They Had Been with Jesus

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.” Acts 4:13 

When the priests and the Sadducees heard Peter and John preaching at the temple about how Jesus had risen from the dead, they arrested them and threw them in jail. The next day, after all of the religious leaders were gathered together, they brought out Peter and John and began to question them about what had happened to the lame man and what they had been preaching about Jesus the day before. The religious leaders did not know Peter and John, but there were several things about these two men that stood out to them. They judged them to be simple and uneducated men. This does not mean that Peter and John were illiterate, but rather that they had not had what we would consider to be university training. But after seeing what they had done and hearing their answers to the council, it was obvious that they had been with Jesus. They had studied Jesus for over three years. They knew that His words, His actions, and His attitudes were unique. No other teacher taught as Jesus did. After hearing Peter and John speak, it was obvious to them that Peter and John knew Jesus better than they did. They could see that Jesus’ teachings had shaped their thinking, their values, and their approach to life. The Lord wants to have the same kind of impact on our lives today. As we spend time in His Word, people will begin to see that we have been with Him.