An Empty Easter Tomb Leads to an Empty Apostolic Jail!

2nd Sunday of Easter, 4/24/22 Acts 5:12, 17-32 An Empty Easter Tomb Leads to an Empty Apostolic Jail! I. That’s the power of Christ’s resurrection. II. That power produces Christian courage. Around the world every day great events occur. We hear reports of a rescue that spared precious human lives. Or we hear a report of a new medical procedure or treatment that will help countless people each year. We’re amazed at the latest development in technology. A little closer to home, a resident of the Miami Valley is scheduled to return to earth from the International Space Station early this afternoon. Amazing! But today’s headlines are tomorrow’s old news. The great events in our world today will be replaced by others in short order. There’s little time to ponder the great things that occurred yesterday if we want to be amazed and enjoy the great things that will happen today. So, we’re nearly forced to move on to the next amazing thing. We have an amazing event recorded for us here in Acts 5 this morning. An angel leads the twelve apostles out of jail right past whatever guards were posted. But we don’t have any record of the apostles referring to this astounding event when they were later questioned by the high priest. Instead, Peter spoke once again about the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, an event that had likely occurred a couple months earlier. The resurrection was still first and foremost on their minds as the greatest event in the lives of the apostles. They hadn’t moved on from it to something else. The apostles believed and knew that the resurrection of Jesus was not only the most astounding event ever, it was also the power for their lives that day, for the rest of their days on this earth, and for their eternal lives in heaven. So that we better understand and appreciate the power of Christ’s resurrection, let’s see the connection between Christ’s empty tomb and the miracle reported here in Acts 5. An empty Easter tomb leads to an empty apostolic jail. But just what does that mean for you and me? May the Holy Spirit enlighten us as we ponder this account! I. Every human organization, every business, every group or team, faces the same challenge—how do you replace a person who has been critical to the success of your organization? That person brought so much to the table—their wisdom, knowledge, abilities, commitment. They were an example to the rest of the people in the organization of what comprised greatness. How can they now be replaced? Maybe it’s not possible. Imagine what the disciples had experienced over the past few months. After spending the better part of three years with Jesus, they had accompanied Jesus to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover with him. Little did they realize their days with him here on earth would soon be over. To their horror, he was crucified. To their amazement, he rose from the dead three days later. They spent time with him over the next 40 days, but then he ascended into heaven. He was visibly gone. Now what? He had meant everything to them. He was the focus of their lives, every moment of every day of their lives. Humanly speaking, he was critical to their organization. How could they replace him? They didn’t need to. Even though Jesus had removed his visible presence from them, the power of his resurrection was still an amazing force in their lives. Listen again to the opening words of our text, “The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade.” After the Holy Spirit filled the apostles in a special way on Pentecost, the apostles had the power from the risen Jesus to perform miracles. In this chapter of Acts, we’re told that people would bring the sick on mats so that at least Peter’s shadow would fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds of people brought the sick and demon possessed to the apostles and they were healed. You talk about amazing events occurring every day! Imagine how this impressed both Christians and non-Christians alike! But the Jewish religious leaders were not among those who were impressed. In fact, they were incensed. They had thought that, by executing Jesus, they had heard the last of him. But actually, it was just the beginning. Some time ago they had put Peter and John in jail as a way of getting them to stop preaching about Jesus. But it didn’t work. Peter, John, and the other apostles weren’t intimidated at all. They kept preaching and the church kept growing. So, the Jewish leaders imprisoned all twelve apostles. We’re not sure what their intent was. Did they intend to put them on trial? Have them inexplicably “disappear”? Recall that they had no authority to put anyone to death. It seems as if, at the very least, they wanted to intimidate them and get them to stop preaching. But it didn’t work. In fact, it backfired. They were certain they had the apostles under lock and key. While ancient jails weren’t constructed to hold prisoners for any length of time, they were sufficiently constructed for their intended purpose—to keep prisoners imprisoned. But even the most secure prison is no match for the power of the risen Lord Jesus. He sent an angel who “opened the doors of the jail and brought them out.” An apostolic jailbreak! And it was all due to the power of the risen Lord Jesus. His intent for his apostles was for them to spend their days proclaiming his death and resurrection, not languishing in a jail. An empty Easter tomb leads to an empty apostolic jail. That’s the power of Christ’s resurrection! What power! Amazing! And as we ponder this amazing event wrought by the power of the resurrection of Jesus, we easily transition into wondering why similar miracles don’t happen in our lives. We don’t need an apostolic jailbreak, but we would like to see a little more resurrection power in our lives. For instance, Lord, just give me a little more happiness in my life. Use your power to make my financial ends meet. Cast Peter’s shadow over me and remove my aches and pains. Snap your fingers and drop an awesome vacation into my lap. Send me an angel who improves my relationship with my children, my spouse, my parents. But that’s not what this jailbreak was about. Recall that they got out of this jail only to be persecuted some more. All of them but John likely died a martyr’s death. The power of the resurrection accomplished something much deeper, much more lasting in them, just as it already has in you. At your baptism, you were clothed with the power of Christ’s resurrection. In what way? In that death is no longer is your master. You live—eternally—for soul and body. You now have an eternal relationship with your God. Sin and Satan have no power over you. That’s what the death and resurrection of Jesus mean for you. An empty Easter tomb and an empty apostolic jail make you certain of it. II. From the very beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine almost two months ago, the people of this world have been impressed with the leadership and courage of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He could have fled in order to lead his country’s defense from a safer location, but he refused. He would remain and fight right alongside his fellow Ukrainians. It makes me wonder what I would have done had I been in his position. Would I have had his courage? Acts 5 relates the fact that powerful pressure was being applied against the work of the apostles. As I mentioned a minute ago, Peter and John had spent a day in prison and now all twelve had experienced the same at the hands of the Jewish leaders. The apostles surely recalled that these same Jewish leaders had succeeded in having Jesus murdered. Would they attempt the same with his disciples? And how would their threats impact the apostles’ work of spreading the gospel? Not at all. When the angel released them from prison, his one instruction to them was, “Go, stand in the temple courts and tell the people the full message of this new life.” And that’s exactly what they did at daybreak the next day. They weren’t intimidated by the Jewish leaders in the least. When those Jewish leaders learned that the apostles were back at their work of preaching and teaching about Jesus, they had the apostles brought before them. This would be another attempt to silence the apostles. But, once again, it backfired. Speaking for the other eleven, Peter declared, “We must obey God rather than men! The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead—whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” Peter grabbed this golden opportunity to share both law and gospel. He confronted the leaders with their heinous sin of murdering Jesus and proclaimed the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. Given the circumstances, the apostles displayed uncommon courage. But that’s what the resurrection of Jesus does. It produces Christian courage. I’m guessing none of you have ever felt any resistance in your efforts to witness about Jesus from a powerful government official. In fact, our US Constitution guarantees us that right. And yet, I imagine it’s difficult for us to imagine doing what the apostles did here in Acts 5 because the truth of the matter is that we have failed to stand up for Christ even under peaceful situations. We’ve wilted when we should have been bold. We both know what that’s like. But so did Peter. Recall his denials of Jesus. And what did Jesus do? He assured Peter of his forgiveness just as he assures you and me. And then he reminds us of the power of his resurrection which lives in us and makes us bold to share the message of a Jesus, crucified and risen. The power of his word cannot be shackled any more than his apostles could. That’s what an empty Easter tomb and an empty apostolic jail mean for us. Live each day in the power of Jesus’ resurrection! Amen.