They were huddled around Peter and John like a flock of sheep to their shepherd.
Why?
Because of that man who just gave Peter and
John a great big bearhug.
A moment
ago he was acting crazy, like a kid, jumping and leaping, and praising God. But,
he’s no kid, he’s over 40 years old.
And a moment before that, he’d never taken
a step in his life. He was born lame.
Considering that, I reckon he’s not acting
so crazy after all.
Day after day, year after year, he was carried
to sit by the Beautiful Gate, to earn his keep, by being a beggar.
So, this afternoon when he got up and
started running and leaping, it caused quite a stir, of course, the inquiring
minds, the curious, and the gawkers came running.
Well, when Peter saw that look in their
eyes, like he and John were some kind of superheroes. He held up his hands real
quick and said hold on boys, this wasn’t us. Listen up and we’ll tell you
exactly what happened.
And this is what he said…
13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers,
glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence
of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. 14 But you denied the Holy One
and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and killed the
Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.
Peter begins on common ground.
The
God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, words
the Jews would readily reverence.
The God of our fathers,
words that were like a great big hug, we have the same Father, we’re family, we’re
brothers.
glorified His Servant, this
triggered a memory you know, like a few words can trigger the memory of an
entire song. Like, Amazing grace… or, Jesus loves me…, or, for God so loved the…
The words, His Servant, triggered a
memory of the Servant Songs of Isaiah. They paint a picture of, and point
directly to, the Messiah, the ultimate Servant of God.
They were written about 700 years before
Jesus came as a Man, yet, He fulfilled their prophetic message perfectly.
Isaiah 42:1–9; Isaiah 49:1–13; Isaiah 50:4–11; and Isaiah 52:13—53:12.
He not only triggered a memory, but also
made a statement.
Notice he didn’t stop with His Servant…
he was specific, His Servant Jesus.
Finding common ground is of no eternal
value unless we move the common ground to Holy Ground. That’s done when we
bring Jesus into the conversation.
It’s all about Jesus.
He
was saying with no ambiguity, The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has
glorified, His Servant, and His name is, Jesus.
This is as pure and true as freshly fallen
snow.
That reminds me of a story.
The sun was fading, the temperature was dropping,
the boy and his dad were sitting, on the front porch, sipping hot chocolate.
“The flock’s looking pretty good” dad
nodded as he gazed at their flock of sheep grazing on the hillside.
The boy with a chocolate mustache nodded, “Yeah,
they’re so nice and white and clean.”
Dad just smiled.
That night it snowed.
After breakfast they walked out onto the
same front porch, looked at the same sheep, on the same hillside, only now it
was covered with freshly fallen snow.
The boy pointed. “Dad look! What happened
to the sheep? They’re all dirty.”
Dad just smiled. “Compared to the ground
on the hillside, they looked all nice and white and clean; but not so, compared
to the snow that just fell from heaven.”
The Holy Spirit’s words (through Peter) are
like that freshly fallen snow. Refreshing, and exposing.
The Holy Spirit, gives Peter boldness to
juxtapose the Lamb of God to the sheep who were thought to be oh so nice, and
white, and clean.
So, Peter started on common ground, moved
to Holy Ground by introducing Jesus, and since Jesus is the Way, the Truth, the
Life; the next thing Peter must do is tell the Truth, in Love.
13b… The God of our Father, glorified His
Servant Jesus (white as snow), whom you
delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to
let Him go (dirty sheep, not so nice, not so white, not so clean).
Now Peter’s on a roll.
14 But you denied—
that’s the second time Peter says denied; wonder if he got a lump in his
throat, perhaps a tear in his eye, remembering how he too denied Jesus, not once,
not twice, but three times?
But that’s the past, he’s been washed,
clean, whiter than snow. So, he goes on.
But you denied,
the Holy One and the Just…
He does it again,
he triggers memories from the writings of the prophets of old. Over 40 times
the words, Holy One, are written in the Scriptures and always refer to
the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He is boldly proclaiming this Jesus, is
God.
You denied the Holy One and the Just,
and asked for a murderer to be granted to you…
Once again, he juxtaposes. Jesus, the
sinless, spotless, sacrificial Lamb of God, takes the place of a sinful, stain-filled man
named, Barabbas (named, all of us).
15 and killed the Prince of life…
You killed Life.
But God gets the last Word.
…whom God raised from the dead, of
which we are witnesses.
