For several years of government contracts, many civil servants, including teachers, have been able to bank unused sick days for cash payments after several years of service. In Ontario, leading up to this labour day, the provincial government has endeavered to pass legislation to change this provision to have sick days be used only for sickness. It has taken a situation of unprecidented debt to enable such a call for change.
When Peter and the other apostles were approaching the temple in Jerusalem, they were called on for financial help from a sick man. They did not have the financial resources to help him, but cured him of his sickness. That sickness became symbolic of the need for change that required a supernatural act, resulting in repentence.
When we see suffering in our world and in our lives, what's the answer. In allowing difficulties, be it environmental or personal, God is showing us that He is not a God to be trifled with. The difficultes are pointing to a greater calamity of eternal judgment and unrepentant sin will lead to this. Yet there is now an opprotunity to turn from that sin, a "Secret to Change". But it is hidden to those to reject the path of deliverance.
This "Secret to Change" in Acts 3 is dealt with through 1) The Perplexity of the Crowd (Acts 3:12-13), 2) The Person of Christ (Acts 3:14-17), and 3) The Power of Christ (Acts 3:18-19).
1) The Perplexity of the Crowd (Acts 3:13)
Acts 3:12-13 [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. (ESV)
In verse 12, Peter and John’s healing of a man crippled from birth drew a large crowd. He stood with the apostles on Solomon’s portico in the temple, a living illustration that God’s power rested on them. Passing from the court of Israel back again through the court of women and the Beautiful Gate, Peter and John came with the healed man to the court of Gentiles. On the eastern side of the court of Gentiles was located Solomon’s Colonnade. It was a porch along the inside of the wall with rows of stone columns twenty-seven feet high supporting a cedar roof. Evidently the Christians met here frequently (Gaertner, D. (1995). Acts. The College Press NIV Commentary (Ac 3:16). Joplin, MO: College Press.).
When Peter saw that the crowd had gathered, he began his sermon. The continuity of the New Testament with the Old Testament stands out remarkably in St. Peter’s address. He speaks to the “men of Israel,” and he connects the present miracle with all that God had done to their fathers in days gone by. He does not seem conscious of any break or transition, or of any change of posture or position. Only a new incident, long since promised by the prophets, has been added (Acts of the Apostles Vol. I. 1909 (H. D. M. Spence-Jones, Ed.). The Pulpit Commentary (94). London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company.)
By addressing the crowd as men of Israel, a courteous title emphasizing their identity as the covenant people (cf. v. 25). The expression men of Israel is a means of identifying Peter with those to whom he speaks and would include both men and women (Newman, B. M., & Nida, E. A. (1972). A handbook on the Acts of the Apostles. UBS Handbook Series (76). New York: United Bible Societies.)
His first question, why do you wonder/marvel at this, is a mild rebuke. As the covenant people, they knew God to be a miracle-working God. Miracles had played an important role in their history. More recently, they had witnessed the miracles performed by Jesus to demonstrate that He was the Messiah, God’s Son. That God should work another miracle through the apostles should come as no surprise to them.
• This introduction serves some important lessons on sharing the truth about Christ. Before an explanation of who Christ is or a call to faith, it may be necessary to clear up misunderstanding in our audience to open a channel for discussion. Yet while doing so, it is crucial to neither talk down to or ridicule.
Peter then asks them why do you stare/gaze at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? They should have known that two Galilean fishermen had neither the power nor the piety to perform such a feat on their own. The crowd’s dilemma was that while they acknowledged God alone as having the power to do miracles, they had denied that Jesus was God, and that His followers had divine power granted by God. So they were left with no explanation for what they had just seen. Peter directs attention away from himself and John to Jesus Christ. He makes clear that it was Christ's power that effected the healing (3:6).
Since his message was directed mainly to Israelites, Peter chooses a familiar Jewish description of God in verse 13. The depiction of God as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers stresses again His covenant faithfulness to Israel. This description seems to have been employed on significant occasions (cf. Ex. 3:6, 15, 16; 1 Kings 18:36; 1 Chron. 29:18; 2 Chron. 30:6; Matt. 22:32; Acts 7:32). By using it, Peter claims continuity with the Old Testament prophets, since he is declaring the same God they preached and the Messiah they promised.
