Peter preaches to the crowd - 3:11-26

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 again, 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.”

Peter began by ascribing all credit to Jesus, “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this...?” Presumably making a gesture which pointed to themselves, "...why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk?” Rather he redirected their assumption to Jesus, by whose powerful name the miracle had been done. So, as Peter specifically and intentionally points to and honors Jesus, he goes straight into aggressively describing the four ways they have dishonored Jesus:

1. ...you delivered over...In other words, you had him killed...
   
2. ...denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him...in other words, even a sinful pagan saw him as innocent, but you were so blind by your own deception that you had your own savior murdered...
3. ...you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you...this ignorance is pretty easy to see...
4. ...you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead...Peter shows them how powerful they really are - not at all!
   

The most amazing feature of Peter’s second sermon is its Christological center. He directed the crowd’s attention away from the healed cripple and the apostles to the Christ whom men disowned by killing him but was vindicated by raising him, and whose name, having been appropriated by faith, was strong enough to heal the man completely.

Peter ends his sermon by challenging his hearers with the necessity and the blessings of repentance, “I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers.” Here Peter is making more than a true statement, but he is speaking their Old Covenant language to them. Although they did not know what they were doing, God was not ignorant, for in his predestined plan he had it all under control, "what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled". However, just because God had planned this, and Jesus gave his life freely, it did not relieve them from their fault. So, what does Peter call them to do, "repent...and turn again" Then there would follow three successive blessings:

1. ...that your sins may be blotted out...Exaleipho means to wash off, erase, obliterate. It is used in the book of Revelation both of God who wipes away our tears and of Christ who refuses to erase our name from the book of life.
2. ...that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord...The Greek word anapsyxis can mean rest, relief, respite or refreshment. God does not wipe away our sins without adding his rest for our spirits. Sin, idolatry, and religion are so weighty, they wear us out, they hold us down, but when Christ saves us and erases our sins, he also pours his rest into us....
3. ...and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus...During the present interim period he continuously gives us his forgiveness and his refreshment, yet he himself must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. The word, apokatastasis is more naturally understood of the eschatological ‘restoration’, which Jesus called a ‘regeneration (Matthew 19:28),’ when nature will be liberated from its bondage to pain and decay and God will make a new heaven and earth, the final perfection awaits the return of Christ.

Now Peter goes into three major prophetic elements which are associated with Moses, Samuel, and Abraham:

1. ...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. And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’
2. …all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days.’ Although this is a very general statement, the main reference is to God’s promise which began with Samuel, to establish the kingdom of David. Then Peter assures his hearers ‘you are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers.’
3. ...God, saying to Abraham, ‘...in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed....’ This was a foundation promise of the OT. Consider both the beneficiaries and the nature of the promised blessings. As for the beneficiaries, ‘God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness’ the physical descendants of Abraham, as is several times emphasized by Paul. However, later Paul argues, especially in his letters to the Romans and the Galatians that the promised blessing is for all believers, including Gentiles who by faith who have become Abraham’s spiritual children—the blessing is not forgiveness only, but also righteousness.

So here are the links between the Old Testament prophecies and Jesus as seen by the Apostles: Jesus is descended from David; suffered and died for us as God’s servant; the stone the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone; raised up from the dead by God; death could not hold him down and God would not abandon him to decay; God exalted him to his right hand to wait for his final triumph; through him the spirit has been poured out; the gospel is to be preached world-wide, even to those far away; opposition to him has been foretold; people must listen to him or pay the penalty of their disobedience; and that those who do listen and respond will inherit the blessing promised to Abraham. All of this stirred up the Sanhedrin to being the persecution of the apostles

Due to the length of this blog, I am not going to define a 'let's make it personal section', however due to the fact that this passage is a sermon, maybe it would do you some good to meditate on this passage knowing more of the historical, prophetic, and Christological elements .