Acts - A Hebrew Sermon: Part 2

Acts 3:16–4:4 NRSVue

And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you. “And now, brothers and sisters, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. Repent, therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord and that he may send the Messiah appointed for you, that is, Jesus, who must remain in heaven until the time of universal restoration that God announced long ago through his holy prophets. Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you from your own people a prophet like me. You must listen to whatever he tells you. And it will be that everyone who does not listen to that prophet will be utterly rooted out of the people.’ And all the prophets, as many as have spoken, from Samuel and those after him, also predicted these days. You are the descendants of the prophets and of the covenant that God gave to your ancestors, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your descendants all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you, to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.” While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came to them, much annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming that in Jesus there is the resurrection of the dead. So they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who heard the word believed, and they numbered about five thousand.

Last week we finished here…with the healing of a man, whom Peter reached down and ‘raised’ healed…

That man is now ‘with them’

They are in the Temple complex area, Solomon’s portico

SLIDE: And now, brothers and sisters, I know you acted in ignorance

Bullet Points: “Ignorance and the Death of the Messiah” (Acts 3:17)

Peter addresses his fellow Jews with familial warmth: “Now I know, brothers [ἀδελφοί – adelphoi, literally ‘from the same womb’ or fellow Israelites].” He uses this term to draw them close before delivering a hard conclusion drawn from everything he has just said about Jesus.

Peter diagnoses the root cause of their actions: “You acted as you did out of ignorance [κατὰ ἄγνοιαν – kata agnoian, ‘according to lack of knowledge’], just as your leaders did too.” The base meaning of ἀγνοία is simple “not-knowing” or “ignorance” – a failure to recognize who Jesus truly was.

Now, this idea of ignorance or ‘not knowing’ is really important:

The idea (and the word) stems from a Hebrew term שׁגג, which means ‘sin done in ignorance’ against God or neighbor

It is forgivable. It is always forgivable

As opposed to a ‘high handed’ sin, which is done with full knowledge of what you are doing.

This ignorance applies to both people and leaders

The ordinary people of Jerusalem (“you”) failed to understand Jesus’ true identity.

Their leaders (“your rulers”) shared the same lack of knowledge. Peter deliberately includes the common people here, even though Luke elsewhere often separates the crowd from the leaders (e.g., Luke 22:2, 52–53; 23:27, 48).

The idea is important, because we are going to see something about the ‘suffering Messiah’ in a moment…

Parallel in Paul’s writing confirms the point: Compare 1 Corinthians 2:8 – “None of the rulers of this age understood [it]; for if they had understood, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” The crucifixion happened because of a profound failure to recognize who stood before them.

Luke’s distinctive explanation of Jesus’ death

Luke does not describe Jesus’ death using terms such as expiation, atonement, or reconciliation.  

He speaks of justification only once.

Instead, Luke repeatedly frames the death as the result of ignorance on the part of the Jewish people and their leaders. This motif appears in three of Peter’s and Paul’s speeches: Acts 3:17; 13:27; 17:30.  

Theological implication for salvation in Luke’s account: Because the act stemmed from ignorance (lack of knowledge), it opens the door for repentance and forgiveness rather than immediate, unrelenting guilt. The death of the Messiah, though tragic, becomes the means by which God works redemption – even through human misunderstanding.

Application for today: Ignorance does not remove responsibility, but it does invite mercy and a call to repent and turn (as Peter continues in the following verses). We, like the first-century Jews, can fail to recognize who Jesus really is. The remedy is the same: acknowledge the ignorance, repent, and receive the forgiveness God offers through the very One we did not fully know.

SLIDE: In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold…

Bullet Points: “God Fulfilled What He Announced Long Ago” (Acts 3:18)

Peter declares God’s sovereign reversal: “But God has thus brought to fulfillment [ἐπλήρωσεν – eplērōsen, ‘filled full’ or ‘completed’] what he announced long ago through all the prophets.” The phrase “through the mouth of all the prophets” [διὰ στόματος πάντων τῶν προφητῶν] is a Septuagintal expression (cf. Deut 8:3; 1 Kgs 17:1), emphasizing that God spoke directly and personally through His prophets.

