Acts - 8

Acts - 8

Acts 3:11-26

Introduction

In his book Good to Great, leadership author Jim Collins describes what he calls The Level 5 Leader. This is the epitome of great leadership. The primary character quality of a Level 5 Leader is humility. While other leaders commit two grave errors - take credit and pass blame - the Level 5 Leader flips those. In humility, they simultaneously take the blame for problems and pass on credit for success to their team. There is no clambering to be the one in the spotlight. There is no ego-driven power plays. Just humble men and women who strive to lead well…by not focusing attention onto themselves, but passing on all the credit to others.

In Acts 3, an incredible miracle has just occurred. The Apostles Peter and John are walking into the Jewish temple in Jerusalem when they pass a beggar. This man has been lame from birth and has been begging here for over 40 years. They lock eyes with him and Peter says in 3:6 - “I have no silver or gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” As Peter reaches down to help the man stand, the man responding in faith to the promise of healing, Jesus does an amazing thing…He creates new muscle, new tendons, strengthens bone…and this man can now walk. And not only does he walk, he leaps around and praises God for the miraculous healing.

The crowd recognizes this leaping, praising man as the one who they had passed everyday for the last 40 years, lame and begging. They are astounded at what has just happened. And just as Peter did in Acts 2 at the miracle of Pentecost, Peter leverages the opportunity to preach about Jesus. And as he does, Peter proves himself to be a Level 5 Leader. He does not take any of the credit. In fact, he diverts attention away from himself, and even away from the healed man, as quickly as possible, so he can point the spotlight in the only place it should be…directly onto Jesus.

Acts 3:11-26 - 11 While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon's. 12 And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? 13 The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. 14 But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. 16 And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.

17 “And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. 19 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, 20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21 whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. 22 Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. 23 And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’ 24 And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. 25 You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ 26 God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.”

This is yet another great sermon from Peter. We already saw his thoroughly biblical sermon in Acts 2. Now, he preaches a Christ-centered and Christ-exalting sermon. His primary concern is that the crowd understand who Jesus is and what Jesus offers to them. Even though Peter is the focal point of the crowd, he does not want the credit or the attention. He doesn’t even point attention at the healed man (could have asked him to give his testimony). He just wants them to know Jesus.

TS - Though he does quote from Exodus 18 and Genesis 12, Peter’s primary text is the miracle itself. He uses the event that has just occurred as the springboard to preach to them all they need to know about Jesus. This miracle communicates 4 Truths to the crowd:

EXAMPLE OF REJECTION (V. 11-15)

This is where Peter must start. v. 12 - Why do you wonder at this? Why are you marveling? While there is a right awe that must accompany witnessing a miracle like this, they should not be all that surprised. God has been doing stuff like this for centuries. Jesus Himself had performed miracles exactly like this not a year or two ago. If miracles are the Heavenly validation that all this is true, they really should not be overreacting like they are right now. Jesus had performed countless miracles, many more fantastical than this one, for the last three years.

The fact that they are so overwhelmed by this miracle shows the reality of their rejection of Jesus. They had dismissed Him. They had denied Him. You know who is not in total shock about this miracle? Peter and John. They act like this is nothing new. Why? Because it’s not! They had accepted Jesus. They had walked with Jesus. They had seen miracles like this countless times. But for those who had rejected, they don’t know what to do with it. So their reaction is an example of their rejection.

Peter then goes on to directly confront their rejection of Jesus. Don’t look at us like we had anything to do with this. God did this. v. 13 - The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. This is the first of many times during this sermon that Peter will set them up. This is a crowd of Jews. Abraham is their father. Moses is their authority. And how does Peter describe God? The same way that God identified Himself to Moses in Exodus 3 at the burning bush. That God, the one, true God, the God of Israel…glorified Jesus. The God that you claim you surrender to, that you worship, is the God who has exalted Jesus over all things.

And what did you do to that Jesus? You denied Him. That word for denied means to refuse to acknowledge, to disregard, to disown. That is what they had done for Jesus. They disowned Him. They wanted nothing to do with Him. So much so, that when Pilate, the Judean Governor, had decided to release Jesus after they had arranged His arrest, they delivered Him over. They demanded He stay in prison. Pilate, a pagan Gentile, sees Jesus’ innocence and wants to set Him free. The Jews, God’s covenant people, condemn. This is what the Gospel of John was referring to in John 1:11 - He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.

And not only did they do that, they accepted a murderer in Jesus’ place. v. 14 - But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you… This is referring to Barabbas. Pilate had sensed that the growing Jewish crowd that day was thirsty for blood. So he offered them an option, a custom he practiced each year at Passover. Pilate released one of their criminals from prison every year. So which one do you want? Jesus, whom I have declared to be innocent, or Barabbas, a known murderer and insurrectionist? The crowd that day cried out for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be crucified. They reject Jesus and accept a criminal.

