What would you do if you were told you could never talk about Jesus again? Years ago, we went with friends and ministered to our missionary friends who serve among Islamic people groups. One night we received word about the bombing of the airport we were to use to go home. After we made it home, our daughter told her Sunday School teacher that she was afraid we would be held as captives in a foreign land and told to renounce Jesus. Thankfully, that did not happen to us. But it happens to believers around the world. Our missionary friends in those areas run that risk every day.
The angel who released Peter and John told them to go back to the temple where they had been arrested so that they might continue to preach. Doesn’t this sound like a strange strategy? It might be a poor plan for staying out of jail, but obedience to God is never a bad idea. The apostles were clear that their work was to spread the good news, even if it cost them their freedom.Put another way: they did not assume that they had to stay out of jail; they only knew they had to preach Jesus.
Even more difficult was the dilemma of the elders of Israel who sent for the prisoners to interrogate them. They discovered that the prison doors were closed but the prisoners were gone. Then they heard the apostles were preaching again. So they decided to arrest them again, but gently because they didn’t want to upset the crowds who had seen the good work of the apostles. Luke’s narrative shows how silly it is to try to stop the gospel.
The gospel is still unstoppable if we will speak it. Believers around the world risk life and limb to share Jesus. This makes me wonder why we don’t share him. Unused freedoms are missed opportunities. Make a list of five people who do not follow Christ. Begin to pray for them every day. Watch for opportunities to speak a word. There is something worse than going to jail. Disobeying the Lord’s commission to speak his good news could cause others to miss eternal life.
