Acts 3:17-26

Introduction

Our world is in control

It’s easy to look at the past few days, weeks, and months and think things are spiraling out of control

Where we are at

The book of Acts, the first church history

More than a history of the church, but the history of Jesus continuing his work

Our God is the God of history. He is the author of history and is ultimately controlling history to accomplish his purposes

While God is the author of history, Acts is unique in that it is the only church history book that we have that has been written directly by God

All Scripture is God-breathed

Because God has written Acts we know that everything in it, as with all Scripture, is trustworthy and true, from the largest, most bombastic events to the smallest minutia

Just as all of history points to Jesus, the book of Acts is about Jesus and the proclamation of his gospel

Though Jesus ascended at the beginning, we can see his presence throughout the book of Acts

Even more than that, Jesus is present building his church throughout history

Jesus isn’t passively sitting on his throne, but has been active in the world throughout history since his ascension

Jesus has been active in the events of history, he has been active in sustaining all things

Hebrews 1:3 He upholds all things by the word of his power

Jesus has been active in gathering and protecting his sheep

John 10:14-16 “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.”

Jesus has been present with his people, and is present with us today

Matthew 28:20 And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age

In Acts 3 it is an act of Jesus that sets the following events into motion

All authority in heaven and earth belong to Jesus, and he here exercises that authority to heal this man

While the healing in and of itself was miraculous, it’s purpose was to point to Jesus

Miraculous acts performed throughout the gospels and Acts are signs that point to Jesus

The result of this sign that was done was seen by thousands of eager temple worshipers, and Peter takes advantage of the crowd to preach Christ and call for repentance and faith

Effective gospel presentations often start with the bad news before moving on to the good news, and Peter’s explanation for this man being healed was bad news for those listening

However, this bad news opens the door ultimately for the good news

Grace given to the ignorant

“And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also.

The sin of the Jews was undeniable

For the Jews listening, the event began with the healing of the lame man at the gate

The explanation for this was that it was that he was healed through the power of Jesus

By the end of this speech they stood condemned for killing their Messiah

Peter pushes on the gas in amplifying their guilt

Acts 3:13-15 “The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him. But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, but put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses.”

No one will ever desire the mercy and grace of God without first seeing their great need of it

God graciously reveals to us our own wickedness to that we would be driven to the Savior

Having sufficiently demonstrated how lost they are, he now lets up and reveals God’s grace

Though their ignorance was inexcusable, it was forgivable

What you meant for evil God meant for good

“But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.”

The murder of the Messiah at the hands of the Jews did not nullify God’s plan, but fulfilled it

The Old Testament Scriptures pointed ahead to a suffering Messiah

Psalm 22:14-18 I am poured out like water, And all my bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It is melted within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And my tongue cleaves to my jaws; And You lay me in the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me; They divide my garments among them, And for my clothing they cast lots.

Zechariah 13:7 “Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, And against the man, My Associate,” Declares the LORD of hosts. “Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered; And I will turn My hand against the little ones.

Isaiah 53 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed… He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth…

God works providentially through human events to accomplish his purposes

We see an almost parallel example in Joseph, and similar comforting words to his guilty brothers

Out of the hatred for Joseph in their hearts they sold him as a slave and lied to their father that he was dead for years

Joseph, before being placed as a ruler over Egypt, endured much suffering

Separated from his family and his homeland with no hope of seeing them again

Sold to Potopher, who’s wife accused him of sexual misconduct

Thrown into prison on false charges

Psalm 105:18 They afflicted his feet with fetters, He himself was laid in irons;

Finally, after providentially being saved from prison and appointed as a ruler over Egypt, he comes face to face with his brothers

Joseph, rather than being angry and getting revenge, comforted his brothers with these words:

Genesis 45:5-8 “Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. “For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. “God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. “Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

Joseph dealt kindly with his guilt-ridden brothers because of the big God that he served

Genesis 50:19-21 But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. “So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

The big God of Joseph who accomplishes his purposes through the acts of mankind is the God that Peter is bringing us face-to-face with

Joseph was delivered to Israel to save Israel and the world from starvation, and Jesus was delivered to the cross to save the world from it’s sins

Isaiah 53 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him… As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.

A call to repentance

“Therefore repent and return,”

In response to the gospel message, those listening are commanded to repent

Repent - Greek word: μετανοέω

Μετά - after, with

Νοέω - perceive, think

It is an afterthought, thought differently than the former thought

To think differently after

To change one’s mind, to change one's opinions, reconsider

In the context of conversion it means to change one’s mind about sin and to change one’s mind about Christ

Along with its root word, looking at a biblical words usage gives us an accurate understanding of it

It speaks of a change of purpose, of turning from sin to God

It is taking God’s side, seeing sin the way God sees it and agreeing with him when he condemns it

Psalm 51:3-4 For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge.

We see David taking God’s side and declaring that he is right in his judgement against David’s sin

Faith and repentance are not the same thing, but they act as two sides of the same coin in conversion to Christ

This is the consistent command to sinners throughout the gospels and Acts

John the baptist spent his ministry calling people to repentance

Jesus began his earthly ministry with the words “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

In Acts we see that it is a consistent call

Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 8:22-23 “Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you. “For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity.”

Acts 17:30-31 “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”

Acts 26:19-20 “So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance.”

And turn/return - Greek word: ἐπιστρέφω

Repentance in action

This is another word that has been used to describe coming to faith in Christ

Acts 9:34-35 Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your bed.” Immediately he got up. And all who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.

Acts 11:21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord.

