The Hands and Feet of Jesus

By:  Dale Weckbacher

 

Text:  Acts 5:12-16

 

Acts 5:12

Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. 

(ESV)

 

Mobs rioting and threatening innocent people is not a new thing for even Paul and Silas caused one in Thessalonica when they brought the Gospel message to the city (Acts 17:1-5).  The Jews were jealous because the Apostle Paul was gaining attention through his teaching that persuaded some Jews and Greeks that Jesus was the Messiah (Acts 17:4).  The devout Greeks feared suffering financially because they might have profited from the sale of idols used to worship the Greek Gods like Demetrius in Acts 19:21-41 which resulted in a riot at Ephesus.  Riots can cause fear that paralyzes people, so they fear speaking out against evil and injustice in the world.  The riots occurring in the world today coupled with Covid19 are causing people to fear speaking out against lies and ungodliness in a world that desperately needs Jesus.  Paul would later instruct his protégé Timothy that fear is not from God for God has given His children a spirit of love, power, and soundness of mind.  Believers in Jesus as Savior who comprise the Church have a duty to fearlessly declare the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the Church is the hands and feet of Jesus on earth.    

 

The ministry of the Apostles in Acts 5:12-16 is a continuation of what began at the Temple in Acts 3.  Even though this ended with the arrest of Peter and John by the priests, captain of the temple, and the Sadducees with their commanding them not to speak any longer in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:3,18).  Peter and John responded to these religious leaders by stating that they intended to listen to God and not them and would only speak of what they had heard (Acts 4:19-20).  After telling the other believers the story, they prayed for boldness in speaking the Word of God (Acts 4:23-29) with god answering their prayer with the room shaken and the Holy Spirit filling these believers with boldness to speak the Word of God.    

 

These empowered and emboldened apostles are now the hands and feet of Jesus continuing his ministry of healing, deliverance, and salvation (Acts 5:12) in fulfillment of Jesus' words in Mark 16:17-18.  Word of the ministry of the apostles now begins to spread outside of Jerusalem in fulfillment of Acts 1:8.  Unfortunately, such outpourings of God’s power are rare in the Church today with Churches more focused on facilities management, entertaining programs, and politically correct messages so as not to offend government officials or visitors to the Church.  For revival to occur, the Church must become the hands and feet of Jesus by finding R.E.S.T in the Lord.  The Church needs,

 

1)      Repentance – We have all sinned and need God’s forgiveness (Romans 3:23).  Sin was what separated humanity from God in the first place.  God gave his law, to let us know his standard of holiness but our efforts to live up to this standard on our own fall short and why we need God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8).  Part of living for Christ is having a repentant heart that asks for God’s forgiveness when God makes them aware of sin in their lives so there is nothing between them and intimacy with God. 

2)      Empowerment from the Holy Spirit – The boldness the believers prayed for in Acts 4:23-31 is now demonstrated with signs and wonders being done by the apostles.  Not only are these signs and wonders a fulfillment of Mark 16:17-18 but also a demonstration of God’s power in the lives of these believers.  However, those through whom the power of the Spirit of God works must guard against pride and humbly give glory to God as Peter and John did in Acts 3:11-12. 

3)      Spirit Leadership – When believers in Christ are led by the Holy Spirit, they are the sons of God (Romans 8:14).  This makes believers in Christ heirs of God and fellow heirs of Christ (Romans 8:17).  Those without Christ in this world look around them and wonder what they will inherit as they see their wealth shrinking and any sense of earthly security fading away due to an unseen virus and chaos in the world.  Those in Christ, led by the Spirit of God, have an inheritance of eternal life with God (John 3:16). 

4)      Truth and the boldness to declare it – Jesus taught that those that know the truth shall be set free.  In a chaotic world where people fear the loss of freedom, knowing that there is freedom in knowing the truth should make us pursue truth.  The issue is what is the source of truth.  Jesus told Pilate that he came to declare truth with those of the truth listening to Jesus’ voice (John 18:37).  The Word of God is the source of truth (Psalm 119:160) with Jesus the Word of God in flesh (John 1:14) giving people forgiveness from sin and a powerful message of hope to declare to a world in chaos.   

 

Survival in a chaotic world requires one finding rest.  When we try to find rest in the things of this world, they will disappoint us especially if some unseen virus or civil unrest takes them away from us.  Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12) and called on His followers to be lights that give glory to God (Matthew 5:16).  Those finding rest in the Lord will be beacons of light shining brightly in a dark world with those living in darkness attracted to the rest we have found.  I encourage everyone reading this to seek rest in the Lord through having a repentant heart, seeking the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, allowing the Holy Spirit to lead them, and learning the truths contained in the Word of God and boldly declaring it through how they live and what they say.  May God bless everyone reading this post and may you find rest in the Lord so you can become the hands and feet of Jesus.