What does Acts 4:10 mean?

Peter is with John, standing before the Sanhedrin. The council demands to know how Peter healed a man who was born lame. Peter tells them the same thing he told the last two groups he spoke to: it was by the power of Jesus of Nazareth—the man they crucified and God raised (Acts 2:14–41; 3:12–26)!

The stakes are a little higher, here. Peter first made this claim to a mob of people who had come to Jerusalem for Pentecost, fifty days after the crucifixion. His audience hailed from as far away as Mesopotamia, Cyrene, and Rome (Acts 2:9–11). Although they were guilty of Jesus' death in a collective way, it's unlikely most of them were even in Jerusalem at the time, though they may have heard about Jesus' death.

The next recorded time Peter accuses his audience of Jesus' death is the day before this trial, after he healed the lame man (Acts 3:13–15). For the second time, men who probably had nothing to do with the act personally repented of their sin and accepted Jesus as their savior (Acts 4:4).

Now, Peter and John accuse the Jewish leaders who literally condemned Jesus to death. Annas, Caiaphas, and the others arrested Jesus, tried Him, found Him guilty, falsely accused Him before the Roman governor, and stirred up a crowd to make sure Jesus went to the cross. And, although most of the men in the room do not believe resurrection from the dead is possible, they know Jesus' body is gone. They've had months to find it or to charge the disciples with its theft, but they have no idea where Jesus is (Matthew 28:11–15).

The Sanhedrin understands what Peter is saying; later they will tell the apostles, "You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us" (Acts 5:28). Peter's first two audiences were nominally guilty, but they confessed and repented, and Jesus forgave them. These men who are literally, individually guilty, reject Jesus once again.