"Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while. And he said to them: “Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing. After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed. And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.”" - Acts 5:34-39.
2,000 years later, the words of Gamaliel ring true. The Gospel, of course, is of God, and so rather than come to nothing, the Sanhedrin, the Romans, and all who came afterwards, have failed to stop it to this very day. Many of those who tried to stop it have indeed been found guilty of fighting against God. But most surprisingly, Paul, ironically a student of the aforementioned Gamaliel (Acts 22:3), also fought against it, only to be brought into submission to this same God, becoming one of the most passionate and effective professors of the Gospel he once sought to stamp out.
Gamaliel brought up two men: Theudas, and Judas of Galilee. These are two historical revolutionaries, among many who rose up in an attempt to throw off the oppressors of the Jews. Many of these men claimed to be the Messiah. Yet, no one followed them, even 2,000 years ago. Today, all but their names have perished.
But this crucified carpenter continues to capture the hearts of many souls. Several people in His day claimed to be the Messiah. Many more have claimed to be God. But He is the only one who proved it. Each of these false Messiahs had their 15 minutes of fame, then perished, their followers being scattered. Jesus, who ironically refused to fulfill the predictions of the Messiah being a warlord who would defeat the Romans, was likewise crucified at their hands. And yes, His disciples were scattered.
At first.
We, today, celebrate this simple carpenter because He was no mere carpenter. Jesus, after He perished, did not stay dead. The stone in front of His tomb was rolled away, and He walked right out into the sunrise. He was seen, at one time, by 500 witnesses! The disciples who fled the day He was arrested came back in full force, swearing, even to the point of death, that they had seen Him alive. Jesus is not just another failed Messiah because Jesus is the Messiah! As Gamaliel said, because it is of God, the Gospel could never be stopped. The very gates of Hell will not overcome the Church.
Gamaliel has long since died, but his argument has stood the test of time. This often happens when it comes to internal arguments for the Bible. This is because the Bible itself comes from God, being completely infallible. It should be of no surprise, then, that every argument it presents for its own authenticity holds up, even 2,000 years later.
This should cause every one of us to repent, because Jesus did not just claim to be "someone". He claimed to be the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. He claimed to be the bread of life, and that those who come to Him in faith will never be cast out, or put to shame. By confessing His death and resurrection, those who know Him as Lord will receive eternal life. The rest will not enjoy the consequences of being found fighting against God.