Reading for April 17th

Read Acts 4.23-31
4.23-5.16: The divine authority of the apostles.
In verse 24: Their prayer to the Sovereign Lord invokes God's royal dominion (see also Lk 2.29) over everything (Acts 14.15; 17.24).
In verses 25-26: In the psalms, God spoke through King David ( Lk 24.44; Acts 1.16; 2.25, 30 -31).
Psalm 2 is about about God's protection of the messiah from those who have gathered to threaten his reign as ruler over the nations.
In verse 27: A direct link is made tot he dire roles all these groups played in Jesus' trial especially Herod (Lk 9.7-9; 13.31; 23.6-12) and Pilate (Lk 13.1; 23.1-25).
Even the way they gathered together signaled the divine drama (see v. 26).
As God's  holy servant, Jesus is again in David's line (vv. 25, 31), anointed or made messiah at his baptism (10.38).
In verse 28: Luke's conviction about what is predestined or "necessary" is grounded in the way the scriptures stated God's plan that had to be fulfilled (Lk 24.26, 44).
In verse 30: The figure of Moses as God's servant (3.26) again illumines the images of stretching out your hand in signs and wonders (Ex 3.20; 4.4; Acts 7.36).
In verse 31: The shaking of the place is another sign of divine presence (Acts 2.2).
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