How does Acts 5:24 connect to Jesus' command in Matthew 28:19-20? The Setting in Acts 5 • Acts 5:17-25 recounts the apostles’ imprisonment for preaching Jesus, their miraculous release by an angel, and their immediate return to public teaching. • Acts 5:24: “When the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard these words, they were perplexed about them, wondering what this might lead to.” • The religious leaders are baffled because the very men they jailed are back in the temple proclaiming Christ—an unstoppable fulfillment of Jesus’ mandate. Obedience in Action: Teaching and Making Disciples • Matthew 28:19-20: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations… teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” • The apostles’ immediate return to teaching (Acts 5:20-21) is a living picture of the Great Commission: – “Go” – they go right back into the public square. – “Make disciples” – they proclaim salvation in Jesus’ name (Acts 5:31-32). – “Teaching” – they fill Jerusalem with the doctrine of Christ (Acts 5:28). • Their obedience is proactive, courageous, and public—exactly the pattern Jesus prescribed. Divine Presence Assured • Jesus promised, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20b). • In Acts 5 the risen Lord demonstrates His ongoing presence: – The angelic deliverance (Acts 5:19) shows supernatural protection. – Boldness to preach amid threats (Acts 5:29) reflects Christ empowering His witnesses (cf. Acts 1:8). • The leaders’ perplexity (5:24) underscores that Christ’s invisible authority overrides human restraints. Opposition and Perplexity Fulfil Prophecy • Jesus forewarned opposition (John 15:18-20); Acts 5 shows it realized. • Yet persecution only amplifies gospel advance (Acts 8:1-4), proving the Great Commission cannot be stifled (2 Timothy 2:9). • The leaders “wondering what this might lead to” (Acts 5:24) is ironic: it will lead to worldwide proclamation (Colossians 1:23). Broader Scriptural Echoes • Acts 4:19-20 – “We cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” • Acts 9:15 – Saul chosen to “carry My name before the Gentiles.” • 1 Peter 3:15 – “Always be prepared to give a defense.” • Revelation 12:11 – victory “by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” Takeaway for Today’s Believers • The Great Commission is non-negotiable; resistance should not deter obedience. • Christ’s presence empowers believers to speak boldly, just as in Acts 5. • When authorities are perplexed by gospel resilience, it signals that Jesus’ command is still at work—unstoppable, authoritative, and life-changing. |
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