The apostles' boldness in proclaiming the risen Christ underlines the reality and transformative power of the resurrection. I’ve said it multiple times this week: Easter is not just a historical event in the past. But a living reality that shapes and animates our lives.
The account of Peter and John’s fortitude in their arrest, imprisonment, and questioning before the Sanhedrin in the reading today shows us how the power of the resurrection enables us to face opposition and persecution with hope and courage—opposition and persecution much like our Lord experienced.
Consider the parallels between Peter and John’s experience, and what the Lord faced.
Jesus is brought before the Jewish religious leaders who challenge Him and ultimately seek His death. And Peter and John are brought before a similar group of leaders, elders, and scribes, including the high priest.
Jesus was arrested after being perceived as a threat to the religious and Roman authority due to His teachings, miracles, and the claim of being the Messiah. Peter and John are arrested for proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus, which continued to threaten their authority.
Jesus was questioned about His authority to teach, perform miracles, and His identity as the Son of God. Peter and John are questioned by what authority they performed the miraculous healing of the lame man at the temple gate.
Both Jesus' trial and the questioning of Peter and John highlight themes of faithfulness, witness, and the power of God working through individuals for His purpose. Jesus' trial culminates in His ultimate act of faithfulness—His crucifixion and resurrection—while Peter and John's encounter with the Sanhedrin becomes an opportunity to bear witness to the risen Christ.
The parallels between Jesus' trial and the questioning of Peter and John serve as a powerful reminder that we, as followers of Christ, are called to walk in His footsteps. But, just as the resurrection emboldened Peter and John to witness to the truth of Christ in the face of great adversity, so too are we called to embody that same courage and conviction in our daily lives. The challenges we face may not always be as dire as those of the apostles, but the opposition to truth, to goodness, and to the Christian way of life is ever-present in various forms in our world today.
As we continue to allow the living reality of Easter to shape our lives, may our lives truly reflect the transformative power of Christ's victory over death, so that through us, others may come to know the hope and joy and salvation of the Risen Lord, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.
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