Monday after the Fifth Sunday after Trinity Sunday
Posted on July 10, 2023 by under
Scripture: Acts 5:27-32 (NKJV)
5:27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, 28 saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!”
29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. 31 Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
Devotion
Caiaphas is sweating over his own guilt. Note he says “you… intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!” Perhaps the words of Matthew 27:25 were in the back of these men’s minds, “Let his blood be on us and on our children!”
The world hates Christ and does not want to be reminded of Him. Wicked men, even in our day, try to drown out the words of God because their conscience cannot take the truth of His Word. They will always threaten Christians to keep them silent. But like St. Peter, “We ought to obey God rather than men.”
There is a new religion sweeping over the Western world. It means to sweep away all other religions before it with its radical diversity and sexual perversion. Its adherents demand that Christians be quiet. We can never give in to such evil. Our God is greater than all other gods. Also note there is no reaction to the Apostles’ mentioning of the Holy Spirit. Everyone in this conversation assumes that this is alright and does not contradict the unity of God. Ancient Jews did not necessarily have a problem with the Trinity. They simply denied that Jesus could be part of it.
Prayer: O God, Who hast prepared for them that love Thee such good things as pass man’s understanding: Pour into our hearts such love toward Thee, that we, loving Thee above all things, may obtain Thy promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