Peter proclaims that the God of the covenant, the God of the patriarchs and the prophets, glorified His servant, Jesus. In the OT the most common Hebrew word for “glory” (kbd) was originally a commercial term relating to a pair of scales (“to be heavy”). That which was heavy was valuable or had intrinsic worth. It may be parallel to “the righteousness of God”; it may refer to the “holiness” or “perfection” of God; or it could refer to the image of God in which mankind was created (cf. Gen. 1:26–27; 5:1; 9:6), but which was later marred through rebellion (cf. Gen. 3:1–22) (Utley, R. J. (2003). Vol. Volume 3B: Luke the Historian: The Book of Acts. Study Guide Commentary Series (53). Marshall, TX: Bible Lessons International.)
Please turn to Isaiah 52
Pais (servant) is an unusual title for our Lord, appearing only here, verse 26, Acts 4:27, 30; and Matthew 12:18. It describes Jesus as God’s personal representative or ambassador. Servant, however, was a familiar Old Testament designation of Messiah (Isa. 42:1, 19; 49:5–7; 52:13-53:12).
Isaiah 52:13-53:12 [13]Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. [14]As many were astonished at you-- his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind-- [15]so shall he sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand. [53:1]Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?[2]For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. [3]He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. [4]Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. [5]But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. [6]All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. [7]He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. [8]By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? [9]And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. [10]Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. [11]Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. [12]Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors. (ESV)
When His suffering was over, God glorified Jesus, exalting Him to the position of honor at His right hand (Acts 2:33; 5:31; Phil. 2:9–11; Heb. 7:26).
Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua, meaning “the Lord is salvation.” It is the most common name of our Lord in the New Testament. It was first revealed to Joseph when the angel told him: She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." (Mt. 1:21)
Quote: Commenting on that verse, Charles Spurgeon said: "The angel spake to Joseph the name in a dream: that name so soft and sweet that it breaks no man’s rest, but rather yields a peace unrivalled, the peace of God. With such a dream Joseph’s sleep was more blessed than his waking. The name has evermore this power, for, to those who know it, it unveils a glory brighter than dreams have ever imagined". (The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, vol. XXIV [London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1879], 518)
The same Jesus whom God glorified, those to whom Peter spoke: delivered over, and denied/disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him. Pilate was well aware that the crucifixion was a blatant injustice. He declared Jesus innocent no less than six times (Luke 23:4, 16, 22; John 18:38; 19:4, 6) and repeatedly sought to release Him (Luke 23:13–22). Even his wife recognized Jesus’ innocence (Matt. 27:19). As a Roman, he came from a people with a strong tradition of justice (cf. Acts 16:37–38; 22:25–29; 25:16). To condemn a man he believed innocent went against that tradition. But the Jewish leaders had him backed into a corner. They had already complained to Rome and put his position in jeopardy. Another complaint would probably have cost him his place as governor.
• When backed into a corner, we reveal what we hold most dear. When there is an opportunity to proclaim Christ, do we love a false peace in a friendship over Christ? When we are tired and our kids do something to profane the name of Christ, do we pretend not to see and hear, loving the moment of rest over the confrontation. When one of our coworkers blasphemes Christ, do we love our workplace camaraderie over Christ?
Peter boldly confronts his hearers with the enormity of their sin in executing their Messiah. Showing how all have sinned and fallen short of God's glorious standard is the necessary foundation of the gospel message. Only those who see themselves as sinners will recognize their need for a Savior and comprehend the work of Jesus.
