1. Peter’s Powerful Sermon – Part 1 Peter Preaches Christ Acts 3:12 – 18 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. (Acts 3:16a)

2. Introduction Early preachers exalted the name of Jesus Scripture proclaims Jesus Christ is the only person who can provide salvation Peter was the first to preach in the name of Jesus When Peter saw the crowd had gathered, he began his sermon

3. Introduction Peter first asks two questions: Why does this surprise you? – Mild rebuke – They knew God to be a miracle-working God Why do you stare at us, as if by our own power and godliness we had made this man walk? – Galilean fishermen had neither the power nor godliness to perform such a feat – Directs attention away from Peter and John to Jesus Christ

4. Overview Theme of Peter’s sermon – The matchless name of Jesus Christ Presents five names of our Lord – Servant (v. 13a) – Jesus (v. 13b) – Holy and Righteous One (v. 14) – Author of Life (vv. 15-17) – Christ (v. 18)

5. Servant (v. 13a) Message was directed mainly to Israelites, so he chooses a familiar Jewish description of God – The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers – Stresses His covenant faithfulness to Israel Peter claims continuity with Old Testament prophets – Declaring same God they preached – Declaring same Messiah they promised The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant (Acts 3:13a)

6. Servant (v. 13a) Peter proclaims the God of the covenant – Has glorified His servant Servant – God’s personal representative or ambassador – Old Testament designation of Messiah Isaiah depicts Messiah as the suffering Servant, obedient even to the point of death – Jesus said of himself, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve” (Matt 20:28) When His suffering was over, God glorified Jesus – Exalted him to the position of honor at His right hand

7. Jesus (v. 13b) Jesus – Greek form of Hebrew name Joshua – Means “the Lord of salvation” Instead of welcoming Him, the nation rejected Him – “He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him” (John 1:11) – They wanted a political or military deliverer – Not prepared to accept One Who came to confront their sin and deliver them from it – You handed him over to be killed and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go Peter boldly confronts his hearers with the enormity of their sin in executing their Messiah – Only those who see themselves as sinners will recognize their need for a Savior Jesus. You handed him over to be killed and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. (Acts 3:13b)

8. Holy and Righteous One (v. 14) To emphasize their guilt, Peter repeats the charge – They disowned Jesus – The disowned the Holy and Righteous One – They asked that a murderer be released to them Hagios (Holy) means to be separated to God Holy One is a messianic title – Psalm 16 – “For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol; neither will you allow your Holy One to undergo decay.” Dikaios (Righteous) – means innocent of any crime – They chose the guilty murderer, Barrabas, over their innocent Messiah You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. (Acts 3:14)

9. Author of Life (vv. 15-17) Peter has been presenting a series of paradoxes – Jesus was a servant, but God exalted Him – Jesus was their deliverer, but the nation delivered Him to Pilate – They rejected the Holy and Righteous One in favor of an unholy, unjust murderer – Greatest paradox – they killed the author of life, while asking for the release of one who took life You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It was Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see. Now brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. (Acts 3:15- 17)

10. Author of Life (VV. 15-17) But God raised him from the dead – The death of the author of life is not the end – Peter and John were witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection The people’s guilt was enormous, but their murder was unsuccessful – Jesus was alive – The miracle of the healing of the crippled man was done on the basis of faith in the name of Jesus – Faith of Peter and John in the name of Jesus, not faith of the beggar, resulted in his healing Healed beggar was living proof that the nation’s evaluation of Jesus was wrong

11. Author of Life (VV. 15-17) Peter offers the people hope (vv. 17-18) Now brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders Addresses them as brothers – Identifies with them as fellow Jews – Places himself on their level showing his love and concern for them Offers the possibility of forgiveness because they acted in ignorance – Jesus prayed for those who crucified Him, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34) None are beyond the reach of God’s grace, if they repent and turn to Christ

12. Christ (v. 18) The people’s rejection and execution of the Messiah had not thwarted God’s plan God had foretold through all the prophets that his Christ would suffer Those prophecies had been fulfilled But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer. (Acts 3:18)

13. Conclusion Peter portrays our Lord as: – Servant – Jesus (Savior) – Holy and Righteous One – Author of Life – Christ (Messiah) Convicted his hearers of disowning, denying, and executing Him “What shall we do?” (Acts 2:37) Peter gives the answer in the second part of his sermon