Have You 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)

                Sometimes the evidence of our activity is simply too hard to deny.  If your clothes smell sugary-sweet, then you’ve been around the donuts at Krispy Kreme.  A temporary inability to talk properly might indicate that your mouth has not recovered from the numbing medication at the dentist.  At times, we’re tempted to be less than forthcoming about our recent activity, but other times we’re proud of it.  Such was the case for Peter and John – they had been with someone they could not deny.

                Let’s consider the context of today’s verse.  In Acts 3, the disciples were making their way to the temple when they came to the Beautiful Gate.  There they found a man who had sat there many times before, begging alms from those who came to worship.  Peter and John didn’t have any “silver or gold” to give the man, but they gave him what they had – the miracle-working power of Jesus.  The lame man jumped up immediately – walking and leaping and praising God!  He let everyone know he was healed!

                Not everyone was happy about the miracle.  The religious leaders questioned Peter and John about the power that provided the miracle, and of course they said it was Jesus.  When the religious leaders saw their boldness, even though Peter and John were uneducated fishermen, they “realized that they had been with Jesus.”  What a testimony!  I wonder if others can tell that we’ve been Jesus when they encounter us?  Don’t let the busy-ness of life keep you from spending precious time with Jesus!