Scripture: Acts 3:1 - 19 (cf. 11 - 19)
Sermon - It wasn't Us - IT WAS JESUS!
I. It wasn't us - IT WAS JESUS!
II. IT WAS JESUS - And by the Way - He was Innocent
III. IT WAS JESUS - And by the Way - Jesus is Alive
IV. IT WAS JESUS - And by the Way - He Opened the Door of Repentance and Forgiveness
INTRO:
Grace and peace from God our Father and from His Son Jesus Christ who came to take away the sins of the world!
"How did you do that?"
"How did you do something that no one else has been able to do before?"
"Is it true that you just went over to that lame man and took him by the hand, raised him up and suddenly he was able to walk again?"
"How in the world did you do that?"
"You said something to him before you raised him up didn't you?"
"What was it you said?"
"We thought we heard you call out a man's name, what man's name did you use?"
We can imagine all these and more questions like them were being asking by those who rushed towards Peter, John and the healed man that day in the Temple. The miracle had happened around the 3 PM Prayer time so the Temple would have been filled with people going back and forth from their times of prayer, study and meditation. They would have been praying for God to do something special in their lives and in the lives of those around them. The air would have been filled with adoration, confession, intercession and thanksgiving.
And then suddenly, something wonderful and marvelous actually happened. The little lame man that had spend most of his life lying in front of the Gate called Beautiful had been healed. Everyone around the Temple knew him or at least had seen him day after day. Some had even given him some money and had said a word or two of prayer for him while they were praying for themselves, their own family and the nation of Israel.
But here in front of them he was jumping around, dancing and praising the LORD. They knew it wasn't fake because they had seen him for years lying around begging for food and money. They knew that something extraordinary had happened to him and they just wanted to know all the details of how his healing came to pass. In other words, they wanted to know the "skinny" of how these two men had done something that no one else had ever done.
Again, it was that name that they wanted to hear about. That name that Peter had used before the man was healed. Did Peter really call on the name of that dead Jewish rabbi from Nazareth called Jesus? That young carpenter turned rabbi that a couple of months ago the Roman soldiers crucified on a cross? Now, how can a dead man's name heal someone; especially that dead man?
I mean there was this strange story about some dead man being thrown in a tomb that held the bones of the Prophet Elisha and he was brought back to life ( 2 Kings 13:21). But no one as far as they knew, no one had ever used the name of a dead man to heal someone. No one had used the name of Moses, Elijah, Isaiah or even Daniel. It especially didn't make sense to use the name of a dead man who had been condemned by both the Temple and the Roman Empire. How in the world could this happen? How could God have allowed it all to happen? What in the world was going on?
It is in the midst of all of this that Peter takes the time to get everyone's attention. He waits for everyone to get quiet and then he begins to share exactly what happened. Peter knew that God had done something radically unexpected and wonderful to give him and John the opportunity to speak. Peter knew that if there were ever a great time to tell about Jesus being the Messiah, Savior and LORD this was it. After, all everyone around was straining their necks and ears to hear what Peter had to say.
This morning, let's see what Peter and John had to say. And as we do so we will be drawn more to understand just how important Jesus' resurrection is and how important is for us to be a witness for Jesus in our world today.
I. It wasn't us - IT WAS JESUS!
Peter and John begin by telling everyone that this miracle wasn't about them or about their piety. It wasn't because they had some kind of special power or knew some special knowledge or insight. It had nothing to do with them. They were human beings just like them. They were simply ordinary human beings who had been fishermen and who had lived in and around the sea of Galilee.
It was all about God. It was all about how God lived through Jesus. It was all about God's Son, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. It was all about the same God that they all served. - The God of the Temple - The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The Creator God - the Good God of Creation that they had read and studied about in the book of Genesis.
Peter said all of this because he wanted everyone to know that they were working within the confines of their own faith. They were not stepping out and bringing in some pagan magic or pagan ideas. They were not filling the Temple with some doctrine or belief that came from the Canaanites, the Greeks or the Romans.
This miracle was from God. The same God that they had served since the time of Abraham. The Good God of Creation. The Only God who truly existed. The God who had called Abraham out of sin and had given him the promise of the Holy Land. The God who had given Abraham his son Isaac who was the ancestor of them all.