Not only did they do that…their rejection goes even further. v. 15 - and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. So, you didn’t just deny Him. You didn’t just deliver Him over. You didn’t just condemn Him. You killed Him. And irony of ironies, the One you killed is the Author of life. Meaning, death has no power over Him. God, the God you claim to worship, has raised Him from the dead. We are witnesses of this, we have been with Him, we have seen Him. This is guaranteed. This is verified. This is true.

In just one chapter, Peter has become far more bold in his confrontation of the crowd. For example, in his sermon from Acts 2, he only used the accusative ‘you’ twice.

Acts 2:23 - this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. Acts 2:36 - Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.

But now in this sermon, Peter doubles that. He uses the accusative ‘you’ four times.

v. 13 - you delivered over and denied v. 14 - you denied the Holy and Righteous One v. 14 - asked for a murderer to be granted to you v. 15 - you killed the Author of Life

PICTURE OF SALVATION (V. 16-20a)

While Peter boldly and directly confronts them for their blatant rejection of Jesus, he swiftly shifts to the offer of salvation. Just as this man was healed by faith in Jesus, they too can experience healing.

v. 16 - And his name - by faith in his name - has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given this man this perfect health in the presence of you all. And his name…who is responsible for the healing? Jesus, and Jesus alone. Peter takes no credit as if he is some powerful healer or miracle worker. No, only Jesus has the power to heal. But not just Jesus’ power to heal, by faith in his name…by this man’s trust in Jesus’ promise to heal, he now stands healed in their presence. Jesus has the power to save…but you have to trust in Him. You must place your faith in Him. That is a hard message for people who have done nothing but reject Jesus.

v. 17 - And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. It seems as if Peter may be giving them an out. You didn’t know. It’s ok. Just feel sorry. But that is not at all what Peter is doing. In fact, his words about ignorance have precedent. From the cross, Jesus Himself had prayed in Luke 23:34 - Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing. Ignorance. The Apostle Paul claims the same thing in 1 Timothy 1:13 - though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief.

Lest we think that ignorance is an excuse and that those who are ignorant get a free pass, remember what Jesus prayed…forgive them for their ignorance. It was still a sin they needed forgiveness from. Paul said that mercy overcame his ignorance. Ignorance is never an excuse, nor is it ever used to deny the need of forgiveness. This is why Romans 1:20 adamantly declares that “men are without excuse” before God. Because creation itself screams of the reality of a Creator. We never get to stand before God and claim ignorance. Which is where Peter goes next…he tells them how to respond from their ignorance.

v. 19-20a - Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. Twice now, in both of his sermons, Peter calls the crowd to repent. Remember, the word means to ‘change your mind.’ So, for this crowd, they didn’t know. In fact, they didn’t know what they didn’t know. They were clueless. They were ignorant. They had rejected Jesus because they did not know who He was. They rejected Jesus because they did not know what He came to do. Well, now they know. Their eyes have been opened to the truth. What are they going to do with that new information? They need to change their mind.

And turn back. These two ideas always go together. A change of mind always leads to a change of life. So if you change your mind about Jesus, and go from rejection to acceptance, from denial to faith, then that will mean a complete turnaround for your entire life. But there is more to this idea…the phrase turn back literally translates as flee to. The message is to repent and run to God, flee to Him. It is a reference to the OT concept of ‘cities of refuge.’ The OT law made a provision for those who accidentally killed someone. If you commit murder in the first degree, the law was clear that you would pay with your life. But if you commit what we call manslaughter, you have killed someone by accident, there was designated cities you could flee to. Once you were in that city, anyone trying to seek vengeance against you for the killing could not seek you in that city.

That is the offer for this crowd that has ignorantly killed Jesus. Flee to the promise of refuge. If you don’t, you will pay with your eternal life. But if you do, He promises to save. And there is only one designated place of refuge from God’s wrath on your sin…Jesus Himself. So again, irony of ironies…you killed Jesus, and the only place of refuge is found in the one you killed. Look at the promise attached to this repentance and running to God…that your sins may be blotted out. It is the same word used in Revelation 21 that God will “wipe away” the tears from your eyes in Heaven. Before God will wipe away your tears in Heaven, He promises to wipe away your sin right now!

And times of refreshing will come. So not only does God remove the bad (wipe away sin), He replaces it with new life. The word for ‘refresh’ means relief, rest. Isn’t that what your soul wants? Relief from the guilt and shame of your sin. The burden of a guilty conscience is overwhelming. He brings relief to that. And He will give you rest from all the score-keeping. How many good things can you do to make up for the all the bad things you’ve done? How much is required of you before you feel better about yourself? You can let all that go. Let Him refresh you. Just like a shower after a long, hard day of gross, dirty work, you feel clean, you feel refreshed. Your soul can feel that today.

