Acts 5:23 Seeking/Finding
The Book of Acts – Chapter Five Another Restatement Acts 5:22-32 3 | Seeking / Finding | Acts 5:23 “saying, ‘Indeed we found the prison shut securely, and the guards standing outside before the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside!’” (Acts 5:23). The drama of our passage is relatively simple. The high priest and the Sadducees with him are filled with indignation (Acts 5:17). They are greatly disturbed by the impact of the early Church, more specifically, the constant use of Jesus’ name. In glorifying Jesus, they feel the apostles are condemning their leadership. They said it as if you “intend to bring this Man’s blood on us” (Acts 5:28). These leaders imprisoned Peter and John for the second time and included all of the apostles, placing them in the “common prison” (Acts 5:18). Gathering the following day with all the elders of Israel, they sent officers to bring the prisoners before the council. The officers had a single task to retrieve the apostles from the prison and bring them to the council. However, they discovered the apostles were not there when they arrived at the prison. Luke carefully describes the officers’ reaction and report to the Sanhedrin. “But when the officers came and did not find (heurisko) them in the prison, they returned and reported, saying, ‘Indeed we found (heurisko) the prison shut securely, and the guards standing outside before the doors; but when we opened them, we found (heurisko) no one inside’” (Acts 5:22-23)! “Heurisko” is a Greek word translated as “find” or “found.” It is used by Luke three times in our passage, once to describe the officer’s mission given by the Sanhedrin and twice in their report to Sanhedrin. The core idea of “heurisko” is “to discover” or “to perceive or learn by experience.” The complementary word is “seek,” the context of finding. “Seek” and “find” repeatedly appear in the Scriptures. A unique experience of finding without seeking is possible. However, even when “seeking” is hidden, it bleeds through into the reality of finding. The tenet farmer was not seeking a treasure as he was plowing but discovered wealth beyond his imagination (Matthew 13:44). But one leaves the story wondering if seeking something better for his family wasn’t the motivation for plowing the field. Jesus clarifies this seeking in the next verse relating to the Parable of the Pearl of Great Price (Matthew 13:45-46). He describes the kingdom of heaven as a merchant seeking beautiful pearls and finding one pearl of great price! Perhaps, in reality, there is no occasion when one finds what he has not sought. While we may not find what we seek, we are always seeking. The officers brought the high priest, council, and all the elders of Israel fully into the presence of a miracle of God. These leaders heard of miracle after miracle accomplished by the name of Jesus. They experienced the miracle of the lame beggar, which they declared as “a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it” (Acts 4:16). Now they unwillingly participate in a miracle of God. They placed the apostles in prison and thought they were still there, yet the apostles were not there but at the temple continuing to preach in Jesus’ name. Is there a hidden seeking in these arrogant leaders that continually brings them to a reality they do not want to embrace? Could it be that they are not satisfied with what they have become? Is God not trying to bring them to a new place of finding? Do we not desire to go beyond where we are? Our most basic seeking expresses the deep longing of our soul. Do we not have a hidden selfish desire to seek a better job, car, or home? The craving of my inner heart is beyond the mere physical things of life. Through prevenient grace, God draws me into the miracle of finding! I then can discover Christ! It is amazing! Even despite their resistance, the leaders of Israel were always finding Jesus. Much to their dismay, the apostles confronted them with Jesus in every seeking action. Movement Term “Zeteo” is the common Greek word translated as “seek,” used 117 times in the New Testament and 83 times in the Gospel accounts. This verb means “to seek,” “search for,” investigate,” “study,” “consider,” or “strive for something,” used in the sense of seeking worldly and sacred things. The prefix “ana,” meaning “up,” is added on two occasions to intensify the seeking. “Anazeteo” means “to seek carefully or diligently” and always relates to seeking human beings (Luke 2:44-45; Acts 11:25). In a few passages, the prefix “ek” is added, “ekzeteo,” signifying “to seek out,” “after,” or “to search for.” In 13 passages in the New Testament the prefix “epi” is added, “epizeteo,” giving direction to the seeking with the idea of “toward.” It is used for seeking after or demanding and desiring. None of these words are present in our