God’s Irony
Sermon Series:Acts
Coming off of the healing of the lame man outside the temple and Peter’s speech and the explanation that this miracle was done in the power and name of Jesus, Peter and John were confronted and arrested by the Jewish leaders. Peter and John stand before the council the next day to answer the question: “By what power have you done this?” Peter gives the explanation and shares the Gospel of salvation through Jesus. The leaders took note that Peter and John were ‘common’ (in contrast to their sophistication and education) and that “they had been with Jesus.” They also had a conundrum on their hands - obviously the miracle was real, but this new sect of Jesus followers was getting out of hand. So they threatened them to stop talking. Peter and John, after their release, went back to the church and reported the whole story which was met with prayers of praise and requests - not for protection, but for boldness. When they had prayed "the whole place was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began proclaiming the Gospel with boldness." This sermon explores the irony of God using the specific definition of irony being ”incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs.” Throughout history, God (who is eternally consistent) has consistently used the “unexpected” to do carry out His epic plans. Jesus’s selection of the twelve is an example and the irony was not lost on the perplexed and frightened Jewish leaders. What made the “common” not so common was the power (the name, authority, and kingship) of Jesus and that gave them the boldness to proclaim the Gospel at all costs. May we, in our ordinariness, pray as boldly and walk in the reality that in our “weakness His strength (His power) is made known.”