April 27, 2003 Acts 3:12-20
12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. 14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see. 17 “Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18 But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer. 19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—namely Jesus.
There are some things that only happen once in a lifetime. Occurrences that make you absolutely stop in your tracks and say to yourself, “I can’t believe that just happened.” Several years ago I was at a Pastor’s conference up in Hadar, NE, eating breakfast at a hotel, when I noticed the receptionist’s TV - which showed a huge hole in the World Trade Center. I couldn’t believe what was happening - it was almost surreal. Each and every one of us will never forget those airplanes flying into the twin towers - it was an occurrence that will be forever etched in our minds.
Just prior to today’s text - something like that happened - something that made everyone stop in their tracks and stand there in awe. A man who had been crippled from birth - who was over 40 years old and had begged at the temple gates for years, was healed and enabled to walk. As the people were about their daily routines, they suddenly saw this man jumping and running around in the temple courts. They would never forget what had just happened that day. It was a miracle.
It’s at moments like these - time stopping moments - in war, sports, romance - that a tremendous opportunity arrives. It’s like the blinders of every day life are removed from people, and they’re so amazed that they’re willing to stop and listen - at least for a minute. Their hearts and minds are so shocked that they want to hear - want to find out what happened - and how it happened. When Vince Lombardi won the many trophies with the Green Bay Packers during the 196 0’s, he became a virtual icon in the world. People bought his books, sought his autograph, paid him to deliver speeches, and treated him like a virtual god. This happens all of the time. It happened with the firefighters and the police officers of New York - those remaining were a hot item on the talk shows and book fairs.
Unfortunately, we often turn these modern day heroes into the golden calves of America. We buy their baseball cards, read their books, seek their autographs, and treat their words as if they were the words of God Himself. Up in Wisconsin it was Vince Lombardi and Brett Favre. In Kansas it’s George Brett and Bob Dole. In America it’s the soldiers or the firefighters of New York. In the realms of Christianity it may be Martin Luther, Mother Theresa, Billy Graham or the Pope. Humans love to put these people up on a pedestal and treat them like gods. Half jokingly reporters even say, “he is a god” and “you can’t stop him, you can only hope to contain him,” and the idols don’t complain. The sad thing is that most of the time these heroes can’t help but eat up all the attention they’re getting. They love to have people listen to them and eat up their every word, how they were able to dig deep and somehow pull out the victory or save the damsel in distress.
But we’re really not any less guilty. Our children even think to themselves and even say, “I want to be a movie star,” or “I want to be a basketball player,” or “I want to be a policeman”. There’s nothing wrong with it in and of itself, but they most likely want to do those things because they dream of one day being recognized as a hero or a superstar. All of us have that selfish magnet within us that wants people to look, to pay attention, to listen to what we have to say. We don’t like it when we aren’t recognized for the great job we think we’re doing at work or at home. We get miffed if someone doesn’t say “thank you” or pat us on the back. But we sure do love the people who constantly tell us what great people we are or how much help we have been to them. It shows that we are very self centered people.
When Peter healed the lame man, Luke says that, they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened. .. And that people stare(d) at (them) as if by (their) own power or godliness (they) had made this man walk. It was one of those moments, where everyone stopped what they were doing, and their hearts were open to hear what happened. Peter had them eating out of his hand. What did Peter do in this instance? What did he say? Did he say, “oh, it was nothing. It’s all in a days work. When you believe like me, things like this happen!” Not at all. Instead, he said, The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. 14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.
First of all, Peter would not allow the focus to be on HIM. Instead, notice that Peter gave a clear testimony as to who the Power Source was behind the miracle. It was Jesus. Peter didn’t just say that Jesus was “a nice guy, a great humanitarian, and a wonderful businessman” - he went far beyond that. With great detail Peter said that Jesus was raised from the dead and glorified by the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He was the “Holy and Righteous One” and the “author of life.” Peter was saying, “you want to know who did this? It was Jesus! YOUR GOD approved of Jesus through His resurrection. He lived a perfect life, and actually created life as we know it. He is the AUTHOR of life. He is now alive and in glory in heaven! You Can’t Even Hope to Contain Him. That’s who did it!” Instead of pointing people to himself, Peter pointed them to Christ.
Opportunities like this don’t come by too often - that people actually look up to you and are willing to hear what you have to say. But they do come. Maybe while you’re tucking your child into bed, and he asks you a question about God where he trusts in what you have to say as the Gospel truth. Maybe it’s to a patient you’re working on in the hospital, who has become very appreciative of your help, who then asks, “do you believe in life after death?” Maybe it’s with a co-worker who’s going through a death in the family, and knows that you’re a “religious person”, and asks, “how come you’re always so nice?” Once in a while in life, people’s blinders are removed, and they honestly will look to you for some answers. It’s at that time that you have an opportunity to say something worth while. When Esther - a Jew was chosen by Xerxes to be the queen - she was put in a very awkward position. Her people were about to be exterminated by an evil man named Haman. She was terrified of talking to her “husband” without permission, since she could be put to death by such an act. But Mordecai told her, if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this? (Es 4:14) She needed to take advantage of her situation at that time, or God would raise someone else up to take her place. Think of your life and your opportunities in the same way.
