Interrupting the Interruptions

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….. 16 The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed. 17 But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy 18 they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” 21 And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach. Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22 But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, 23 “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.” 24 Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to. 25 And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” 26 Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people. 27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” 33 When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. 34 But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. 35 And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. 36 For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. 37 After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. 38 So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice, 40 and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus. Acts 5:12, 16-42 (English Standard Version, ESV) emphasis mine

The apostles were seeing people healed and delivered, and the religious rulers of the day became jealous, putting them in prison. Verse 17 says BUT the high priest rose up and imprisoned them. So, although there were good results from what the apostles were doing, the jealous leaders threw them in jail. However, let’s point out that when the devil had a BUT, God countered with a BUT of His own in verse 19. BUT is a word of interruption; it interrupts a thought, statement, or event. The devil meant to interrupt the healings, deliverances, miracles, and the spreading of the Gospel, so God came in and interrupted the interruption. He sent an angel to set the apostles free, instructing them to speak to the people all the words of life. In verse 21 they did just that.

Then the high priest was going to have the apostles brought before him, but they had already been freed by the angel. The religious leaders were perplexed. They brought them before the high priest, and told them not to preach in Jesus’ Name. In verse 29, the apostles said they had to obey God over men. This enraged the religious leaders, and they wanted to kill the apostles. However, in verse 34, we find another BUT. God kept stepping in and intervening. In verses 34 through 39, Gamaliel counseled them against it, citing examples of false teachers who had come before and had amounted to nothing. The religious leaders followed his advice, commanded the apostles not to preach in Jesus’ name, and released them. The apostles laughed it off in front of the devil and the religious leaders who were simply his pawns. The apostles celebrated the fact that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus.

It is worth noting that God was known in the Old Testament as The Name, thus showing us by the wording in this New Testament passage that Jesus is God, and was proclaimed as the Christ, the Son of God. So, in other words, the apostles continued to peach that Jesus is the Christ.

My point is that we must keep doing what God has called us to do. Don’t fear the opposition, but resist it boldly. Obey God over what man says when man violates God’s Word. Continue to reach, preach to and teach the people.

Throughout this passage we’ve seen the word BUT numerous times, and we’ve identified some very keys times that things were interrupted by the enemy and then it was countered with an interruption by God. Whenever someone comes against us, and attempts to stop us, God will step in and make it right. As we teach God’s Word and proclaim Jesus, God cancels out every evil plan of the enemy, so that the plans of the Lord prevail. God interrupts the devil’s interruptions, and thank God that He does!