by Alyssa Speas
Acts 4:13 - Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with
Jesus.
Who do you look the most like? Mom, dad, sister, brother? If someone saw you on the street, who or what would they say you resemble? Do you have a celebrity doppelganger? Do you radiate "soccer mom," "handyman dad," or "coffee shop hipster?" If people were to describe you, would they say you were kind and caring? Or rough and calloused?
In the book of Acts, Peter and John were recognized as being apostles. Now, the people who recognized them were the scribes and Pharisees--the ones who led Jesus to be crucified. They knew (at least roughly) who Christ’s disciples were. So it doesn’t come as a surprise that they “recognized that they had been with Jesus”. What is surprising is that they “perceived [to be] uneducated, common men...” It was their boldness.
When people see me on the street, I want them to be able to tell that there is something different about me. I want people to know that I “have been with Jesus." What does this look like, though? Is it a button I put on my clothes? A certain way of dressing or doing my hair? These things might show people that I belong to a certain denomination or claim to be a Christian, but do they show
what’s in my heart?
John 13:35 tells us that people who see us will know that we are Christians by “[our] love for one another.” Galatians 5: 22-23 tells us that “the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
When we show love to our neighbors and live out the Fruits of the Spirit in our lives, people should know that we are different. They might not say, “Oh yeah! He’s a Christian!,” right off the bat. But your actions can open the door to them asking you why you do the things you do and how you have a certain attitude in a certain situation. Then, you can tell them all about the amazing work Christ has done in your life.
So, who do you look like? Will people recognize that you’ve been with Jesus? Ask Jesus today to help you live like you’ve been with Him!
Passage Guide: Acts 9 & Psalm 47