“...and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8b by Bob DeWaay Gospel of Grace Fellowship Acts 3:19-26 Repentance and Promise December 7, 2014

2 Acts 3:19, 20 (HCSB) Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out, that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus, who has been appointed for you as the Messiah. The blessing of Messianic salvation was still available – if they repent Messiah was “appointed” for Israel “Refreshing” is only used here and in Exodus 8:15 LXX Peter Preaches Christ and Repentance: Acts 3:19-26

3 Acts 3:21 (HCSB) Heaven must welcome Him until the times of the restoration of all things, which God spoke about by the mouth of His holy prophets from the beginning. “Must” is dei which denotes divine necessity The disciples asked about this in Acts 1:6 “Until” is important and is also used like this in Romans 11:25; Philippians 1:6 OT prophecy is still to be fulfilled Peter Preaches Christ and Repentance: Acts 3:19-26

4 Acts 3:22 (HCSB) Moses said: The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to Him in everything He will say to you. See Deuteronomy 18:15, 18, 19 Jesus is the Prophet like Moses who speaks for God This is foreshadowed in Luke 9:29-35 In Luke 9:35 “listen” is imperative in the Greek Peter Preaches Christ and Repentance: Acts 3:19-26

5 Acts 3:23 (HCSB) And everyone who will not listen to that Prophet will be completely cut off from the people. The warning is from the Day of Atonement; Lev. 23:28, 29 Refusal to listen to Jesus is to refuse atonement To go back to the old system of repeated animal sacrifices would be to reject Messiah (Heb. 10:8-10) Peter Preaches Christ and Repentance: Acts 3:19-26

6 Acts 3:24 (HCSB) In addition, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those after him, have also announced these days. Samuel was considered the first prophet after Moses “These days” are the days of Messianic salvation Peter Preaches Christ and Repentance: Acts 3:19-26

7 Acts 3:25 (NASB) “It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’” Peter preaches pointedly and personally -- “YOU” Genesis 12:3 is the seed promise In Acts 7:51-53 Stephen indicted his Jewish listeners for being sons of those who killed the prophets As “sons of the prophets” they should believe Messiah Peter Preaches Christ and Repentance: Acts 3:19-26

8 Acts 3:26 (HCSB) God raised up His Servant and sent Him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your evil ways. Repentance is a blessing from God “First” does not mean “only” Genesis 12:3 extends blessing to all peoples Acts 1:8; Romans 1:16; Isaiah 49:6 Peter Preaches Christ and Repentance: Acts 3:19-26

9 Luke 3:8 (NASB) Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. Peter’s preaching (and Stephen’s) echo JTB The angel about JTB = Luke 1:16 In Acts 26:16-18 Paul is commissioned by Jesus to preach repentance Peter Preaches Christ and Repentance: Acts 3:19-26