God used human ignorance to accomplish His plan: Peter has just explained the death of Jesus as resulting from ignorance (3:17). Now he shows that God did not merely reverse that unintentional evil by raising Jesus from the dead (3:15);

He actually employed that very ignorance and folly to fulfill His own predetermined purpose (see Acts 2:23).

The entire Old Testament points to this fulfillment: This is part of Luke’s global Christological reading of the Hebrew Scriptures (cf. Luke 24:25, 44). Everything the prophets announced finds its completion in the events of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Luke uses hyperbole with “all the prophets” to stress the comprehensive scope of God’s plan.

The Messiah was destined to suffer: “That his Messiah would suffer” [τὸν Χριστὸν αὐτοῦ παθεῖν – ton Christon autou pathein]. Here παθεῖν carries its base meaning: “to suffer” or “to undergo” (as in Luke 22:15; Acts 1:3; 17:3). Luke presents Jesus precisely as the Messiah (anointed one) who had to undergo death.

A distinctly Lucan emphasis on the suffering Messiah:

The idea that the Old Testament foretold a suffering Messiah is not explicitly stated in the Hebrew Scriptures in the way later Christian theology developed it.

In the New Testament, this specific connection appears almost exclusively in Luke’s writings (Luke 24:26, 46; Acts 17:3; 26:23). Luke adds this clause to the traditional material in Peter’s speech to highlight its importance.

The suffering and death are not arbitrary: These events did not happen by chance or apart from God’s saving plan.

Luke deliberately links the Messiah’s suffering and death to the new mode of salvation now offered to all humanity.

What looked like human failure and ignorance was actually the means by which God accomplished His redemptive purpose.

This is not surprising to the reader of the Hebrew Bible.

Every patriarch and major leader (Moses, David) failed, and God kept redemption moving.

Application for today: God is able to take even our ignorance, our mistakes, and our opposition and weave them into the fulfillment of His ancient promises. The suffering of the Messiah was part of the divine plan, and through it God brings salvation to us.

This calls us to recognize God’s hand at work even in suffering and to respond with repentance and faith, just as Peter urges in the surrounding verses.

SLIDE: Repent, therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out…

Turn back to God and change your ways (v. 19): Peter urges the people, “Reform your lives and turn to God.” When we do this, God wipes away our sins completely — like erasing a debt or cleaning a slate. It is a fresh start offered in mercy. 

God will give you times of refreshment and breathing space (v. 20): Because of His kindness, the Lord will grant “times of recovery” — a period of relief and opportunity to repent before the final judgment. This is like the breathing room Pharaoh received after a plague, but here it is given so Israel can turn back to God and be saved. 

Jesus the Messiah will come again (v. 20): God will send the Messiah He already appointed for you — Jesus. Right now Jesus is in heaven, but one day He will return in glory. This return was planned long ago and is meant especially for the Jewish people who listen to Peter. 

Heaven must hold Jesus until the time of full restoration (v. 21): Jesus stays in heaven until the “times of restoration of all things.” This means God will restore everything to its original good and harmonious state — a new creation, like the prophets promised (new heavens and new earth). It includes the coming of the Messiah and the renewal of all creation.

This was announced by the holy prophets long ago: Everything Peter describes — repentance, refreshment, the return of the Messiah, and universal restoration — fulfills what God spoke “through the mouth of His holy prophets” from ancient times.

Simple takeaway for the sermon: Even after ignorance and sin, God offers mercy, a chance to turn back, and the promise of future refreshment and complete restoration when Jesus returns. The call is clear: repent and turn to God now, while there is still time and breathing space.

SLIDE: Moses said, “The LORD your God will raise up…”

Jesus is the Prophet like Moses (v. 22): Moses himself said, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people. You must listen to everything he says to you.” Peter tells the crowd that Jesus is that promised Prophet — sent with the same authority Moses had.

