Acts 4:13-21
Psalm: Ps.117(118):1,14-21
Mark 16:9-15
What incredible courage and conviction we see in Peter and John! After being sternly warned not to speak in the name of Jesus, they boldly stood before the entire Sanhedrin and declared, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge; we cannot help but speak of what we have seen and heard!” Imagine the audacity! John Knox was once described as one who feared God so deeply that he feared no man, and the same can be said for Peter, John, and the early believers. But what about us? This question is both chilling and enlightening!
Even today, over two thousand years after the Church was born, followers of Jesus continue to be saved by His name, yet also face persecution because of it. The early Christians wore their identity boldly, as we see in the reactions of the Jewish authorities to Peter’s remarkable sermon following the miraculous healing of the lame man.
What gives us this strength? We believe wholeheartedly in the name of Jesus! Through Christ our Lord, we’ve experienced the boundless love and mercy of the Father. He is the ultimate victory-bringer who has vanquished death itself. He is the cornerstone we cannot live without, the exclusive path, and the one who elevates the ordinary to the extraordinary.
So let’s go out and shout it from the mountaintops, across hills, and everywhere we can—Jesus is risen! Alleluia! Amen! Let’s keep this unstoppable message alive!
Fr Joseph Osho
