‘Boldness’

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

Acts 4:13

When we have spent time in the presence of Christ, it shows.  The larger context of our text shows us that Christ fulfilled His promise that, ‘…ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.’  The evidence of this power is in their ability to speak in foreign languages which they had never acquired by study, in the conversion of 3,000 people on the day of Pentecost, and in the healing of the lame man in the Temple.  Their ministry was causing quite a stir in the city of Jerusalem.  Because they were ‘ceasing not to teach and preach Jesus Christ,’ they were putting the religious establishment under pressure.  Peter and John were in the spotlight.  As the religious men contemplated them, they could see several things quite clearly.  They accurately perceived that they were bold, that they were ‘uneducated and untrained men,’ and that ‘they had been with Jesus.’  Their boldness did not come from themselves.  Their lack of education did not hinder God’s use of them.  Their salient characteristic, in the eyes of their enemies was, ‘they had been with Jesus.’  Here is where we ourselves find our boldness and our power.  Natural ability, education, and social connections all take a dim and distant second place to nearness to Christ.  Spending time in His Presence is what makes the difference in us.  Today, let us pray that our time spent with Christ will yield boldness.

Our Good and Loving Savior,
we rejoice that You enable us to be
what we could never be without You.
We praise You that You raise us up,
to address all the circumstances of life that we encounter,
in seeking to make You known.