Illustration: “ABC Evening News” reported on an unusual work of modern art—a chair affixed to a shotgun. It was to be viewed by sitting in the chair and looking directly into the gunbarrel. The gun was loaded and set on a timer to fire at an undetermined moment within the next hundred years. The amazing thing was that people waited in lines to sit and stare into the shell’s path! They all knew that the gun could go off at point-blank range at any moment, but they were gambling that the fatal blast wouldn’t happen during their minute in the chair. Yes, it was foolhardy, yet many people who wouldn’t dream of sitting in that chair live a lifetime gambling that they can get away with sin. Foolishly they ignore the risk until the inevitable self-destruction (Larson, C. B. (2002). 750 engaging illustrations for preachers, teachers & writers (511). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.).
2) The Person of Christ (Acts 3:14-17),
Acts 3:14-17 [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. (ESV)
To emphasize their guilt, Peter repeats the charge that they denied/disowned Jesus, the Holy and Righteous One before Pilate. Worse, they asked for a murderer to be granted to them.
Hagios (Holy) means to be separated to God. Jesus is not only holy by nature but separated to God to do His will. Speaking for the rest of the disciples, Peter said, “We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God” (John 6:69). Even the demons knew the truth that Jesus was the Holy One (Luke 4:34). Holy One is also a messianic title as we saw last week in Acts 2:27, quoting Psalm 16:10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. (ESV)
Dikaios (Righteous) carries the idea of being innocent of any crime. Faced with the choice between Jesus, their innocent Messiah, and the guilty murderer Barabbas, they chose the latter. “Barabbas” means “son of father,” an interesting earthly contrast to Jesus, who was the “Son of the Father” in heaven. Even pagans, such as Pilate’s wife (Matt. 27:19) and a Roman centurion (Luke 23:47), recognized what Israel could not—that Jesus was innocent and righteous. Peter’s indictment of them was devastatingly direct. Israel’s guilt in rejecting Jesus was both monumental and inexcusable and placed them in open rebellion against God.
• One of the greatest challenges in proclaiming the truths of God is convincing people about their sinfulness. People naturally believe that they are basically good, because they judge the standard of behaviour on common practice, which is sinful. The law of God, was God's instrument to show the universal sinfulness of humanity. Showing through everyday examples of action, inaction or even sinful entertainment of rebellious thoughts, illustrate the function of the law to drive people to the only hope of redemption: faith in Christ.
Peter has been presenting a series of paradoxes. Although Jesus was a servant, The Father exalted Him. He was their deliverer, yet the nation delivered him to Pilate. They rejected the Holy and Righteous One in favor of an unholy, unjust murderer. Now he comes to the greatest paradox of all. In verse 15, they killed/put to death the Author/Prince of life, while asking for the release of one who took life.
The Author/Prince of life translates archçgos. It refers to the originator, pioneer, or beginner of something. Hebrews 2:10 uses it in the phrase “author of salvation.” In Hebrews 12:2 it describes Jesus as the “author” of faith. Here Peter uses it to describe Jesus as the originator of life. That is a claim of deity for Jesus, since Psalm 36:9 describes God as the “fountain of life.”
Peter adds the ringing note of the resurrection. Jesus, the Author/Prince of life, was the one whom God raised from the dead. That was a fact to which Peter and the apostles were witnesses (cf. 1 Cor. 15:3–7). Peter’s audacious claim is powerful evidence for the resurrection. If Jesus had not risen from the dead, that claim would have been easy to disprove. Had the Jewish leaders been able to produce Jesus’ dead body, the church would have been stillborn. But they could not and did not. The apostles’ testimony was undeniable.
The testimony in view in verse 16 is of faith in his name. The name meant the authority and power of a person which could be called forth by another who was given that right (Ogilvie, L. J., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1983). Vol. 28: Acts. The Preacher’s Commentary Series (84). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.)
The faith in view here is not that of the beggar but of Peter and John. Although occasionally the faith of the one healed is noted (cf. Acts 14:19), the New Testament Apostolic sign gift of healing operated through the faith of the healer, rather than the one healed. There is no mere magical efficacy in the words which Peter pronounced when, in Jesus’ name, he commanded the cripple to walk; the cripple would have known no benefit had he not responded in faith to what Peter said. But once this response of faith was made, the power of the risen Christ filled his body with health and strength (Bruce, F. F. (1988). The Book of the Acts. The New International Commentary on the New Testament (82). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).