passage, but they all apply. The high priest, members of the council, and all the elders of the children of Israel are definitely “epizeteo” concerning the apostles. Their focus is on this group of men leading the Christian community in proclaiming Jesus’ name. The apostles are “ekzeteo,” evidenced by sending the officers to bring them to the council. The intensive “anazeteo” applies to the search expanding to the temple where the apostles teach. The leaders of Israel’s indignation expresses their emotion and intensity, and Luke emphasizes that indignation as the reason they put the apostles in prison at the beginning of our story (Acts 5:17). This information about seeking should convince us that seeking comes with personal involvement. Determination and direct intent, motivated by inner desire, move a person to seek. Luke highlights this personal involvement in his story revealing the leaders of Israel’s drive to end the apostles’ actions. In the first persecution scene, their capture of Peter and John directly relates to the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees. They are “greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead” (Acts 4:2). Their fear of the people of Jerusalem was their only limitation (Acts 5:21). In the second phase of persecution, their “indignation” that the apostles continued to preach in Jesus’ name motivated them (Acts 5:17). There is some indication in the Scriptures that people may become so dominated by the evil that they no longer have the capacity to seek the truth. For instance, Jesus started His ministry by preaching close to John the Baptist on the Jordan River in Judea. When Herod imprisoned John, Jesus shifted His focus from Judea to Galilee. He spent most of His earthy ministry “in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali” (Matthew 4:13), a fulfillment of prophecy quoted by Matthew (Matthew 4:15-16). Matthew’s description of the population of this area is most intriguing, and he quoted the prophet Isaiah (9:2). “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned” (Matthew 4:16). The emphasis of his statement is significant. The grammar gives us insight into truth. The Greek word “laos,” translated as people, is in the nominative case. The Greek word “kathemai,” translated as sat, is a participle (a verb used as a noun), also in the nominative. Therefore, the sentence’s subject is “the act of the people setting.” Matthew highlights the “setting people.” The phrase in darkness is a locative dative indicating the location where this took place. The people of the region of Galilee were surrounded and immersed in darkness. “The people who walked in darkness” (Isaiah 9:2) is a quotation from the Hebrew language of the Old Testament. It seems Matthew changed the word walked to sat to intensify their condition. Sitting in darkness suggests the conquering force of the darkness. The Greek word “kathemai,” translated as sat, is the same Greek word used to reference Jesus seated at the Father’s right hand. It suggests the image of a person or item of great authority sitting in a place of great authority. It is in the middle voice indicating “personal preference.” The suggested image is that the darkness has so encompassed the people they have been conquered by darkness and embraced it as their chosen desire. Is this the inner state of the leaders of Israel? Perhaps they have lost their ability to seek, yet God is seeking them! Jesus fulfilled the prophecy, for He is the light who has come to them. Our passage proves this truth. Perhaps the leaders of Israel are no longer capable of seeking truth, but the One who is Truth seeks them! The resurrected Lord manipulated their circumstances; light came again to their lives. The angel of the Lord delivered the apostles from the imprisonment imposed by the high priest and Sadducees. The message resounds in the temple again in the freshness of the resurrected Lord’s power. I can make you a promise based on the Scriptures! There is nowhere you can go that Jesus cannot find you (Psalms 139:7-12). Perhaps we do not seek Him as we ought, and the intensity of our search may not be as strong as the act of finding demands. But regardless of where we are, our resurrected Jesus seeks us. He consistently moves into the heart of our existence. He will find you! Motive Term No one seeks without reason. There is always a driving motive at the heart of seeking and finding. One must ask the question: “What do you want?” Let it be the driving force that causes you to seek when you discover that! The council in our passage is far too short-sighted. The high priest and the Sadducees limited their desires to the elimination of the name of Jesus. In both of the interrogations of the apostles, their only demand was “not to teach in this name” (Acts 5:28). There is no concern regarding miracles, assemblies, or