This week, we hear the consequences of sharing the good news that Jesus lives (and Jesus heals and saves!) with the whole world: Peter and John have landed in prison because of a “good deed done to someone who was sick.”

Peter and John are teaching the people who followed them about Jesus when they are arrested. The priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees are not happy – actually they are “much annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming that in Jesus there is the resurrection of the dead” (Acts 4:1-2). In other words, they think Peter and John are leading people astray. Lots of people – Scripture tells us “But many of those who heard the word believed; and they numbered about five thousand.” (Acts 4:4)

In other words, this passage highlights the conflict that continues for all people of faith: who will prevail – the powers who put Jesus to death or the power that raised Jesus to life?

To be clear, this conflict is often waged within our very beings. Maybe we’d rather not think that we could possibly be aligned with the powers that put Jesus to death, but there’s certainly part of us that questions and undermines and thwarts God’s saving work. on the other hand, maybe it’s hard to imagine that we could have the power that raises Jesus to life. Maybe we believe with all our heart, soul, mind and strength that God does have that incredible power but we are not so sure that it ever quite touches us.

The war rages on – the war between the powers that want Jesus dead and gone and the power that raised Jesus to life – the war between the parts of ourselves that doubt and thwart and the parts that believe that Jesus lives. We know which power ultimately wins out. Jesus lives. And we are saved. But salvation is not some future promise for us to look forward to. Salvation is the promise that sustains us through every twist and turn life takes us through today. Salvation is the promise that sustained Peter and John from their prison cell.

Jesus heals. Jesus makes us whole again more fully, more completely than anything that the world has to offer.

And when we experience even the smallest glimpse of that healing – through discoveries of modern medicine or through the kind word or gentle hug from a friend – we join Peter in testifying to others about all that Jesus has done. The power that raised Jesus to life has and will always triumph over the power of death. Thanks be to God! Christ is risen! Alleluia!