Yet, to tell those who are not healed that it is because they lack the faith to be healed is another misrepresentation of the biblical nature of apostolic healing. As in verse 12, Peter, in spite of his strong faith in the risen Christ, refuses to take credit for the healing. It is faith in the name of Jesus which has made this man strong/strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all. The healed beggar was living proof that the nation’s evaluation of Jesus was wrong.
Throughout the history of the church, the gift of healing the sick has never been absent. The names of Francis of Assisi, Martin Luther, and John Wesley, not to mention the names of modern-day Christians, stand out in relation to a healing ministry. Among the gifts of the Holy Spirit is the gift of healing (I Cor. 12:9, 28). Paul, however, pointedly and rhetorically asks, “Do all have gifts of healing?” (I Cor. 12:30). Paul himself performed healing miracles during his missionary tours, but he gives no indication that he healed Epaphroditus, who was so ill that he almost died (Phil. 2:27). Paul openly admits that he “left Trophimus sick in Miletus” (II Tim. 4:20). And Paul himself had to contend with a thorn in the flesh which God did not remove (II Cor. 12:7–9). In short, Paul was not able to use his gift of healing whenever he pleased and wherever he was. James instructs us to call on the elders of the church when we are ill. These elders should pray and anoint with oil in the name of the Lord (5:14). He emphasizes that “prayer offered in faith will heal the sick person” (v. 15), for faith and prayer are requisites to which the Lord responds. Yet, sometimes healing miracles do not occur, especially when God wants to strengthen our faith to his glory. As Scripture teaches, God answers prayer at his time and in his own way. He said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness” (II Cor. 12:9) (Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 17: Exposition of the Acts of the Apostles. New Testament Commentary (131). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.).
Verse 17 marks a transition in Peter’s sermon. He first convicted them of rejecting and executing their Messiah. In verse 19, he proclaimed the necessity of repentance. In between, in verses 17–18, Peter offers them hope. By addressing them as brothers/brethren, he identifies with them as fellow Jews and places himself on their level, showing his love and concern for them.
• We must never insinuate that it is because we are so good that God saved us. In presenting the truth of the gospel, it is necessary to declare the universal condition of humanity, including those who are now Christians, that necessitated the death of Christ.
Peter offers them the possibility of forgiveness because they had acted in ignorance (cf. Acts 13:27). It almost seems contradictory to hear Peter say that the Jews crucified the Lord Jesus in ignorance. Did He not come with the full credentials of the Messiah? Did He not perform wondrous miracles in their midst? Did He not infuriate them by claiming to be equal with God? Yes, this is all true. And yet they were ignorant of the fact that Jesus Christ was God incarnate. They expected the Messiah to come, not in lowly grace, but rather as a mighty military deliverer. They looked upon Jesus as an impostor (MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments (A. Farstad, Ed.) (Ac 3:17). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.).
Please turn to 2 Corinthians 2
Jesus prayed for those who crucified Him, saying “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Paul wrote that if the rulers had understood who Jesus was, “they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Cor. 2:8). Their ignorance was certainly inexcusable, since the evidence that Jesus was the Messiah was clear from the Old Testament, the words and works of Jesus, and His death and resurrection. Yet, none of them were beyond the reach of God’s grace, if they would repent and turn to Christ. Even the rulers who incited the people to cry for the death of their Messiah are indicted for the less heinous motive of ignorance. There is a note of mercy in the fact that Peter focuses on the blindness and ignorance of the unregenerate (cf. 2 Cor. 4:3–4).
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 [3]And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. [4]In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (ESV)
• To explain the works of Christ, we must understand that it is no mere intellectual proposition: that if we are clear or cleaver enough, people will understand. In the unregenerate, their minds are closed to the truth, and their hearts are hardened. It takes a miraculous work of God to illuminate their minds to understand and their hearts to warm to the truth of God.
