By Babett Horn, Writer and Speaker
Acts 4:13
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled,
ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with
Jesus.
Let’s take a moment to gather our thoughts and focus our minds on Jesus. Take a deep
breath. Allow your imagination to show you this verse. Think on the words “they had been
with Jesus.”
Specifically, in this verse, John and Peter were before:
- The Sanhedrin (the Jewish ruling council)
- Including the priests
- The captain of the temple guard
- The Sadducees
- And later named leaders such as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and
Alexander (Acts 4:5–6)
The back story in this verse tells us that Peter and John had prayed for a lame man and he was
healed. The rulers were angry about that and about them sharing the truth of the resurrection.
What would that look like for us today? In modern day we would be brought before the local
courts. A judge would be upset that we were teaching and sharing the gospel. But the last part of
the verse is what really stands out to me. They noted that these men had been with Jesus. I would
have thought that the rulers would have known right off Peter and John had been disciples. But
this verse seems to say that it wasn’t because they knew Jesus…it was because they had “been
with him”.
Peter and John weren’t simply spouting verses or declaring the Torah. They had been with Jesus.
Their character and authority showed they spent time getting to know Jesus.
What are our practices and rhythms in our day that allow us to be with Jesus?
I am an early riser. Setting a rhythm of quiet time in the mornings was tricky when I was raising
our littles. Sometimes it was even more challenging when we were foster parents. At one time I
had 6 under 8 years old. One of my youngest daughters had FOMO…. Fear of Missing Out. If
she heard me up, she was up too. Her words started before even her eyes were open!
Here is a life hack for you who have young children. I created a quiet basket. I put puppets,
coloring books and crayons, a children’s Bible and a few stuffies in it. If a child woke up before I
was finished with my quiet time, they could get the Quiet Basket and sit on the floor and wait for
me to finish. It worked well most of the time.
Maybe you are a noontime person. Perhaps that is your best time to quiet yourself. Maybe you’re
a bedtime person and you focus best at that time of day. The time of day isn’t as important as the
practice of being with Jesus.Being with Jesus doesn’t have to be a structured space of time. It can be quiet moments reflecting on the beauty of nature. It can be silence or worship with music.
Have you ever considered this? Genesis 3:8 leads us to believe that God walked with Adam and
Eve in the garden. We can see this as a daily routine. He walked with them in the cool of the day.
It could be early morning or more likely evening time. What would they have talked about?
Adam and Eve had no needs. They would not have had reason to petition or intercede or even
lament before the fall. So, when they were just being with God what did they experience? In my
imagination I see them telling him how much they love him. He telling them the same. They
might have talked about the beauty of the garden. Thanked him for the home he created for them.
Being with Jesus can look similar. Being with Jesus aligns our spirit with His. Our character
becomes more like His.
People will notice.
Others will see us become bolder, yet humble.
Wiser yet speaking with gentle authority.
They will say “They have been with Jesus.”
A prayer to remind us to set a rhythm for the practice of being with Jesus
Prayer
Lord Jesus, shape our lives so clearly by Your presence that others recognize we have been with
You. Make our words gentle, our courage steady, and our love unmistakable. May everything we
do reflect Your grace. Amen.
