Peter's Second Sermon Series

Introduction

We continue our study in the Book of Acts in a sermon series called, “Turning the World Upside Down.”

Jesus commissioned his apostles to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).

After his ascension into heaven, the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles and the other disciples and filled them with power on the Day of Pentecost.

The followers of Jesus proclaimed the good news of the gospel in languages so that Jews from all around the Mediterranean basin could understand.

The Jews wondered what was going on. So Peter preached his first sermon to them explaining what God was doing. Three thousand people were converted on that day.

The power of God pulsated in the life of that first-century church in Jerusalem. Believers studied the word of God together. They fellowshipped together. They worshipped together. They served together. And they evangelized together.

The Jerusalem church was a Spirit-filled church.

Then one day as Peter and John went to the temple at the hour of prayer in the afternoon they encountered a man lame from birth.

The man wanted alms from Peter and John. But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” (Acts 3:6).

Peter took the man by the right hand and raised him up. Astonishingly, “immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God” (Acts 3:7b-8).

“While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s” (Acts 3:11). Solomon’s portico was a colonnaded area along the eastern wall of the temple courtyards.

The healed man was a living illustration of God’s power and his authentication of Peter and John as his messengers.

And when Peter saw that a crowd had gathered, he addressed the people. Peter began his sermon by asking questions. He wanted to explain to the crowd what had happened to the lame man who had been healed.

Peter began his second sermon with a question, “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this?” (Acts 13:12a). This was a mild rebuke to the people.

They were God’s covenant people. They knew God to be a powerful, miracle-working God. Who could forget the Ten Plagues in Egypt? Or the parting of the Red Sea? Or the sun standing still? Or the walls of Jericho falling down?

More recently, the people had witnessed countless miracles that Jesus had performed to demonstrate that he was indeed the Christ, the Son of God, and the only Savior of sinners.

The fact that another miracle was performed in Jesus’ name should not have caused them to wonder at all.

Peter continued with another question, “Or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk?” (Acts 13:12b). The people should have known that Peter and John had neither power nor piety within themselves to heal a lame man.

So, what was going on?

The people’s dilemma was that they acknowledged that God alone had the power to do miracles. What they denied was that Jesus was God and also that his apostles had power granted to them to perform miracles.

So, the people were left without an explanation for the miracle they had just witnessed, that is, the miracle of the lame man being healed.

As Peter developed his second sermon, he directed attention away from himself and John to Jesus. Peter made it clear that the lame man was healed by the power of Jesus Christ of Nazareth (Acts 3:6).

Scripture

Let’s read 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.