Brave Enough to Follow: What Jesus Can Do When You Keep Your Eyes on Him

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Near the Temple in Jerusalem, the Great Sanhedrin was in session. As the high court of Israel, this group of formidable politicians was responsible for judging the civic and religious issues of the day on the basis of Jewish law. Simon Peter and John stood before a semi-circle of seventy inquisitors, facing open hostility. The members of the Sanhedrin were infuriated that Peter and John had performed a spectacular miracle, healing a crippled man, and had been preaching a powerful message to the crowds about Jesus rising from the dead. These wretched followers of Jesus were becoming more and more credible. Thousands were being persuaded. It was a major threat to the Sanhedrin?s power. The interrogation began. Referring to the miraculous healing of the cripple, members of the Sanhedrin asked imperiously, "By what power or what name did you do this?" After a respectful acknowledgment of the prestigious company before whom he was standing, Peter made a comment dripping with irony. "If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness . . ." In other words, if we are being charged with the heinous crime of meeting a need, being generous and caring . . . Then Peter went on to give a bold, uncompromising answer to their question. "It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead." There it was?a direct indictment. Discretion might have required that Peter be more respectful. After all, these men could eliminate him at any moment. But Peter was in no mood for playing it safe. He wanted this distinguished body to know they were complicit in the murder of an innocent man. More than that?this man was none other than the Messiah. The members of the Sanhedrin "couldn?t take their eyes off them?Peter and John standing there so confident, so sure of themselves! Their fascination deepened when they realized these two were laymen with no training in Scripture or formal education" (Acts 4:13, MSG). No doubt these powerful men were taken aback that Peter and John completely flouted traditional Sanhedrin protocol, which demanded that persons brought before them should be dressed in mourning and appear humble in attitude. Peter was an unvarnished, straight-shooting rugged fisherman, unabashed and unashamed?and not exactly the picture of humility. How could such a man?this nobody out of nowhere?take such a bold stance? Peter had deserted his Teacher at the time of his crucifixion?evidence of cowardice and an indictment on the credibility of Jesus himself. Yet, now Peter stood in the presence of the most powerful religious men in the land, and he was speaking with power, conviction, and a reckless disregard for his own well-being. The rulers, elders, and teachers of the law "were astonished." It dawned on the members of the Sanhedrin, "these men had been with Jesus." That must have been the source of their transformation. John and Peter were desperately ordinary, but Jesus had made them capable of extraordinary feats. Yes, they had followed Jesus alright. And He had rubbed off on them, big time. Simon Peter went on to become one of the greatest leaders the church has ever known, but if you had seen where he came from, you wouldn?t have believed it possible. He was not known to be the most courageous of men. He was a humble fisherman, working with his hands, supporting his family, and enjoying the camaraderie of his family and good friends, fellow fisherman. His three years with Jesus would be marked by notable failures, particularly in the area of courage. Simply put, Peter may not have been brave enough to be the leader he was destined to become. But Jesus knew that Peter was brave enough to follow him?and that was all that mattered. Simon Peter was an ordinary man of no social standing. And yet Jesus chose him to be the "rock" upon which the church would be built. This apparent incongruity begs th