If you listen to kids fight, you’ll hear them make some interesting comments. Sometimes they try to get the upper hand by appealing to authority. They might say, “My mom said you can’t do that!” That statement doesn’t carry much weight if the kids are in a public space or at someone else’s house. However, if the kids are at a birthday party at the “mom’s” house, those fighting will suddenly fall into line. The mom’s authority is often enough to change the way the children are acting. Peter and the others were standing before the temple leaders when he claimed that salvation came only through Jesus. It was as if he was saying that they were not in charge of the temple as they imagined. Instead, someone else had the authority. We have to ask ourselves on which side of the argument we will stand. Will we be with those who want to preserve their authority? Or will we be with those who recognize Jesus’s authority?
