Peter and John were released.  The religious court could not decide how to punish them for preaching about Jesus and healing in His Name, because the crowd was praising God for His greatness.  To deny that God had healed the man might result in a riot, and reprisals from the Roman occupying forces.  For the previously crippled beggar, to walk after forty years of having to be carried - it was a miracle.  The worst the court could do was to issue more threats – even though the apostles had explained that they had to obey God and not the council (Acts 4:8-20).

The two men told the other believers what had happened in the court, and how they had courage to speak the truth about Jesus (before Pentecost they had been hiding behind closed doors – John 20:26).  The church's first reaction was to pray.  They praised God, who is in command of everything; and they recognised that the same Holy Spirit, who had inspired the Scriptures, had been speaking the truth about Jesus through Peter and John.

God's Word, as the Holy Spirit had inspired King David to write one thousand years previously, had already said what would happen (Psalm 2:1-2).  He said that rulers, and their people, would be angry with God's anointed Saviour, Jesus Christ.  They would conspire together; and yet their evil planning would be frustrated.  That proved to be true for Jesus and also for His apostles (John 15:18).  But the Lord knew how He would achieve His purposes through angry, evil people and their leaders (Acts 2:36) – at the cross and during the ministry of the apostles, and the church up to this day.

This passage should be an encouragement to those who are in the middle of persecution or unjust treatment, because they belong to Jesus.  Jesus said it would happen (John 16:1-4) and there is a blessing attached (1 Peter 4:12-14).  The Scripture is full of reminders that the Lord is in command; even the wicked things are woven by Him into good for God's people (Romans 8:28).  Courage, in the face of hostility, is a mark of loving Jesus and being filled with His Holy Spirit (Acts 4:13).