Illustration: Blindness
Jane’s International Defense Review reported that Norinco of China was offering to export a weapon that used laser beams to damage the eyes of enemies. The weapon is called the ZM–87 portable laser “disturber.” According to the Chicago Tribune, “Jane’s said the company states ‘one of its major applications’ is ‘to injure or dizzy’ the eyes of an enemy combatant with high-power laser pulses, and ‘especially anybody who is sighting and firing … [by means of] an optical instrument, so as to cause him to lose combat ability or result in suppression of his observation and sighting operation.’ ” The ZM–87 is effective to a range of two miles. Blinding a soldier renders him worthless for battle. Satan knows that, and so he too has weapons to blind the eyes (“China May Sell Laser That Blinds,” Chicago Tribune, 4 May 1995, sec. 1, p. 24.).
3) The Power of Christ (Acts 3:18-19).
Acts 3:18-19 [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, (ESV)
Peter reassures his hearers that their rejection and execution of the Messiah had not thwarted God’s plan. The crucifixion, so unthinkable to them as happening to the true Messiah, did not at all alter God’s program, nor did it disqualify Jesus as the Messiah. God had foretold/announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets that His Christ would suffer, and those prophecies had now been fulfilled. The Old Testament foresaw Christ’s death in such passages as Isaiah 53, Psalm 22, and Zechariah 12:10. Even the nation’s rejection of Him had been predicted (Isa. 53:3). God used their evil intentions to fulfill His own purposes (cf. Acts 2:23; Gen. 50:20). That is behind the meaning of the term "Christ". This is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word “ Messiah,” which means Anointed One. This refers to God’s special agent whose life and death would inaugurate the new age of righteousness, the new age of the Spirit (Utley, R. J. (2003). Vol. Volume 3B: Luke the Historian: The Book of Acts. Study Guide Commentary Series (59). Marshall, TX: Bible Lessons International.)
In concept of Repentance finally in verse 19, is a key New Testament term. The literal meaning of metanoeô (repent) is “to change one’s mind or purpose.” Repentance involves far more than a mere intellectual decision. It is a change of mind that issues in a change of behavior. Peter’s use of epistrephô (turn again/return), a word used frequently in the New Testament to speak of sinners turning to God (Luke 1:16–17; Acts 9:35; 11:21; 14:15; 15:19; 26:18, 20; 2 Cor. 3:16; 1 Thess. 1:9; 1 Peter 2:25), reinforces that meaning.
The promise for repentance is that sins will be blotted out/wiped away (Exaleiphô ) pictures the wiping of ink off a document (cf. Col. 2:14). Ink in the ancient world had no acid content. Consequently, it did not bite into the papyrus or vellum used for documents. Instead, it remained on the surface where it could easily be wiped away by a damp sponge. God does far more than merely cross out believers’ sins, He wipes them away completely. They are gone beyond the possibility of review or recall. Even their horrible sin of rejecting and executing their Messiah was not indelible and could be wiped away.
Please turn to Colossians 2
Most people carry heavy loads of guilt. This may be true of you. You may not have not told anybody what you have done. You may be afraid that if you told someone else, that person would reject you. Nevertheless, you remember what you have done, and you carry the guilt of your actions around with you day by day, week by week, and year by year. Your burden keeps you from being what you might otherwise be. Moreover, you do not find forgiveness in the world. The world is not capable of that. The world can judge you for your sin or pretend to overlook it. But it is not capable of forgiving it. Peter is saying that God can forgive your sin; he can lift that great load of guilt (Boice, J. M. (1997). Acts: An expositional commentary (69). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.)
Colossians 2:8-15 [8]See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. [9]For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, [10]and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. [11]In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, [12]having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. [13]And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, [14]by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. [15]He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. (ESV)
Hymn: Forgiveness produces joy and relief from guilt. Horatio Spafford expressed that reality beautifully in his classic hymn “It Is Well with My Soul.” In it he penned the following familiar words: "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!"
(Format Note: some base commentary from MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1994). Acts. MacArthur New Testament Commentary (45–55). Chicago: Moody Press.)