HOPE OF RESTORATION (V. 20b-21)

There are current, present rewards that Jesus offers to you in salvation. But there are more to come! v. 20b-21 - …and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. Not only do you receive forgiveness of sins and soul refreshment when you turn to Jesus, you also receive the hope of eternal life. Because you’ve been forgiven, and because your faith is in Jesus, you can now look forward in hope to His return. You will now posture your life forward in hope, longing for Jesus to return. Why? Because you love Him. You want to spend eternity with Him. How could you not? He has been so good to you. He has loved you so well. He has forgiven you. He has offered you grace and mercy.

And you will get to spend eternity with Him in a restored world. What does that mean? When God created the world in Genesis 1-2, He had an initial plan. It was paradise. Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden, with all they could ever want or need. They had unhindered relationship with God Himself. They had innocence in their relationship with one another. Creation existed in total safety, designed for their benefit and enjoyment. It was perfect. But when they allow sin to enter into this perfect creation in Genesis 3, that perfection is destroyed. The relationship with God is broken and separated. Their relationship with one another is no longer innocent. There is now shame and betrayal. Within two chapters, there is murder. And creation is no longer safe…the world became a dangerous and deadly place to live.

At the return of Jesus, He brings with Him the new heavens and the new Earth. He is going to restore all things to God’s original design from Genesis. In fact, in Matthew 19:28 Jesus speaks of the “renewal” of all things, or of the “new world.” That word literally translates as the “new Genesis.” If you compare the first two chapters of Genesis and the last two chapters of Revelation, you will see how much they overlap. Jesus is coming to undo all that has broken the world, all that has broken us. And He will restore the world to God’s design, where we will live forever. For the Christian, the best days are always ahead. This is the hope that defines us as followers of Jesus.

SIGN OF CULMINATION (V. 22-26)

Peter now powerfully concludes the sermon by reminding his audience, all faithful Jews, that Jesus is the culmination of all of human history. So before when he told them they had acted in ignorance, while that is true, this is why it is not excusable. They should have known. If there was anyone who should have known about Jesus, loved Jesus, accepted Jesus, it was them. Jesus is the primary thrust of the entire OT. He has already more than hinted at it:

v. 13 - God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - identifies the glorifier of Jesus with the same words God Himself uses with Moses in Exodus 3. v. 18 - But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets…he thus fulfilled. v. 20 - the Christ appointed for you v. 21 - about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.

v. 22-25 - 22 Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. 23 And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’ 24 And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. 25 You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’

In v. 22 he quotes from Deuteronomy 18:15, the promise of another prophet like Moses whom God will raise up to be the authority over His people. That is Jesus. This is also a reference back to Jesus at the Mt. Of Transfiguration. He is there with Peter, James, and John. The veil of Jesus’ humanity is removed and they see Him in His heavenly glory. Moses and Elijah appear and talk with Jesus. Peter blurts out and interrupts their conversation. This is where God the Father speaks audibly (one of only 3x in Jesus’ life). Do you remember what God said? “This is my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!” He is the authority. Not only did Moses promise Jesus would come, so did ALL the prophets. Beginning with Samuel, all the way through the entire OT, they are all pointing to Jesus.

Peter then quotes from Genesis 12 of God’s original promise to Abraham. God was going to birth a new nation on the Earth through Abraham’s descendants. And God says that the entire world will be blessed by them. How is that blessing going to happen? By Jesus! Jesus, who will come from that Jewish lineage, will offer God’s salvation to the entire world. And they are witnesses of this reality. And they are recipients of that offer.

Conclusion

Do you see what Peter has done? He has provided for them, for us, the entire story of God and His offer of salvation to the world. Pay close attention to what Peter declares to you today.

You have rejected Jesus. You may not have directly killed Jesus like they did, but it was your sin, your rebellion against Him that made the cross necessary. How many times and in how many ways, every single day, have you denied Him? How many times have you rejected Him? This is where the story has to begin. If you don’t see a need for salvation, you’ll never be saved! Even though you have rejected Him, He offers salvation to you. By His power, He alone can save. By faith in this Jesus, you can have the forgiveness of sins and the hope of eternal life. Repent and run to Jesus…He welcomes sinners like us! You will now have a changed mind about Jesus. Instead of denial, you embrace. Instead of rejection, you accept. Instead of apathy, you worship. Instead of fear, you long for His return so that you can spend eternity with Him as God has designed it to be. All of human history has been leading to this very moment. Don’t waste it. Don’t miss it.

v. 26 - God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.

Don’t miss the power of those words. God raised Jesus from the dead. Why? Because you killed Him! And sent him to you first. To who? To the very ones who are directly responsible for his death. Why? So that Jesus can bless them by turning their life around. That is the power of grace. Jesus comes to you, despite your rejection and denial, and offers salvation and eternal life to you. Though you deny and reject, he comes to you today to bless you. To make your life better. To secure your eternal life.