We continue in the book of Acts or our Summer Reading Challenge of 2022. Today’s reflections from Acts chapter 3, address Peter’s second major defense of the Faith after healing a man who was lame from birth.
- Acts 3 essentially has two main movements: (1) A lame beggar is healed (3:1-10); and (2) Peter proclaims Christ to the gathered crowd (3:11-26).
- Today’s episode will briefly look at the miracle performed by Peter but will focus on Peter’s message to those who gathered after the miracle.
Part 1: A Lame Man Walks
- It is interesting that both chapters 2 and 3 open with miracles. Where as Chapter 2 of Acts opens with a miracle of the Apostles proclaiming the mighty works of God in the native tongues of many of travelers to Jerusalem, chapter 3 opens with a miracle of healing a man who had been lame — that is, unable to walk — since birth.
- Imagine this man who has never known what it is to walk. Nor has he known what it would be like to enter the temple – for the lame and anyone with diseases would not be permitted to enter the temple. Every day he had been carried to the temple to ask for alms. This was a regular part of this man’s day — not just for him, but it seems like the people in area knew him as something of a permanent fixture.
- This day would not have seemed any different to that man…
- But then Peter and John go up to the temple to pray… it is interesting how Luke emphasizes that Peter and John directed their gaze at the man.
- How many times have you walked past a homeless person or a panhandler and you avoid eye contact? I know that I have. But they look at him and say, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk” (3:6).
- As you know, the man immediately stood up and began walking and leaping and praising God!
- Imagine this man who has never known what it is to walk. Nor has he known what it would be like to enter the temple – for the lame and anyone with diseases would not be permitted to enter the temple. Every day he had been carried to the temple to ask for alms. This was a regular part of this man’s day — not just for him, but it seems like the people in area knew him as something of a permanent fixture.
- While there is more that could be said, notice the emphasis on “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.” This is important as move into the next section as well as to other chapters in Acts.
Part 2: The Proclamation to the Crowd
- While the miracles in chapters 2 and 3 are different, the results are the same — a crowd gathers, and the Gospel is proclaimed!
- Note verse 12, when Peter saw the people running together, he takes advantage of the opportunity to address the crowd.
- There are a couple of repeated themes between Peter’s first and second sermon. But we can break down the sermon into four key parts:
- Part 1: Peter begins by briefly pointing to the fact that it is not by their piety, nor their power, that this man was healed.
- Part 2: Peter addresses the crowd’s guilt between two statements about what God has done.
- Specifically, he begins by addressing that the God of their fathers has glorified Jesus.
- Next, Peter says that these “Men of Israel” (3:12) are guilty of three damning things: (1) Delivered Jesus over, (2) Denied him in the presence of Pilate — denied the Holy and Righteous One in exchange for a murderer, and (3) Killed the Author of Life.
- Peter then book ends this by pointing to how God has raised this very one they rejected, this Jesus from the dead.
- Part 3: Peter now returns to the question of how the man was healed
- After introducing Jesus as the Servant of YHWH, the Holy and Righteous One, the Author of Life — and the One whom these people have rejected, Peter goes on to attribute this miracle to Jesus.
- Namely, Peter twice mentions that by faith in Jesus’ name has this lame man been made strong.
- Part 4: Peter once again (as was seen in Acts 2) succinctly illustrates the biblical tension between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility
- While the people “acted in ignorance” (3:17) this did not make them innocent.
- Peter hammers home that “what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled” (3:18). And while what God foretold had to be fulfilled, they were still in need of forgiveness.
- Peter applies the words of Deuteronomy 18 – the words of Moses – to Jesus. Saying that Jesus is the fulfillment of this promise – that “The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me [that is, Moses] from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people” (Acts 3:22-23; Deuteronomy 18:15-19).
- That is quite a weighty thing to claim! And thus we might understand something of Peter’s urgency and boldness to proclaim the Gospel!
- And what is Peter’s application? What is his call for them to respond? He calls on them to “Repent… and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out” (3:19).
- They, who rejected the Author of Life – the fulfillment of all Israel’s hopes and longings for a Messiah — they who denied Him and delivered Him over — they are called to turn back with the promise of forgiveness!
Conclusion:
- So what about you, my friend? In your life, have you denied Jesus? Even if you were acting in ignorance — just as the people that Peter is addressing here in chapter three — even if you were acting in ignorance, friend, still you are in need of forgiveness and “the blotting out of your sins.”
- Have you been awed by the glory of how Jesus fulfills the Old Testament promises? As I go through this book once again, I have been taken aback at how much the Apostles pointed to the Old Testament prophecies as “sure evidence” that Jesus is the Messiah.
“ESV Study Bible” (https://amzn.to/3azWAlJ)
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