Acts 3:12-18

"It Is All About You Jesus"

Secular:

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Biblical: NLT Acts 3: 12 Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd. "People of Israel," he said, "what is so astounding about this? And why look at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power and godliness?

 13 For it is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God of all our ancestors who has brought glory to his servant Jesus by doing this. This is the same Jesus whom you handed over and rejected before Pilate, despite Pilate's decision to release him.

 14 You rejected this holy, righteous one and instead demanded the release of a murderer.

 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him to life. And we are witnesses of this fact!

 16 "The name of Jesus has healed this man-- and you know how lame he was before. Faith in Jesus' name has caused this healing before your very eyes.

 17 "Friends, I realize that what you did to Jesus was done in ignorance; and the same can be said of your leaders.

 18 But God was fulfilling what all the prophets had declared about the Messiah beforehand-- that he must suffer all these things.

Personal:

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Bridge:

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Body:

Servant

Acts 3: 12 Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd. "People of Israel," he said, "what is so astounding about this? And why look at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power and godliness?

 13 For it is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God of all our ancestors who has brought glory to his servant Jesus by doing this.

• We need to know Jesus as the Servant
• Common ground…
• We both know Joe from Pemberton
• He likes to hike…
• Acquaintance says… Joe took us on this great trail… we hiked about 15 – 16 km…
• In your head you know that Joe is a wild man… probably took them through heavy underbrush, scrambling the rock slides….
• Joe is not a good reference in this case…
•  A point of reference…
• Jewish audience…
• Bring in the big guns…
• God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob… hear the people cheer!!
• But then he finishes…“the God of all our ancestors who has brought glory to his servant Jesus by doing this.”
• And the use of Servant… has real Messianic undertones… often at communion we read the Suffering Servant passages from Isaiah 52.
• NLT Matthew 20:28 For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many."
• Peter caught their attention… and spoke from common ground… he used the scriptural language of ‘The Servant’ to operate within the point of reference… then boldly declared that in it was by the Power of God in Jesus, the Messiah, that preached and healed.
• We need to know Jesus as the Servant!

Jesus:

This is the same Jesus whom you handed over and rejected before Pilate, despite Pilate's decision to release him.

• Weed need to know Jesus as… well Jesus
•  Greek name for Joshua
• means “the Lord is Salvation”
• To gut the idea of our Saviour from Jesus Christ is foolishness like imagining that Shakespeare was not a writer or Michael Jordan not a Basketball player.
• His name is Jesus, “the Lord is Salvation”,  not because he is our example, our leader, our guide, and our friend… but because he is Our Saviour!!
• And Saviour was put to death… at the hands of Pilate who wanted to release him.
• The Jewish leaders back Pilate into a corner
• And Peter is again making it abundantly clear the horrendous offence against God that has taken place…
• The foundation of the Good News or hope of the Gospel message is to recognize our guilt before God… Peter let them know and we need to know… it is our sin that hung Christ on the cross…
• We need to recognize our need of a Saviour…
• We need to know Jesus… Jesus as Saviour!

Holy and Righteous One:

14 You rejected this holy, righteous one and instead demanded the release of a murderer.

• We need to know Jesus as the Holy and Righteous One
•  Holy – separated by God to do his will
• On a mission for God, set apart by God, empowered by God
•  Righteous – innocent of any crime
• contrasted with the release of a Murderer
• Even non-believers recognized Christ’s innocence and righteousness
• NLT Matthew 27:19 Just then, as Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: "Leave that innocent man alone, because I had a terrible nightmare about him last night."
• NLT Luke 23:47 When the captain of the Roman soldiers handling the executions saw what had happened, he praised God and said, "Surely this man was innocent. "
• And Josephus and John Stuart Mill and Mohamed… and on and on…. They understood but it never changed their behaviour
• We need to know Jesus as the Holy and Righteous One.

Author of Life:

15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him to life. And we are witnesses of this fact!

 16 "The name of Jesus has healed this man-- and you know how lame he was before. Faith in Jesus' name has caused this healing before your very eyes.

 17 "Friends, I realize that what you did to Jesus was done in ignorance; and the same can be said of your leaders.

• We need to know Jesus as the Author of Life
•  If Jesus is the Author of Life then Peter must be the Author of paradox…
• Although a Servant Jesus was exalted by God
• Although he was their deliverer (Saviour), he was delivered to Pilate
• Although he was the Holy and Righteous One, they rejected him in favour of a vile and debase murderer.
•  And now come the greatest paradox!!
• The put to death the Author of Life… You killed the author of life
•  NLT John 1:4 Life itself was in Jesus, and this life gives light to everyone.
• “But God raised him to life. And we are witnesses of this fact!”
• Laying it on the line…
• Think your popularity is going to hold…
• Crowd of Jews… many who would have taken some part in the crucifixion of Christ
• You went from the common ground
• To the messiah, the Saviour
• To Holy and Righteous…
• And now you call us murderers…
• Tough audience!!
•  The Author of Life is in control
• This is very much a little reserved for Yahweh alone!!
• Peter supports it - 16 "The name of Jesus has healed this man-- and you know how lame he was before. Faith in Jesus' name has caused this healing before your very eyes.”
• The Author of Life has jurisdiction in our life!!
• Peter in this very intense moment offers them forgiveness… he demonstrates that the “general Jewish view” of Christ was wrong… and opens up an opportunity to repent!! c.f. w/ Acts 13:27
• NLT Acts 13:27 The people in Jerusalem and their leaders fulfilled prophecy by condemning Jesus to death. They didn't recognize him or realize that he is the one the prophets had written about, though they hear the prophets' words read every Sabbath.

• You now know… is Peter’s message…

• NLT John 1:1 In the beginning the Word already existed. He was with God, and he was God.

•  We need to know Jesus as the Author of Life

Christ:

18 But God was fulfilling what all the prophets had declared about the Messiah beforehand-- that he must suffer all these things.

• We need to know Jesus as The Christ
•  Peter told the audience that regardless of their rejection and execution of Servant, Saviour, Holy and Righteous One… The Author of Life… That God’s Plan was in no what thwarted
• NLT Zechariah 12:10 "Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on all the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died.
• Peter has convicted them of disowning, denying and executing Christ…
• We need to come to terms with our own responsibility in the need for Jesus to come and to pay the penalty for our sin!!
• We need to know Jesus as The Christ

 Conclusion:

Servant –

Jesus –

Holy and Righteous One –

Prince of Life –

Christ –

NLT Acts 3:19 Now turn from your sins and turn to God, so you can be cleansed of your sins. 20 Then wonderful times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will send Jesus your Messiah to you again. 21 For he must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his prophets. 22 Moses said, 'The Lord your God will raise up a Prophet like me from among your own people. Listen carefully to everything he tells you.' 23 Then Moses said, 'Anyone who will not listen to that Prophet will be cut off from God's people and utterly destroyed.' 24 "Starting with Samuel, every prophet spoke about what is happening today. 25 You are the children of those prophets, and you are included in the covenant God promised to your ancestors. For God said to Abraham, 'Through your descendants all the families on earth will be blessed.' 26 When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you people of Israel, to bless you by turning each of you back from your sinful ways."