Obedience to God, a Reflection on Acts 5:27-32

On Easter we remembered and celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That was Easter.

Now is what the church calls Eastertide. We are still remembering the resurrection. We are still celebrating it. And we are also assessing what the impact of the resurrection has on our own lives.

Acts takes us back to the very early church, the period immediately after ascension and pentecost.

The believers were caring for each other--to the extent of sharing their possessions (Acts 4:32-35) and caring for many, many others. They performed great numbers of healings (5:12-16).

And they preached. And the preaching upset the authorities. When called to account, their response was "We must obey God rather than any human authority."

Peter and the other apostles summarize the message that inspired them and continues to inspire us as we move through Eastertide:

God raised up Jesus.
God exalted him so that he might give repentance and forgiveness.
We are witnesses to these things.

But they weren't the last witnesses. The Holy Spirit continues to move through the church.