Pastor's Ponderings: Tuesday Bible Study on Acts of the Apostles 4:1-4 (August 26, 2025)

August 26, 2025:  Tuesday Bible Study on Acts 4:1-4

Good morning on this first comfortable morning in a long time here in Tucson. I pray today that your lives will be filled with the Joy of knowing Jesus Christ as your LORD and Savior, and that the difficult things that seem to come our way, sometimes every day, will seem less significant because the Christ of God has surrounded you with the Holy Spirit, and She is always actively seeking to strengthen our faith so that we might move from day to day with confidence in the power of our LORD to really care for us.

Please pray for Robert this morning. He had hernia surgery yesterday morning and was home already by late afternoon. His pain levels are high, though his doctor has given him meds to help with that, and Robert's recovery period may be quite long after this surgery. I had this same surgery shortly after Melody and I were married, and at my tender young age I was out of my teaching work for a month before I could get back to being on my feet for more than a few minutes. Please hold Larry in your prayers too as he recovers from back surgery, and some struggles with the anesthesia, especially with the amount used. Prayers for safe travel for our members who are active this summer away from Tucson.

This weekend we have several activities taking place. On this Friday we will meet at the Cheesecake Factory at Tucson Mall for the Foodies of Faith at 11:30AM. Our former member, and now the Pastor of Sierra Ev. Lutheran Church in Sierra Vista, Kurt Fangmeier will be with us for Friday's lunch. If you have yet to sign up and want to come, please call the church office not later than Thursday afternoon by 4PM. Sunday morning at 9AM we will have our Coffee and Donut fellowship in the Narthex. If you are coming, please bring donuts or cookies or fruit to share. See you there at 9AM. A reminder that next Monday will not be a Bible Study Day. It is Labor Day, the offices of the church will be closed for the day, and I will be spending the day with Melody and the boys.

Today we move on to the fourth chapter of the book of Acts. I suspect that we are not surprised by what has taken place after the bold preaching of Peter at the temple. Peter's proclamation has moved many to reconsider their role in the persecution, suffering, and death on the Cross of Jesus. Of course, who would be present at the temple to hear this preaching, and then to feel threatened by it? Peter's words moved many hearts, but the temple authority may have thought that they had gotten rid of the one who would stand in their faces and tell them the wrongs of their work! Now Peter is doing the very same thing! He is convincing Jews and proselytes alike to move toward accepting exactly how important and Holy Jesus really was. At the time of this the leaders of the temple needed to be careful about these things due to Pilate placing all the responsibility on the temple leaders for Jesus' death. And then comes Peter's other piece of this life-changing message. Jesus has been resurrected and is alive! So, Peter and John are arrested and restrained overnight, when most of the people at the temple today will be busy with their work. The place where Peter spoke was an area where those who were seeking more information and were hoping to be transformed by the message of the Law and later many added laws for how to keep the great law of the Commandments. We must wonder if Peter perhaps thought that he and John might already meet their demise with this arrest. It is likely that both the Temple Police and the Sadducees would have been present while Peter preached. The Sadducees were a group of very wealthy men who DID NOT believe in the resurrection of the dead. Their presence was, likely, for the purpose of discerning whether there were others like themselves, rich and powerful, and even more, they would have been concerned that any change in the belief of these newbies would pull them away from contributing to the growing wealth and power of their own class.  Their approach would be to hone their relationship with the Romans for financial gain, to maintain the integrity of the orthodox teachings of the temple to keep everything the same as it had historically been, and to grow their power and authority in the community. 

Of course, what is coming is very reminiscent of the trial of Jesus. When we read ahead for next Tuesday's study, we will find Peter and John being questioned by the authority of the Sanhedrin. You will see when you read Acts 4:5-12 for next Tuesday's study.

God bless you and keep you always in His care and Love. In Christ, Pastor Kim