These words, and words such as believe and trust and look to aren’t necessarily formulaic, but rather they all work together to describe the appropriate response to hearing the gospel

Bock: “Peter uses a variety of terms to describe properly responding to his message. The variety indicates that the early church had a collection of terms, not just one, to indicate how to respond to the gospel… Each term, however, focuses on an aspect of what is essentially one positive response to the message. Repentance is the starting point of that response, and faith is where the process ends up.”

Following this call, we see Peter proclaiming the glorious results of repentance and faith in Christ

As a result to repentance and faith I want to highlight five points

1. The forgiveness of sins

2. A time of refreshing

3. The Lord Jesus will return

4. Judgement will be avoided

5. All of God’s promises will be realized

1. For the forgiveness of sins

so that your sins may be wiped away,

Our greatest problem is our sins

We have all sinned against God and face his wrath

The people of Jerusalem had just been confronted with their sin in a shocking way

Our sins can’t be overlooked. They can’t be swept under the rug, and we can’t do any type of work to make them go away

One sin resulted in all of creation falling into chaos

The good news is that Jesus death wipes away the sins of those who trust in him

Wiped away- used to describe cleaning the ink off of ancient papyrus

The ink used back then didn’t soak into the paper, but rested on top

It could be removed, or wiped away, with a wet sponge

Our equivalent would be markers on a whiteboard

Jesus takes away our sins through his death on the cross

Hebrews 10:11-14 Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

Imagine every sin we have ever committed and ever will commit being written down

God has perfect knowledge and perfect memory, and keeps perfect account of the transgressions committed against him

That would be a long, painful list that demands justice

Now, imagine God taking an eraser and wiping that list away

That list goes to Jesus’ account, he takes every drop of God’s wrath due to us, and now he sits at the right hand of the Father and will personally raise up each and every one of us who have believed in Him

The hymn It is Well with My Soul sums it up pretty

My sin, O, the bliss of this glorious thought, My sin not in part but the whole Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

2. For a time of refreshing

in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;

Refreshing - the only time this word is used in the Bible

Polhill: “The basic meaning of the word is the cooling off that comes from blowing, like the refreshment of a cool breeze.”

Used in the Greek Old Testament to describe the relief that came after the plague of frogs on Egypt has been lifted

A number of ways that this is understood

Perhaps a parallel understanding this is the description of the believers rest in Hebrews 4

Perhaps it is related to the establishment of the kingdom when Jesus returns

This refreshing comes from the Lord, and we who have been saved can experience it today

It is likely that the various views aren’t mutually exclusive

While there are future aspects to this rest, there are present benefits to it as well

We are no longer living under the threat of death destruction

We today are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ

We can trust that “All things work together for good for those who love God.”

3. The Messiah will return and restore all things

and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.

For a time, the Messiah is in heaven until he has accomplished his purpose here on earth

His coming is imminent, he could come at any time and we do not know when he is coming

Mark 13:32-33 “But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. “Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come.

Until that appointed time, Jesus is accomplishing his work here on earth through his people

Rather than waiting on the Lord with our faces skyward, we have the responsibility to preach the gospel

Acts 1:6-8 So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

Though we do not know when, we know that he is coming to restore all things

Despite their initial rejection, the Messiah that they had hoped for will come

Their sin did not nullify all of the promises that God will accomplish through Jesus

Isaiah 65:17-19 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. “But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing And her people for gladness. “I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; And there will no longer be heard in her The voice of weeping and the sound of crying.

Jeremiah 16:15 but, ‘As the LORD lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of the north and from all the countries where He had banished them.’ For I will restore them to their own land which I gave to their fathers.

Amos 9:11-15 “In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David, And wall up its breaches; I will also raise up its ruins And rebuild it as in the days of old; That they may possess the remnant of Edom And all the nations who are called by My name,” Declares the LORD who does this. “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “When the plowman will overtake the reaper And the treader of grapes him who sows seed; When the mountains will drip sweet wine And all the hills will be dissolved. “Also I will restore the captivity of My people Israel, And they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them; They will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, And make gardens and eat their fruit. “I will also plant them on their land, And they will not again be rooted out from their land Which I have given them,” Says the LORD your God.

4. Judgement will be avoided

“Moses said, ‘THE LORD GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN; TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE HEED to everything He says to you. ‘And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’

The obedience to the gospel is not a suggestion, it is a command that has consequences for disobedience

Peter gives his audience a warning against disobedience, citing Deuteronomy 18:15

Deuteronomy 15:18-19 ‘I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. ‘It shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him.

The second part of his quotation comes from Leviticus 23:29 “If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people.”

This is the warning against those who refuse to humble themselves on the day of atonement

Leviticus 23:26-32The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and present an offering by fire to the LORD. “You shall not do any work on this same day, for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement on your behalf before the LORD your God. “If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people. “As for any person who does any work on this same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. “You shall do no work at all. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. “It is to be a sabbath of complete rest to you, and you shall humble your souls; on the ninth of the month at evening, from evening until evening you shall keep your sabbath.”

The parallel here is obvious: those who do not trust in the atoning work of Christ and thus enter into his rest will face judgement

However, the promise given to us by Peter is that those who repent and turn to Christ will escape this judgement, have their sins atoned for, and experience the time of refreshing that God has in store

5. All of God’s promises to Israel will be realized

“And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days. It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘AND IN YOUR SEED ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED.’ For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.”

Every promise God has made in the Old Testament to Israel will be fulfilled

These promises stretch all the way back to Genesis

Genesis 12:2-3 And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

We have the promises made to David

2 Samuel 7:12-16 “When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. “He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. “I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. “Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”

A day will come when all of Israel will look upon whom they have pierced and be saved

Romans 11:25-27 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB. THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.”

We too get to experience the benefits of God’s promises to Israel

Romans 11:30-32 For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.