The Courage of the One from Above

Voice over by Eliz

Acts 5:27-33, Psalm: 33, Jn 3:31-36

My dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

In the glow of the Easter season, the Church presents us with a confrontation that reveals the heart of Christian witness. On one side stands the Sanhedrin, the religious authority of Israel, wielding power, tradition, and the weight of human judgment. On the other side stand a few Galilean fishermen, armed with nothing but the truth of the Resurrection. The outcome of this confrontation tells us everything about where true authority lies.

In the Acts of the Apostles, the Sanhedrin interrogates Peter and the apostles with angry accusation: “We gave you strict orders, did we not, to stop teaching in that name?” They are referring to the name of Jesus. They believed that by crucifying Him, they had silenced Him forever. Now His followers are proclaiming Him risen, and the whole city is buzzing with the news. The high priest’s words are dripping with frustration: “You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching.”

Peter’s response is magnificent in its clarity and courage. He does not negotiate. He does not compromise. He states the simple, unassailable truth: “We must obey God rather than men.” Then he proclaims the heart of the apostolic faith: “The God of our ancestors raised Jesus, though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins. We are witnesses of these things, as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”

The apostles speak with such authority because they speak from experience. They are not repeating secondhand stories. They saw the Risen Lord. They ate with Him. They received His Spirit. Their courage flows from an encounter that has transformed them from fearful fugitives into fearless witnesses.

In the Gospel of John, we hear the theological foundation for their courage. John the Baptist speaks of Jesus as “the one who comes from above.” He testifies that Jesus speaks the words of God because “he is not rationed in the Spirit.” Then comes the verse that captures the choice facing every human heart: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.”

The Sanhedrin represents those who reject the one from above. They cling to their own authority, their own traditions, their own comfort. But the apostles have embraced the Son, and in that embrace, they have received the Spirit without measure.

Pope Francis, reflecting on this passage, said, “The courage of the apostles came from their encounter with the Risen Lord. When we truly encounter Him, we cannot remain silent.”

This Easter season, we are called to examine our own witness. Do we speak the name of Jesus with the same boldness? Or have we, like the Sanhedrin, settled for a comfortable silence? The Spirit who empowered Peter and John is the same Spirit given to us in Baptism and Confirmation. The same Risen Lord sends us into our own “Jerusalem”—our families, our workplaces, our neighborhoods.

Let us pray for the courage to obey God rather than men. Let us witness to what we have seen and heard. For the one who comes from above is above all, and He has promised to be with us always. Amen.

May God bless you all!