In
Summary of the last few verses:
Acts 3:13-15
1) God
glorified Him
2) You
killed Him
3) God
raised Him
Okay, now for what happened to the lame man.
16 And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man
strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given
him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
Jesus says, “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to Me.” Matthew 28:18.
Doing something or saying something, in His name, is doing it in His Authority.
That means following His direct command spoken to you (rhema).
It does not mean saying or doing something we want, and then adding the words, "in Jesus name."
Notice it tells us that faith comes through
Him.
Not only did the healing come from Jesus;
the faith to believe and receive the healing, also came from Him.
Faith comes by hearing, and hearing, by
the word (rhema) of Christ; Romans 10:17.
Hearing Him, His Word, is like eating
faith building vitamins for your soul.
Three of the gifts of the Holy Spirit are:
Gift of faith, Gift of healing, Gift of miracles.
Gifts are given as the Holy Spirit wills. Gifts cannot be conjured up, formulated, manipulated, bought, or earned.
Peter and John did not set out to make the miracle happen. They were simply walking in Jesus, listening to Jesus, so they were able to hear from Jesus.
He gave
them a gift to give to the lame beggar.
They obeyed.
Silver and gold have I none, but what I’ve
got, I give, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.
The lame man, was lame no more.
17 “Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance,
as did also your rulers. 18 But those things which God foretold
by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus
fulfilled.
“Please officer, don’t give me a speeding ticket, I didn’t know the speed limit, I was ignorant of it.”
“Sorry, but that’s no excuse. The Speed
Limit signs are posted. You should’ve known.”
Have compassion, without compromise.
They should’ve known. The road signs were posted. God foretold by the mouth of all prophets.
Romans 1:20
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse.
Now the closing of Peter’s message, and this chapter, can be summed up in three words: Repent, refreshing, and restoration.
19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may
be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence
of the Lord, 20 and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you
before, 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of
all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since
the world began. 22 For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God
will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear
in all things, whatever He says to you. 23 And it shall be that every soul who
will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’
24 Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have
spoken, have also foretold these days.
25 You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God
made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of
the earth shall be blessed.’ 26 To you first, God, having raised up His Servant
Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your
iniquities.”
Even if sin is in ignorance, repentance is required. Repentance is turning, changing, heart and mind, to God's Way; which is Jesus.
That your sins may be blotted out—not just covered temporarily, as by the ongoing sacrifices of animals over and over, but blotted out, erased, cast away as far as the east is from the west, to never be held against you (by God) again.
White as snow.
Isaiah
1:18, “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins
are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like
crimson, They shall be as wool.”
Refreshing.
In His presence is fulness of joy, Ps.
16:11
Matthew 11:28-30; Come to Me, all you who
are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you
and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest
for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
John 4:14; But whoever drinks the water I
give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a
fount of water springing up to eternal life.
Isaiah 40:31; But those who wait upon the
LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they
will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint.
Restoration
Acts 1:11, He ascended, Heaven received
Him, angels told them, He will return.
Ever since the fall in the beginning, He’s
been working out His plan of restoration, which God has spoken by the
mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. Acts 3:21.
He’s almost done.
A Day of Reckoning is near, when every soul who will not hear that Prophet (Jesus) shall be utterly destroyed. Acts 3:23.
Then, Peter points to Israel. You are
sons of the prophets, of the covenant with Abraham. To you first, God, raised up His Servant
Jesus, to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.
Acts 3:25-26.
The best blessing isn't physical health and wealth, but freedom from iniquity, the bondage of sin.
God begins and ends with Israel.
Today, we see Israel, more than ever. Israel,
is front and center on every news channel.
Restoration projects, take purging before
rebuilding.
The earth is groaning, preparing for a major purging, Romans 8:22; it’ll last seven years.
God’s eye is on Israel, and at the end when He appears, their eyes will be on Him. They will finally see, and recognize, the One whom they pierced, then all Israel will be saved, Zechariah 12:10, Romans 11:26.
And the restoration will look a whole lot like a one-thousand-year rest. There will be no more wars, no more elections. The Prince of Peace will reign from Jerusalem, and there’ll be peace on earth, good will toward men.
Let’s pray.
Lord, we simply want to walk in You, listen to You, so we're able to hear (rhema) from You. Should you choose to give us a gift to give, we’ll obey, right away—with Your help, of course. Because, as You know, we're not so nice, so white, so clean. But in You, we know, we can be made whiter than snow.
Thank You for ears to hear Your faith building rhema.
We love You, forever.
Amen.
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Seed for you to sow.
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