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The Disciples of Christ
With mighty power the disciples preached a crucified and risen
Saviour. Signs and wonders were wrought by them in the name of
Jesus; the sick were healed; and a man who had been lame from his
birth was restored to perfect soundness and entered with Peter and
John into the temple, walking and leaping and praising God in the
sight of all the people. The news spread, and the people began to
press around the disciples. Many ran together, greatly astonished at
the cure that had been wrought.
When Jesus died, the priests thought that no more miracles would
be performed among them, that the excitement would die out and
the people would again turn to the traditions of men. But lo! right
among them the disciples were working miracles, and the people
were filled with amazement. Jesus had been crucified, and they
wondered where His followers had obtained this power. When He
was alive, they thought that He imparted power to them; but when
He died, they expected the miracles to cease. Peter understood their
perplexity and said to them, “Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at
this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power
or holiness we had made this man to walk? The God of Abraham,
and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified His
Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied Him in the presence
of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. But ye denied the
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Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto
you; and killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the
dead; whereof we are witnesses. And His name through faith in His
name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know.”
The chief priests and elders could not bear these words, and at
their command Peter and John were seized and put in prison. But
thousands had been converted and led to believe in the resurrection
and ascension of Christ by hearing only one discourse from the
disciples. The priests and elders were troubled. They had slain Jesus
that the minds of the people might be turned to themselves; but the
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