compassionate ministry. Instead of seeking to eliminate the proclamation of His name, they should participate in acclaiming it. When Jesus rode the donkey into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the crowds began to rejoice and praise God. They witnessed the mighty works of God accomplished through Jesus. The chant of praise was so strong it resounded throughout all of Jerusalem, upsetting some of the Pharisees. They called out to Jesus, requesting Him to rebuke the crowd for their outburst of praise. Jesus said, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out” (Luke 19:40). The leaders of Israel did not realize the necessary depth of proclaiming Jesus’ name. In the creation story, the Trinity God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into him. The climax of this act of God is the statement, “and man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7). The Hebrew word “nepes,” translated as “living,” gives content to the heart of humanity. This term focuses on “desire” or “appetite” and is closely related to the meaning “throat.” In the Old Testament, “nepes” denotes simple hunger (Hosea 9:4; Deuteronomy 23:24-25). Solomon gave an interesting proverb regarding man’s appetite, saying that the appetite (nepes) of the worker works for him. His mouth drives him on (Proverbs 16:23). The Holy Spirit used this Hebrew word to describe God’s creation of man’s heart. Man is an “appetite,” one huge craving. He has an inner hunger and desire that continually motivates and drives him. This craving is for intimacy with Jesus. The Trinity God placed everything I crave in Jesus. All I need is Jesus! Once again, Jesus confronts the leaders of Israel with what they crave. He proclaims the message not with mere words but in the power of His resurrected presence. The Gospel accounts tell how Jesus’ ministry shook their world with His message and miracles. He again confronts them with the same message and presence Mandate Term The boundaries of “hepes” frame our being. The throat, appetite, and craving demand we seek, a command continually yelling in our ears. But we must understand that it is not God ushering the command. “Seeking: is not one of the many commandments that God gives us. The commandment comes from the core of our beings, the nature of our existence. We cannot help ourselves, and we are a living “craving!” We see the “living craving” in our passage. You will quickly discover this truth if you start on the surface and follow the desires. The officers go to the prison to get the apostles, commanded by the council. They cannot accomplish their task because the apostles are no longer there. They return to the council to report the missing apostles with no excuses. They were seeking but could not find the apostles! Then someone came and told them, “Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!” (Acts 5:25). Again the officers seek to bring the apostles before the council because the council commanded them. Why is the council seeking the apostles? Their seeking is directly related to Jesus, the name the apostles proclaimed. The council is seeking Jesus one way or the other! Jesus proclaimed this seeking repeatedly in story form. The Parable of the Hidden Treasure is the story of a poor tenant farmer seeking to plow his field for the sake of a coming crop. But is that what he was seeking? Is there not something hidden beneath the surface of his life and the soil he is plowing that he wants? It is the hidden treasure (Matthew 13:44). The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price is a story of a merchant who buys and sells pearls to turn a profit. But is that what he is seeking? He may deal with many pearls in his life, but the cry of his being is for the one great pearl (Matthew 13:45). The leaders of Israel need to clarify what they seek; they seek Jesus. Luke expressed it in the word “indignation” (Acts 5:17), a translation of the Greek word “zelou” focused on “jealousy.” “Zelou” gives the sense of “a greedy or prideful longing for something that belongs to another.” What the leaders of Israel want is what they see in the disciples, which is the message of the Book of Acts. It is the reality of the resurrected Jesus indwelling and merging with humanity. A person only has one craving; it is to be filled, intimate, and merged with Jesus. When one person is filled, intimate, and merged with Jesus, his life stimulates and increases the craving in the hearts of others. Why did the leaders of Israel find the apostles an irritation? It was because the apostles demonstrated the intimacy God created within the leaders of Israel. The presence of Jesus within the apostles continually pointed to the deep desires of the leaders. That is the very heart of “witnessing!” It is who we are in Him!
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