Even the way Peter answered the question is interesting. We may not have picked up on it but those in the Temple that day certainly would have. When Peter said - "the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob" - immediately those in the Temple would have quickly thought of Moses and the burning bush in Exodus 3. They would have wondered how Peter was going to tie Jesus in with Moses. Was Peter saying that another one like Moses had arisen? That Jesus had been truly sent by God? But then how could that be - again, Jesus was dead. The Romans had killed him. Everyone around Jerusalem had witnessed the gruesome sight of Jesus and the two thieves hanging on their crosses suffering in pain and agony and waiting for death to come and take them. They had seen all the blood and they had watched as the Roman soldier had speared Jesus through the heart.
There was no doubt about it. Jesus was dead and was lying in some tomb somewhere outside the gates of Jerusalem. That they were sure of all that but let's get back to Peter. Was he really saying that in some way this Jesus was still responsible? And what is it that he called Jesus - "God's servant or as the word could be translated - God's Child?"
Peter says all of this not only to get their attention but to tell them - "Yes, it is happening again!" God has come down. God has come down just like He did in the time of Abraham and Moses. Only this time, God - the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has come down in flesh - in Jesus. Jesus is God in Flesh. Jesus is God's only Son. Jesus is the reason why this man before you is walking and jumping up and down praising God.
Jesus - it is all about Jesus. It is not about John's piety or Peter's piety. It is not about some secret power that they possess. It has nothing to do with them aside from the fact that they have surrendered their hearts and lives to Jesus and Jesus' Holy Spirit works in and through them.
It is all about Jesus - God's Only Begotten Son!
II. IT WAS JESUS - And by the Way - He was Innocent!
Peter's words in this passage had to sting. It's all about Jesus is one thing. But to then tell all those standing around that they murdered Jesus. Well, that had to sting quite a bit.
I mean after all they were here in God's House doing everything they could to get closer to God and here is Peter accusing them of murdering an innocent man. And not just any innocent man but a man who was actually God's child. A man who was God in Flesh.
Peter holds nothing back. You - killed an innocent man. You turned him over to Pilate and made it impossible for Pilate to release him. You did everything within your power to get rid of Jesus. You lied, you cheated and you joined hands with the Devil to kill Jesus - God in Flesh - God's Only Son.
You killed the Author of Life. You killed the One who gave our world life. You killed the One who gave all of us breath. You killed the One who came from Heaven to live among us, to share the message of His Heavenly Father with us and to lead us to a path of salvation. You killed God's Son.
Now, imagine being there. Imagine hearing those words knowing that you were among the voices that cried out - "Crucify Him". Imagine hearing those words knowing that while Jesus hung on the cross you mocked him and did your best to shame him. Imagine hearing those words and feeling the sting of the Holy Spirit convicting you and showing you that what Peter was saying here was true.
But what can you do now?
I mean, thanks Peter for showing us that we all messed up. Thanks God for showing us that Jesus was innocent and that we should have listened to him. But again, Jesus is dead. And men don't rise from the dead. At least not before the general resurrection which Jews at that time believed would happen someday way out in the future.
III. IT WAS JESUS - And by the Way - Jesus is Alive
It is easy for us to read this story and miss the impact of Peter's words. It is easy for us to miss the drama of this whole passage.
+The lame man had been healed
+The name of Jesus had been used
+Peter had accused them of murder
+Peter had told them that they were guilty of killing the Author of Life
And now in verse 15 he lets them in on the GREATEST NEWS OF ALL -
JESUS IS ALIVE!
Jesus is not dead. He is not lying around in some tomb outside of the city gates. Jesus' body has not been rotting away turning into a pile of bones.
No, Jesus is alive. His tomb is empty.
But, how does Peter know that? Peter quickly tells them -
I have seen him. I have touched him. I have walked with him. I have eaten with him. I have been appointed by him. I have been infilled with His Holy Spirit. I am and this man John along with thousands of others are his witnesses.
