The Acts of the Apostles March 16, 2014 Bob Eckel 1 Acts 3:12-26 “Peter’s 2 nd Sermon” Peter’s Reminder of the Jews’ Responsibility Acts 3: “So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 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. But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.” –This is the 3 rd of Peter’s 7 addresses in Acts and all focus on the work and person of the Lord Jesus Christ. God’s servant (Isaiah 42:1), Holy One (I John 2:20), just (righteous) (Isaiah 53:11) and Prince of life (Isaiah 9:6). To whom he attributed the enabling powers that made the lame man walk. –He spoke as a Jew about the God of Abraham (Matt 22:32) – a bond that reflected his credibility before the men of Israel.

The Acts of the Apostles March 16, 2014 Bob Eckel 2 Acts 3:12-26 “Peter’s 2 nd Sermon” –It says that Peter responded, but to what? –He pointed out 3 issues related to their treatment of Jesus They delivered Him up to Pilate and then condemned Him when Pilate was about to release Him. They rejected Him and spared the murderer Barabbas. They executed the One who is the source of life (John 1:4) – proven by His resurrection (Acts 2:23,24). –And ‘they’ were witnesses – Peter and John, and also the twelve. Peter’s Declaration Acts 3:16 - “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.” –Who’s faith in the name (Eph 1:21) of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 3:6) healed him (perfect soundness = health), the lame man’s or Peter’s and John’s? Not revealed in Acts 3:1-11 One could ask how long he had been placed daily at the temple Beautiful and his lameness (since birth) persisted.

The Acts of the Apostles March 16, 2014 Bob Eckel 3 Acts 3:12-26 “Peter’s 2 nd Sermon” What does this say about miraculous healing today? Peter’s Convincing Appeal Acts 3:17-21 – “Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. 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, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, –Peter waxes tender here in stating that they and the rulers (I Cor 2:7,8) did it in ignorance, but is ignorance an excuse? What about His prophets, His miracles, His words? But was He really their Messiah? Was His response to Caiaphas (Matt 26:62-64) insufficient? And Jesus Himself so-stated in His dying prayer –‘Father, forgive them for they know not what they do’ (Luke 23:34)

The Acts of the Apostles March 16, 2014 Bob Eckel 4 Acts 3:12-26 “Peter’s 2 nd Sermon” –The mandate is now to repent and be converted. But is repentance necessary before conversion? –Repentance is changing one’s mind, and here about Jesus and who He is, and then faith that saves follows. –Faith then results in a transition from unbelief to belief (Acts 11:17,18) –Once repentance about Jesus and who He is occurs and faith follows, the believer comes to understand that their sins are blotted out and times of refreshing ensue. –And the fact that He suffered is important to note here (Heb 2:9,10). –The promise that God will send Jesus Christ, whom heaven must receive first (John 12:31-34), to restore relates to the Kingdom Age as prophesized. »The Millennial Kingdom with Christ enthroned (Matt 19:28) and His enemies His footstool (Psalms 110:1-7). »Some interpret this passage to indicate that the Kingdom Age will occur only when the nation of Israel as a whole repents, however, this timing is entirely in the hands of the Lord. –But I think that this refreshing also represents the Spirit-led rest and joy of the Christ life – the presence of the Lord (John 16:7). Peter’s Convincing Appeal with Reference on Prophecy Acts 3: 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 which

The Acts of the Apostles March 16, 2014 Bob Eckel 5 Acts 3:12-26 “Peter’s 2 nd Sermon” God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days. 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.’ 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. –Two messages here: Kingdom Age for Israel for those not utterly destroyed by unbelief (Rev 13:8). God’s blessing to all of Abraham’s seed. –First Moses (Deut 18:15-19), then Samuel and the many to follow, however, Samuel prophesized that David would replace Saul (I Sam 13:13,14) and may may have referred to the Kingdom in II Sam 7:12-16.

The Acts of the Apostles March 16, 2014 Bob Eckel 6 Acts 3:12-26 “Peter’s 2 nd Sermon” –Abraham’s seed includes the sons of the covenant that God made with Abraham; thus his descendants (Gen 12:3, 22;18, 26:4) and those who are saved by faith (Rom 4:13-18; Gal 3:16, 29). –Israel will be blessed by the Lord Jesus Christ and turn from their sins (Matt 23:37-39; Rom 11:26), a stage set for Christ's reign on the earth (Zech 12:10- 14). To summarize, Israel through ignorance and unbelief rejected their Messiah, but are continuously called upon to change their minds about the Lord Jesus Christ, and by faith realize that God’s promises about the Kingdom, and their own lives too, will be fulfilled. However, what ensues is all mediated by God through Jesus Christ and their/our believing Him in all that has been revealed. For now, believers (formerly Jews and Gentiles) need to keep looking down and live by faith!

The Acts of the Apostles March 16, 2014 Bob Eckel 7 Acts 3:12-26 “Peter’s 2 nd Sermon” Acts 3:12- “

The Acts of the Apostles March 16, 2014 Bob Eckel 8 Acts 3:12-26 “Peter’s 2 nd Sermon” Acts 3:12- “