“They Had Been with Jesus”
Scripture Focus: Acts 4:13
“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and took note that these men had been with Jesus.”
— Acts 4:13 (NIV)
What sets us apart in this world isn’t our credentials—it’s our proximity to Christ.
In Acts 4, Peter and John stand boldly before religious authorities. These weren’t polished leaders. They weren’t schooled in rabbinic tradition. By the world’s standards, they were ordinary. And yet, there was something unmistakable about them: they had been with Jesus.
That phrase—“they had been with Jesus”—isn’t just descriptive. It’s prophetic. It reminds us that time in the presence of Christ reshapes how we show up in the world. It emboldens our voice. It transforms our perspective. And it roots our work in power that’s not performative—but holy.
Cultural Courage is Christ-Formed
Peter and John were facing powers that were both religious and political. They spoke truth to systems designed to silence. Yet their courage wasn’t born of arrogance. It was born of intimacy with Christ.
In global missions and cross-cultural ministry, courage often means naming harm, honoring pain, and choosing the long road of restoration over the short wins of visibility. Courage is refusing to commodify people for the sake of storytelling. It’s stepping back so others can step forward. It’s acknowledging when we’ve been part of the problem—and letting Christ remake us into part of the solution.
What Will People Say of Us?
When the world looks at us—our work, our strategies, our missions, our justice efforts—will they be astonished by our degrees or language fluency, or by our nearness to Jesus?
Let them say:
• “They carry humility that disrupts hierarchy.”
• “They lead with love that outlasts applause.”
• “They center the hurting, not themselves.”
• “They’ve been with Jesus.”
Encouragement for the Weary Worker
If you’re weary, unrecognized, or feeling ordinary in the face of extraordinary need—take heart. God isn’t looking for the credentialed. He’s looking for the consecrated.
Stay close to Jesus. Let His presence be your posture. Let His Spirit be your strategy. Let His justice be your mission.
Because proximity to Christ is still the most powerful qualification we carry.
May it be said of us, in this generation of missions and ministry:
They have been with Jesus.