Refusing to listen has serious consequences (v. 23): “Everyone who does not listen to that prophet shall be ruthlessly cut off from the people.” Peter warns that ignoring this heaven-sent Prophet (Jesus) means being removed from God’s people — just as the Old Testament warned about refusing to obey.

This warning connects to repentance (linking back to v. 19): Peter is not talking about Jesus’ future return here, but about listening to Him right now during His first coming as the Prophet like Moses. The call to “reform your lives and turn to God” is urgent because this Prophet has already arrived.

All the prophets pointed to these days (v. 24): “All the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel onward, have also proclaimed these days.” Starting with Samuel (the first great prophet after Moses) and continuing through all the later prophets, God’s messengers were pointing forward to the time that has now begun — the days of the Messiah, repentance, and restoration.

Simple takeaway for the sermon: God promised through Moses and every prophet after him that a special Prophet would come. That Prophet is Jesus. Listen to Him, turn back to God, and receive mercy — or risk being cut off from God’s people. These are the very days the prophets were talking about. The time to respond is now.

SLIDE: You are the descendants of the prophets…

You belong to the prophets and the covenant (v. 25): Peter tells the crowd, “You are the children of the prophets” and “children of the covenant” God made with your ancestors. As descendants of those who heard God speak through the prophets, you have a special responsibility to listen.

The promise to Abraham reaches you: God told Abraham, “Through your offspring all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Peter shows that this ancient promise is still active. The blessing was meant first for Abraham’s own people — the Jews — and then for every family on earth.

Jesus is the special offspring who brings the blessing: Peter understands “offspring” in two ways: all the Jewish people, and especially one individual descendant — Jesus the Messiah. All the promised blessings flow through Him.

God sent Jesus to you first (v. 26): “For you, first of all, God raised up His servant and sent Him.” Even though the people acted in ignorance, God still chose to send Jesus to the Jewish people first. This fulfills the order: to the Jew first, then to everyone else.

The blessing comes when you turn from evil: God is ready to bless each one of you “as each one of you turns from your evil ways.” The blessing is not automatic — it requires a personal decision to repent and turn back to God.

Simple takeaway for the sermon: You are heirs of the prophets and the covenant with Abraham. God sent Jesus — the promised offspring — to you first so that the ancient blessing could reach you. That blessing is still available today: turn from your evil ways, and God will bless you. From there, the same blessing is meant to flow out to every family on earth. The promise made to Abraham is being fulfilled right now through Jesus.

SLIDE: While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests…

This moves into Acts four, but it makes sense to include this so we see the outcome…

We will cover this next week.

Ignorance met grace and blessing took its place

God used human ignorance to accomplish His plan (Acts 3:18) Peter shows that the death of Jesus happened because of ignorance, yet God took that very mistake and used it to fulfill what all the prophets announced long ago.

So What: Even our biggest failures and misunderstandings are not wasted. God can take ignorance, regret, or wrong choices and weave them into His good purpose — just as He did with the cross.

Jesus is the Prophet like Moses whom we must listen to (Acts 3:22-23) Moses promised that God would raise up a Prophet like him, and everyone who does not listen to that Prophet will be cut off from God’s people.

So What: Jesus is not just a nice teacher — He is the One God commanded us to listen to with the same seriousness we would give Moses. Ignoring Him has real consequences; hearing and obeying Him brings life.

God sent Jesus to you first, and the blessing comes when you turn from evil ways (Acts 3:25-26) God raised up His Servant Jesus and sent Him first to the Jewish people so the ancient blessing to Abraham could reach them — and then everyone else — as each person turns from their evil ways.

So What: The gospel came to “you first.” God still offers the same blessing today: turn from whatever is wrong in your life, put your trust in Jesus, and receive the forgiveness and new life He promised through Abraham long ago.

Acts - A Hebrew Sermon: Part 2