It is true that dead men don't do miracles. And Jesus Christ is not dead. Yes, he was dead. Yes, Joseph and Nicodemus took his body off the cross. They cleaned it up the best they could with the little time that they had before the Passover started. They quickly wrapped it up in a shroud and surrounded it with 75 pounds of spices and flowers. They placed his body in a tomb and rolled the stone over the entrance. Pilate even put a guard on the tomb and they sealed the tomb to make sure no one stole the body.
We (his disciples) all went and hid out the best we could away from the Roman and Temple soldiers. We thought we were next. We feared for our own lives and so we hid and stayed away from the tomb. We too thought Jesus was dead as well.
We, too had denied him and allowed the soldiers to come and take him away. In fact, we did nothing to stop them. We did nothing to stand up for him. We may not have yelled out those words - "Crucify Him", but we did nothing to protect or save Jesus. He was our Teacher and our friend. For over three years we did everything together. And yet, when Jesus needed us the most we ran away. We even lied and told people we didn't even know him and we were nowhere to be seen when they nailed him to the cross.
Peter knew all too well what it meant to deny and betray Jesus. But he also knew that on the third day Jesus had risen from the dead. Peter knew that Jesus was alive and seated at the right hand of God the Father. While the bad news is that mankind did kill the Author of Life the Good News is that God the Father raised the God the Son back to life.
IV. IT WAS JESUS - And by the Way - He Opened the Door of Repentance and Forgiveness
What Luke shares with us in a few verses had to take place over several minutes, perhaps even a hour. There is just too much to process here in a matter of a few minutes.
As soon as Peter tells them that Jesus is alive, he then gets to the heart of the matter. Peter did not come to heal the man - that was a bonus that the Holy Spirit led him to do. He did not come to tell those who had gathered for prayer that they were a bunch of murderers. He did not come to the Temple to condemn them.
He came to the Temple to pray and to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.
+Jesus is Israel's Messiah - God has come down in flesh to rescue, redeem and restore His People and all the people of the world.
+It was God the Father's, the Son's and the Holy Spirit's Plan for Jesus to give his life so that we could be saved - so that we could repent of our sins and receive God's amazing grace and forgiveness.
+Jesus knew all along that he would go to the cross, defeat the powers of darkness and on the third day rise again.
+Jesus came out of that tomb to inaugurate a New Age - A New Age for Humanity.
All of this had been a part of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit's plan. Ever since the time of the Fall - they had put this plan into place and now it was being fulfilled.
Jesus had made it possible for human beings to experience a New Age. A New Age in which people could be free of sin - from both the penalty of sin (which of course is death - everlasting death) and the power of sin (enslavement). People no longer have to live under the bondage of sin, death and hell. People no longer have to live under the rule of their carnal flesh. People no longer have to live under the power of the Devil.
Jesus' New Age is dominated by two key thoughts - Repentance and Forgiveness.
Repentance and Forgiveness - Embracing God's Saving and Healing love.
Repentance and Forgiveness - Living out God's Saving and Healing love.
What does that mean?
Our world is racked with anger, disputes, words that speak of war, violence and revenge. We see it all over our world. Nation against nation. Tribe against tribe. Political parties at war with one another. States at war with one another. Communities at war with one another. Families at war with one another. People at war with one another over a thousand different things including racism, greed, gender, personal rights, religion, education, economics, children, parents and the list goes on and on and on.
We watch every day as people take out their anger on one another. At times it is with mere words. People hurling vulgar words and gestures towards one another. At other times it is with fists as people get into all kinds of scuffles and fights. And sadly, at other times with knives, clubs and guns. Every side says that they are on the right side. That they hold the moral high ground. It is the other side that must give in and if they don't compromise or give in, then, we will beat them into submission with laws, regulations, peer pressure, words or even with clubs if we must.
But anyone who has studied history knows from ancient history to our present age that there has to be a better way. Jesus shows us that better way but it is a very difficult way. It is not through legalism nor is it through political means. It is not through my army being able to beat up your army. It is not through my gun being bigger and shooting better than your gun.
It is through Repentance and Forgiveness. The only true way forward for humanity is through Repentance and Forgiveness.
We must confess our sins - the sins of pride, greed, lust, money, power, sex and self-idolatry. We must repent of our personal, communal and national sins. We must repent of our worldwide sins.
