Been with Jesus

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. – Acts 4:13

Rigorous training. Busy days juggling a full course-load. Long nights studying for exams.  Fun and games exchanged for textbooks and flashcards. Sleep deprivation. Significant expense.

But alas, you did it! You graduated, passed your licensing exams, and became an official healthcare provider. Graduated at the top of your class? Stellar! Got inducted into the Honor Society? Outstanding achievement.

But as you know, patients coming in for treatment, aren’t the least bit concerned with our degrees, the GPA we earned to get it, the honor society induction, or the long road of study taken to get licensed. Their top concern is, having gone through the extensive training, what difference can you make in addressing my diagnosis?

Likewise, no matter how many church services we attend, what office we hold in that ministry, how many scriptures we’ve memorized or how close we purport to be to Jesus, those are all rigorous training opportunities. The concern is what differences do those things make on the lives we live and the ones we effect?

• What difference did the church service make in how we interact with our difficult patients or coworkers?

• Do the scriptures we’ve memorized influence our actions in serving others?

• Does our closeness with Jesus influence our self-control in the face of opposition?

What visible attributes make it so obvious that you’ve spent time with Jesus because it’s undeniable that He’s working through you?

The disciples Peter and John in Acts 4:13 provide a fitting example. [See Acts 3-4 for context].

The condensed version is: Peter and John healed a man. And not just any man. A well-known man. Not known for his prestige or his clout, but for his condition. It was a congenital condition. Crippled from birth and relegated to a life of begging. Well-known because every day, he was placed strategically at the temple gate. So those entering the temple or leaving the temple couldn’t miss him.

They all knew this man’s story. They all knew his past. They all assumed his future would be exactly like his 40-year history. Crippled for life.  Beggar for life.

But in an instant, Peter and John shifted his whole paradigm. One sentence completely altered his story-line. “In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene – walk.”  Suddenly, feet that never bore his body’s weight, strengthened. Ankles that never flexed, catapulted him up with a leap. Legs that never took a step, walked. No physical therapy for atrophied muscles. No crutches, braces, or canes for assistance. Just him walking, leaping, and praising God.

You can imagine the crowd’s astonishment (Acts 3:10-11). They credited the disciples with the miracle. Peter quickly deflected the acclaim to the resurrected Jesus. Then he seized the opportunity to relay that the same Jesus that healed the beggar’s physically crippled diagnosis would do the same for their spiritually crippled (sinful) conditions if they repented.

The religious leaders caught wind of this public declaration of Jesus and jailed the disciples overnight. The next day, they interrogated Peter and John. Not about the validity of the miracle. They couldn’t deny the obvious healing that had occurred. Their inquiry centered on the how. “By what power, or in what name have you done this” miracle? (Acts 4:7)

Without hesitation, Peter, being filled with the Holy Spirit, boldly responded in vs 8-12. “...let it be known to all of you…that by the name of Jesus Christ, the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead – by this name this man stands here before you in good health.”

The religious leaders’ response: “As they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.”   In their estimation:

• These men were “uneducated and untrained”.  No formal training in religious studies. No titles in front of their names or initials trailing them. No high ranking positions or impressive familial pedigrees. Just regular folks…like you and me. Yet, under the power of the Holy Spirit, did something to reverse a known congenital condition.

• They had been with Jesus. The greatest compliment friend or foe could pay to us is their recognition of our identification with Jesus Christ. For 3 years, they were personally taught by Jesus. They received extensive on-the-job training from the Savior. They experienced intimate fellowship with the Son of God. And even though He was no longer physically on the earth, the residue of Jesus was still evident on His disciples.

These disciples embodied the answer to the real question on the floor for their day (and interestingly for us today):

Of what benefit was all that time spent with Jesus?

I’m convinced that their identity with Jesus was easily recognizable by others because they produced a noticeable change in their environment. They didn’t go about their day spouting Bible verses about Jesus being a Healer. They simply wielded His power in healing the man.

Then they used that opportunity to point all the eyewitnesses to the Jesus who made it all happen. And at least 5,000 lives were changed that day (Acts 4:4) due to their action and witness.

As Christians, we too spend time with Jesus. We gather to praise Him on Sunday mornings, learn more about Him at midweek Bible studies, and pray to Him during our personal devotional times. But the culture of today is looking to see, of what benefit is all that time with Jesus?

Church services, Bible studies, and devotional time will be of little to no effect if there is no translation to visible actions. What matters most is:

• Having left the church service, is the presence of Jesus lingering to effect your response in that conflict?

• Having memorized the scriptures, do they affect the content of your conversations?

• Having worshiped Jesus on your commute to work, does that reverence for Him rub off on your treatment of others?

People we encounter are looking for evidence of our “having been with Jesus”. They need to see us living out the principles we learned. They should observe the miracles of us loving our enemies (Luke 6:27), keeping our tongues from evil (Psalm 34:13), and exhibiting excellence in our work ethic (Colossians 3:23-24). They need to see the difference He can make in a life because of the one He made in ours. Start today putting feet to your faith and watch the impact it can make on those around you.

What attitudes, actions, words or deeds can you point to today as clear evidence to others that you have been with Jesus?

What can others point to in your life that distinctly associates you with Christ?

Comment below with your answers.