Peter used this opportunity to share Christ. Notice HOW Peter presented Christ, however. If you really examine what he was saying, it would have been a very terrifying thing for the Jews standing there. He didn’t just tell them about Christ - but he told them about what THEY DID to Christ. Look at what he said again. Every verse starts with an accusatory YOU. YOU handed him over to be killed, and YOU disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. YOU disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. YOU killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. He very pointedly told them that they KILLED not just another man - but the AUTHOR of life - who was NOW ALIVE and powerfully healing this man. Think about the terror of that message. When Herod thought that John the Baptist had raised from the dead he was terrified. But the Jews had to come to the conclusion - “I didn’t just try to kill - but actually killed God in the flesh - and NOW he has been glorified by God, is still alive and POWERFULLY RULING my universe.” They must have thought, “what am I going to do? Where am I going to run? I’m in a world of hurt here!” In a courageous way Peter made these Jews see that they couldn’t just disassociate themselves from this miraculous healing of the lame man.
Do you have that kind of courage? I know I don’t. I wish I could learn from Peter. I wish I could apply this to the way I talk to people. It’s easy to talk about “sin” and “grace” - but it is terrifying to me to apply it so personally. It so easy to say to people, “we’re all sinners”, but it is terrifying to actually say to someone, “you are disowning Christ through your lack of church attendance. You have rejected Christ by having this adulterous affair. You have killed him by your lies.” So we have friends, neighbors, and even our own children who know “they’re sinners” - but don’t ever stop and really think to themselves- “I am disowning Christ by what I’m doing.” We know specifically what and how they are disowning Christ, but we never call them on it. You might call it a care-free guilt trip we lay on people - an everybody does it so don’t worry about it or change your life guilt. In the end, it doesn’t do any good.
What was Peter’s purpose in doing this? He laid it out in his last plea, Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—namely Jesus. The only way you can fill a jar is if it is empty first. Peter was trying to shake these Jews up - to make them see that they NEEDED Christ. They COULDN’T ignore him. As long as these Jews were full of excuses or self righteousness, they would see no need for Christ. But if they could be brought to their knees - realizing they NEEDED God’s grace and mercy, then their sins would be wiped out, and times of refreshing would come. The neat thing that Peter said was, this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer. Even though they had done a terrible thing by disowning and crucifying Jesus, God used their treachery to save the world through the suffering of Christ - their substitute! God used their evil to pay for their evil. He turned what they did into something wonderful for them and for the world. So even though they had done something terrible, if they would only confess their sins and turn to Christ, they too could have the comfort of forgiveness through the blood of Christ. Peter also gave them HOPE for a better future.
Isn’t it great for us to know too, that even though we have WASTED so many opportunities to share Christ, that Jesus died for our sins as well. We always have the comfort of knowing that as sinful as we are, our Savior’s blood covers all of our sins, even as Christians. When we come before God in repentance, He throws His arms around us and covers us in our righteousness. What comfort and hope that gives us!
That’s what our friends and neighbors need to know - about our comfort and hope. When they lose a job, or experience something in life that makes them stop and ask for answers, you need to tell them the truth. “You can’t just keep on working and accumulating possessions and living like there is no Author of Life. You can’t continue to have sex with whomever you please and think you’ll get away with it. You can’t disown him with your vulgar language and think He’ll turn a deaf ear to it. You can’t keep killing him with your words. If you continue revolving your life around YOU, you will be sorry. If you keep ignoring God and trusting in your money or your doctors to save you or make you happy, you will pay a terrible price. Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, He can’t be contained, and He is still in power - and He is coming again to judge this world. But if you realize what you are doing, and turn to God instead, trusting in Christ for your forgiveness, times of refreshing will come.” The basic sense of this word - refreshing - is “to cool or refresh with a breath” or “to dry out.” In medicine treating a wound with fresh air is meant. It’s difficult to take the bandages of excuses off of our sins - because it reveals how ugly our lives really are. But once you expose your wounds and sinful scars to God, then the cool air of God’s forgiveness and blood will begin the healing. When people ask us for answers, they need to know there still is hope and forgiveness in the death and resurrection of Christ. It may take some time, but those long felt scars of guilt and shame will eventually heal over. By taking your guilt to the cross, you’ll experience a new life of love, forgiveness, and hope - through the blood of Christ.
What was the result of Peter’s pointed words? The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand. (Ac 4:1-4) Some of them were “greatly disturbed” at Peter and John, while many who heard the message believed. That’s what should when you really preach the law and gospel. People shouldn’t walk away and say to themselves, “hmm, that was a nice story about Jesus. That’s nice that God gives me good stuff.” No. When you truly preach the law, people will either hate you and your message or repent and believe. That’s what God’s Word does - it cuts to the heart. Either you will have to harden your heart, or the Holy Spirit will cut through it.
The question is, do you want to put your friendships on the line? When the opportunity arises, do you want to risk having people hate you and get angry at you? Do you want to talk to your spouse about “church”, or do you want to get personal and really penetrate your relationships with Christ? Would you rather keep your relationships with your friends and family on the surface, where you both agree to enjoy cars or sports but not address spiritual weaknesses or need of forgiveness? Peter took a chance that day when he said, “you killed the Author of Life.” He took a chance when he said of Jesus, “you can kill him, but you can’t even hope to contain him.” He suffered in jail because of it, but God blessed his words with more converts. The future of the Church - of your friends and family - is in your mouth - through the declaration of Christ. When the next opportunity arises, let people know today about Jesus Christ. You can kill him. But you can’t even hope to contain him. Amen.