We must confess that all these idols of materialism, violence, greed, immorality and self-idolatry are false idols. They only bring chaos, destruction and death. There is only One God - One Son of God - One Holy Spirit.
Humanities only hope is to walk the road of Repentance and Forgiveness. Humanities only hope is to receive Jesus as Messiah, Savior and LORD. Humanities only hope is to live out a life of repentance and forgiveness which leads us to a life of HOPE.
Where does such Repentance and Forgiveness take us? It takes us to the Cross, to the Open Tomb, to the Ascension and the Out pouring of God's Holy Spirit. It takes us to the LORDSHIP of JESUS CHRIST. It takes us to becoming one in Christ. It takes us surrendering our hearts and lives to Jesus and then loving one another as we love ourselves.
It takes allowing the Holy Spirit to be in full control.
Living that way will transform our world. Living that way will open the door to Heaven and allow God's New Age to come into our world. Living that way is what Jesus died for, rose again for and sent His Holy Spirit.
This New Age is to be an Age in which there is to be no Jew or Gentile. No rich or poor. No barriers of any kind to separate us from one another. There is to be no hatred, greed, malice, lust or violence. Sin is to no longer rule over our planet and our lives.
But, isn't that impossible? No, it is not impossible. However, the Only Way for that to happen is for Jesus to be in control.
Some people believe this will only be possible after Jesus comes back for the final time or when He sets up His Kingdom here on earth for 1,000 years.
We all know that one day all of that will happen. But in the meantime, what is keeping us from living out the life that Jesus died on the cross for us to live? What is keeping us from transforming our churches, communities and beyond? What is keeping us from living out a life of repentance and forgiveness?
The passage we have before us this morning is a sign of what can happen in Christ - in the power of His Holy Spirit. The man was healed as a signpost pointing that in Christ we can be healed and we can freed from the ravages of sin.
The forgiveness that was extended to those who had been responsible for killing Jesus was a signpost to all those who have thought that they could never be forgiven.
Here was Peter and John coming to those responsible for killing Jesus and telling them that the door was open for them to repent and receive God's forgiveness, grace and the infilling presence of His Holy Spirit. Here was Peter and John showing that with God nothing is impossible. Here was Peter and John wanting to share with everyone that God through Jesus was making all things possible - repentance, forgiveness and the infilling presence of God's Holy Spirit!
The very thing that mankind has always wanted - to be like God was now possible. Not through man's own will but through being transformed into the image of Jesus Christ. The more we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us, guide us, infill us and transform us the more we actually become, act like, talk like, live like and are like our Heavenly Father. If we want to be more like Jesus then we are to invite more of the His Holy Spirit in our lives. And the more we do that the more we are transformed and the more we transform our world for Him.
Think of that for a moment and we will realize the importance of Jesus, His Death, His Resurrection and the Sending of His Holy Spirit. God become man so that man could be transformed into His Holy Image. God in Christ came to rescue us from sin and to enable us to experience a whole new way of living - living as genuine human being reflecting God's Image in our lives on a day to day business. Genuine human beings enjoying a life of salvation and a life of being filled with God's Holy Spirit. Genuine human beings who know how to repent, how to receive forgiveness and then how to live a life of agape love, forgiveness, joy and self-control.
This morning, as we close with sharing the Lord's Supper - we do so knowing that it is all about Jesus. It was Jesus who died on the Cross for all of us. It was Jesus who rose again from the dead. It was Jesus who ascended into Heaven and now sits at the right hand of God the Father. It was Jesus who sent His Holy Spirit to show us the way of repentance and forgiveness.
This morning as we share the Lord's Supper we do so knowing that we can be forgiven - we can repent of our sins and be forgiven. We also know that we can forgive others of the trespasses they have trespassed before us. We can live a life of repentance and forgiveness. We can live in the New Age of Jesus Christ. We can live a whole new human life through Jesus. A life that is filled with His Holy Spirit and bears the fruit of His Holy Spirit.
This morning, I would like to invite you to the Lord's Table. I would like to invite you to share in His grace, forgiveness and mercy. I would like to invite you to come and be one with all that are here today and all over the world who call upon His name as Savior and Lord. I would like for you today to enjoy His Holy Spirit's Power and Presence in your life today!
Communion/Prayer/Blessing
