preached the truth of Jesus Christ being the Messiah, and in Acts 4 we read that more than five thousand came to believe in Jesus because of their preaching. The religious elite of the day were threatened, and they therefore had Peter and John hauled before the Sanhedrin (the assembly of rabbi rulers, including the high priest). They asked the two disciples: “By what power or what name did you do this?” (vs. 7). Peter then, “filled with the Holy Spirit”, spoke to them unabashed. He confidently said: “then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.” (vs. 10)
Not more than two months prior to this, on the eve of Christ’s crucifixion, this same Peter cowered in the courtyards, three times denying knowing Jesus, even before a servant girl, but now something had drastically changed. He was confidently proclaiming Jesus Christ before the most powerful religious leaders in the land and doing so with confidence and authority. An ordinary man had become extraordinary. “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished, and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” (vs. 13).
When we are believers and have a personal relationship “with Jesus” Christ, when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, then we have access to the supernatural power of God. What you cannot do in your human frailty, you are able to do in Jesus Christ. We are exhorted as believers: “6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7). We are invited to come to God and receive the supernatural peace that he offers his children. We are encouraged to fight the good fight wearing the Full Armor of God (Ephesians 6: 10-17)
Are you taking on battles in your natural flesh? I encourage you to dig deep into the word of God, dig deep into your relationship with Jesus, and ask to join in on what HE is doing. In that place you will witness the supernatural presence and power of God. In that place, you can do extraordinary things for him.
Leave a Reply