Gopel to the Jews

 

Peter’s second message to a privileged people.

Please read Acts chapter 3 for the full response.

This chapter begins with a serious contradiction. The extravagantly adorned temple had at its gates people begging for money!  So today, a world of billionaires and religious wealth, while so many are starving!

But once again in our Bible record, God takes the initiative to turn a bad thing into something good. And so the crippled man was the means to the glory of God. He was miraculously healed and the crowd were excited.

Peter’s response is important. Way beyond the healing was the significance. This was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob at work. This was done in the Name of ‘Jesus of Nazareth’. So Peter describes this Jesus: - the Holy and righteous one, the author of life, raised from the dead. By His name the lame man was made whole!

But I missed something – the guilt of the people.

V14  - the Jewish people denied any loyalty to Jesus before Pilate

-      They chose the release of a murderer for festival celebration

-      They killed the true source of life

Peter was not preaching a feel good gospel – no – he exposes the significant sin, particularly the sin of rejecting Jesus the Christ.

Peter commands – ‘repent’, and then gives a beautiful description of God at work.

God foretold the sufferings of Christ. (Psalm 22, Isaiah 53 etc).

God can blot out sins and send times of restoration, refreshing and hope. It can only be valid as it comes from the presence of the Lord.

Verse 21 indicates that there was still an opportunity for all Israel as nation to be saved. God is the God of a second chance!

So Peter outlines the means of their restoration:

1           V13 – Relational connection to Abraham, Issaac and Jacob

2           V18 – Revelation of prophecy about Messiah

3           V22 – Raising up of the Prophet to speak again for God

4           V23 – Retribution for deaf  ears

5           V25 – Remembrance of the covenant

6            V26 – Real possibility of recovery from past wickedness by Him whom God raised up to bless instead of curse.

Then would be fulfilled the ancient purpose of God to Abraham –  ‘ through your descendants all the families of the earth will be blessed.’  Oh such a God of mercy and grace to such an underserving people!

 

And the rest of that story??? Keep reading the Bible book of Acts, or read the newspaper to see a nation largely far away from God.