²³When they had been released, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. ²⁴And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, “O Lord, it is You who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them, ²⁵who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said, ‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the people devise futile things? ²⁶The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ.’ ²⁷For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the people of Israel . . .”

Upon their release, Peter and John rejoin their “companions,” which suggests the other ten apostles or possibly the original one hundred and twenty believers. The community joined together in praise of God. To be sure, they didn’t take the persecution lightly, for they turned to God in prayer for help in not giving in to fear or inhibitions concerning the threats. The prayer as recorded here, as most commentators would agree, is in all probability Luke’s summary of the essence of what they prayed. What is recorded here is quite brief, and it is unlikely that they were praying in word-for-word unison. This is most likely the case elsewhere in Scripture as well, where we read, “They prayed . . .” This does not take away from the inspiration or accuracy of Luke’s account, for he was writing under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

The believers’ prayer reflects a deep knowledge of the OT Scripture, and profound application. First they acknowledge what is taught in various places, that God is sovereign over all creation. But they move on to Psalm 2, which King David wrote against all nations that rise up against the Sovereign God over all creation. The religious leaders’ rejection of the message is seen in verses 25–26 as a fulfillment of Psalm 2. The word “Lord” in verse 2 is actually the Hebrew word for “Yahweh,” rendered “Lord” in small caps. As Jews, they recognized that Yahweh is the sovereign God of all creation, and He specifically sent Jesus as “His Christ.” There is no ambiguity in their understanding of who Jesus Christ is. The nations that rage against God include Israel!

The import of this cannot be overstated: in rejecting Christ, Israel was in a state of rebellion against the God of Abraham, Moses, and David. They were taking their stand; because of their unbelief they could do no other. Truly, they were consistent with what the crowds cried out at Jesus’ crucifixion: “His blood be on our heads” (Matt. 27:25). But the apostles and the rest of the believers had escaped that hardness of heart through faith.

Lord, You saved me from my hardened heart of unbelief. Thank You forever.