Read Acts 4:13
Key Verse: “When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13 CSB)
As the rulers, elders and scribes who had assembled in Jerusalem listened to Peter, they were shocked and astonished. Peter was just a common fisherman. He didn’t have the same kind of training that the priests and the other religious leaders had been given. He didn’t know the Jewish Law to the same extent that they did. While they were off studying, he was out working the fishing nets. Yet here he now was clearly and boldly explaining to them the Scriptures like he had a Ph.D. in theology.
Not only that, but this was the same Peter who not too long ago had denied even knowing Jesus, not once but on three separate occasions, all in the course of one night. How was this uneducated, common fisherman with a history of shrinking back in fear able to speak so boldly about Jesus in front of this group? It was incredible!
They realized though what the difference was in Peter. It was Jesus. The reason why Peter was able to speak in this way with such knowledge and boldness was because it was about Jesus. It was about the time Peter had spent with Jesus and the promised Holy Spirit of God that now dwelled within him. Because of this, God was able to do extraordinary things for His glory through a very common and ordinary man,
Peter’s example is a reminder to us of what God is looking for in people whom He chooses to use. It’s not about your intellect or level of education. It’s not about who has followed Jesus the longest or who has the best track record of success. What God is looking for is women and men who are willing to humble themselves before Him, to regularly sit at the feet of Jesus, to seek the filling and power of the Holy Spirit in their lives. This is a person who, as they speak boldly for Jesus, will do so “not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power (1 Cor.2:4), just like Peter did.
Do you want to be used by God today? Take time to be with Jesus. Sit at His feet. Meditate on His words. Seek His Spirit’s power. Humble yourself in prayer. Then watch the difference Jesus will make through you, as you invite Him to give you an opportunity to boldly speak of Him to others.
Prayer: Jesus, thank you for your power to transform lives. As people look at me today, help them to see you in me. I pray that your transforming presence in my life would be undeniable to all who meet me. Use me today, as I spend time with you. Amen.
Author: Jonathan Miller has served in pastoral roles for more than 13 years in churches in Barrie, Oakville and Burlington, Ontario. He currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Prison Fellowship Canada, a ministry that mobilizes and equips local churches to engage in the restorative work of prisoners, ex-prisoners, their families, and victims across Canada. Jon holds degrees from McMaster University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife Adrienne have been married since 2004, and live in Burlington, Ontario with their 4 children. Jon’s greatest passion is to know Jesus and to see lives transformed by Him and for Him.
