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The Daily Devotion discusses an event from Acts where the apostles are arrested for teaching about Jesus. Despite being threatened, they choose to continue teaching and follow the sacrificial path that Jesus taught them. Peter, who had previously denied Jesus, now boldly shares the message of God's love. The apostles are protected by God and rejoiced even in their suffering. The devotion encourages us to receive the gifts of forgiveness and courage from God, and to follow in Jesus' footsteps wherever they may lead. Welcome to Christchurch's Daily Devotion for February 14th, 2024. Today we will be reading from Acts chapter 5 verses 17 through 21. Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. But during the night, an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. Go, stand in the temple courts, he said, and tell the people all about this new life. At daybreak, they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people. When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin, the full assembly of the elders of Israel, and sent to the jail for the apostles. Today is Ash Wednesday, and we will observe this day with a time of worship and reflection, in preparation for the 40 days' journey with Jesus towards Jerusalem and the cross. The way of the cross was Jesus' way to demonstrate God's sacrificial love, forgiveness, and healing for all the world. For today's reading, we can look back to Acts 4, 18-20, and read that Peter and John had been ordered to stop teaching about Jesus, and threatened if they did so. Now, here again in chapter 5, they have been arrested, along with other apostles, and when rescued by the angel of the Lord, chose to go to the temple courts and continue teaching. It was at that point that they chose the sacrificial path that Jesus had taught them. We can remember that Peter was the one who denied Jesus three times prior to Jesus' crucifixion. But this time, Peter, by the power of the Holy Spirit, has been courageous enough to be willing to sacrifice his life. He boldly shares the message of God's love for all people through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Peter and John had also been healing people in the name of Jesus and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. God protected them in 5, 33-39. Through the words of Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, Gamaliel said to the council, If it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men. You will only find yourselves fighting against God. Then chapter 5, verse 41 says, The apostles left the Sanhedrin rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the name. Chapter 5 concludes with, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. They followed the way of the cross even though it meant suffering and sacrifice. Your personal worship option today is, God forgives Peter's denial and gives him a second chance. The Holy Spirit gives the grace of a courageous spirit to even endure suffering to give witness of who Jesus is and who he came to be. These gifts are offered to us too. Will we receive these gifts and follow in Jesus' footsteps wherever Jesus' steps might lead us?
