Acts 3

Introduction

Hello everyone, we have been making our way through the book of Acts. We have been through Jesus’ ascension, The disciples making their own decision on Matthias joining as an apostle, and over the last two weeks we discussed the Pentecost and how the early church worked together. Interestingly enough, Pentecost was last week. I truly hope that the Holy Spirit rested on you all and that you experienced many miracles through His loving power. I also hope that you were working together with your local churches and loving each other! This week, we continue by breaking down Acts chapter 3. Often times during a sermon, the Pastor will start with their recap and then give an illustration of somesort. These can be funny, serious, or intreaguing to draw the congregation into what they are about to talk about. I love Acts 3 because it uses an illustration to nail home Peter’s second sermon. This takes place a while later after ch. 2 but we don’t know exactly how much time has passed. However, we do know that the disciples have worked on the Gospel message and gotten much better at communicating it. So let us pray, and get into the illustration for this sermon!

Acts 3:1–5 CSB

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple for the time of prayer at three in the afternoon. A man who was lame from birth was being carried there. He was placed each day at the temple gate called Beautiful, so that he could beg from those entering the temple. When he saw Peter and John about to enter the temple, he asked for money. Peter, along with John, looked straight at him and said, “Look at us.” So he turned to them, expecting to get something from them.

Peter and John were going to the temple which is interesting because, as Christians, they didn’t need to go to sacrifice. However, Both Peter and John would understand that the Jews were the first people they should go to as they believe in the same God. YHWH did not change when The Way understood that the messiah had come. Our YHWH is the same as the Jews, but we have a fuller picture of what has happened. and so, Peter and John were heading to speak to the people about Jesus and convince them that He is the Messiah. As they go, a man who was lame was going. being lame means that you don’t have natural control over your arms or legs or both. In this case we know it was at least this man’s legs because he had to be carried. Peter and John recognized an opportunity here to start their sermon with a great illustration. So, to get his attention they said, “Look at us” then they continue,

Acts 3:6–10 CSB

But Peter said, “I don’t have silver or gold, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” Then, taking him by the right hand he raised him up, and at once his feet and ankles became strong. So he jumped up and started to walk, and he entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. All the people saw him walking and praising God, and they recognized that he was the one who used to sit and beg at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. So they were filled with awe and astonishment at what had happened to him.

When you look at the miracle of healing throughout the Bible there are 2 facts that stand out. First, Healing should be used for the glorification of God. and Secondary, we have no control over healing. we cannot, like a genie in the bottle, rub the Bible and whisper a few words to make God work. God gets to make the choice, knowing far better than we do, as to whether or not the healing will take. Here, Peter and John invoke the name of Jesus and tell Him to get up and walk, and similar to many of the examples Jesus gave, they walk up and help him up. His feet and ankles strengthening and allowing him to immediately jump and leap for joy! Could you imagine not being able to walk and then jumpng into air. You would want to praise whatever had caused that healing in your life. So let’s see what happens next:

Acts 3:11–16 CSB

While he was holding on to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astonished, ran toward them in what is called Solomon’s Colonnade. When Peter saw this, he addressed the people: “Fellow Israelites, why are you amazed at this? Why do you stare at us, as though we had made him walk by our own power or godliness? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and denied before Pilate, though he had decided to release him. You denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer released to you. You killed the source of life, whom God raised from the dead; we are witnesses of this. By faith in his name, his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know. So the faith that comes through Jesus has given him this perfect health in front of all of you.

The people were rightfully amazed at this miracle and they were astounded. Much like we are when we witness miracles. God has done something incredible, supernatural, and when we witness these things it should astound us. It is lterally things that shouldn’t be able happen, happnenng. and so Peter takes this opportunity to point their awe in the right direction. He starts by being Peter and asking an open ended, pointed question? Why are you amazed at this. Similar to his first sermon he answers by calling back to the fact that YHWH is YHWH and he always have been. This is the same God who had done so much for these people and ultimaely sent His Son down to Earth. When He came, the Jewish people denied Him and in His place they took barrabas. They would have rather had a murderer in their midst than a gentle teacher who healed, prophesied, loved without measure, and ultimately laid down His life for them all. So with Peter setting the stage He goes to hit the listeners hard in their hearts.

Acts 3:17–23 CSB

“And now, brothers and sisters, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your leaders also did. In this way God fulfilled what he had predicted through all the prophets—that his Messiah would suffer. Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out, that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send Jesus, who has been appointed for you as the Messiah. Heaven must receive him until the time of the restoration of all things, which God spoke about through his holy prophets from the beginning. Moses said: The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to everything he tells you. And everyone who does not listen to that prophet will be completely cut off from the people.

Isaiah 53 CSB

Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground. He didn’t have an impressive form or majesty that we should look at him, no appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering who knew what sickness was. He was like someone people turned away from; he was despised, and we didn’t value him. Yet he himself bore our sicknesses, and he carried our pains; but we in turn regarded him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds. We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished him for the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter and like a sheep silent before her shearers, he did not open his mouth. He was taken away because of oppression and judgment, and who considered his fate? For he was cut off from the land of the living; he was struck because of my people’s rebellion. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, but he was with a rich man at his death, because he had done no violence and had not spoken deceitfully. Yet the Lord was pleased to crush him severely. When you make him a guilt offering, he will see his seed, he will prolong his days, and by his hand, the Lord’s pleasure will be accomplished. After his anguish, he will see light and be satisfied. By his knowledge, my righteous servant will justify many, and he will carry their iniquities. Therefore I will give him the many as a portion, and he will receive the mighty as spoil, because he willingly submitted to death, and was counted among the rebels; yet he bore the sin of many and interceded for the rebels.

This passage, directly points towards our saviour who came for us. He did not have form that we would want to praise Him, and ultimately God knew His own people would reject Him, but he still wanted to give them an option, a way out, so Christ was still proclaimed to the Jew first and then also the gentile. So Peter appeals to these Jews and says, REpent and turn back. We also see that they understood Jesus’ saving power much better through vs. 19-20 and so Peter quotes Duet. 18 bringing this message into context of one of the most trusted sources in the Bible. Moses was speaking about Jesus! and to cement this idea and support it Peter continues,

Acts 3:24–26 CSB

“In addition, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those after him, have also foretold these days. You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors, saying to Abraham, And all the families of the earth will be blessed through your offspring. God raised up his servant and sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your evil ways.”

God sent His son to save the world. To save His people first, and then everyone else who were all loved by God. A common misconsception is that the Jews were the only nation who worshipped the Abrahamic God, but all who accepted God would be grafted onto the nation and loved equally. It was always God’s plan to accept all into His people, but through Jesus, this heritage is easier to attain. through our belief in Him.