How many times have we been faced with a situation where an entire family -- all our kindred -- have come against us? This was the situation for Peter and John, who had went together into the temple at the hour of prayer at the ninth hour. (Acts 3:1) While there, a certain man lame from his birth was laid daily at the gate of the temple -- called Beautiful. The man would ask alms of them that entered into the temple. Upon seeing Peter and John, the man asks them for alms. What did Peter say?
After asking the man to "look on us," Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee; In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." (Acts 3:6) In so doing, Peter takes the man by the right hand and lifting him up; immediately, his feet and ankle bones received strength. This led to all the people being filled with wonder and amazement -- "greatly wondering!" (Acts 3:1-11)
When Peter saw this, he answered unto the people, "Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? Or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? The God of Abraham, and of Isaac; and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified His Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied Him in the presence of Pilate, when He was determined to let [Him] go. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you. and killed the Prince of Life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses." (Acts 3:12-13)
For clarity, Jesus had earlier accused the Pharisees of sitting in Moses' seat, binding heavy burdens that were grievous, laying them on men's shoulders, whilst loving the praise of men. (Matthew 23:1-3; Matthew 23:32; Luke 11:46; Acts 15:10)
From the Old Testament (which the Pharisees should have known), Ezra, "after the wisdom of thy God that is in thine hand set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God, and teach ye them that know them not ... to beautify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem." (Ezra 7:6, 10, 25-28; Ezra. 6:11, 22; Ezra 5:5; Ezra 9:9; Deuteronomy 16:18) But I digress somewhat. Continuing in Acts 3, Peter goes on to say:
"And His Name through faith in His Name -- hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know; yea, the faith which is by Him hath given him this perfect soundness in the present of you all. And now brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all His prophets, that Christ should suffer, He hath so fulfilled." (Acts 3:16)
"Repent, ye therefore, and be converted that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord, and He shall send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you." (Acts 3:19; Psalms 51:9; Acts 2:38)
"And His Name through faith in His Name -- hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know; yea, the faith which is by Him hath given him this perfect soundness in the present of you all. And now brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all His prophets, that Christ should suffer, He hath so fulfilled." (Acts 3:16)
This man lame from birth for forty years had faith in His Name -- the precious, holy Name of the Lord Jesus. And as Peter said, "And His Name through faith in His Name" is the Holy One that made this man strong. This same Jesus that the Pharisees had denied -- the Holy One and the Just, the Prince of life -- instead desiring the release of a murderer. (Acts 3:16; Acts 2:36)
Did Peter stop there? Of course not. Peter continued saying that through ignorance the Pharisees and rulers had condemned Jesus to death -- even though God had showed them by the mouth of all His prophets that Christ should suffer. And that Christ should suffer, and that He should be the first to rise from the dead, and should shew the light unto the people and to the Gentiles. (Acts 26:22-23)
"Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory?" (Luke 24:26-27) "For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew Him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning Him. And though they found no cause of death [in Him], yet desired they Pilate that He should be slain. (Acts 13:27-28)
But even though these did not know Jesus (herein, the Pharisees and the rulers) Peter was re-confirming that they still had an opportunity to repent and be converted -- so that their sins may be blotted out. Like Jesus, who said from the cross -- "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34) So Peter continues (as he did with the eleven on the day of Pentecost):
"Repent, ye therefore, and be converted that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord, and He shall send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you." (Acts 3:19; Psalms 51:9; Acts 2:38)
That when ye repent and be converted (water baptism in the Name of the Lord Jesus -- so that your sins may be blotted out)then shall the times of refreshing come from the presence of the Lord, and He shall send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you.
"Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, "A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; Him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever He shall say unto you.
And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. (I Samuel 3:20; Acts 13:20)
"Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, "A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; Him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever He shall say unto you.
And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. (I Samuel 3:20; Acts 13:20)
Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, "And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed." (Genesis 12:3; Genesis 22:18; Acts 2:39) Unto you first God, and having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from His iniquities." (Acts 3:1-26; Matthew 1:21; Acts 3:22)
Who was that prophet -- His holy prophet that the Lord your God shall raise up? Who is the Him that we need to hear in all things, and whatsoever He shall say unto you?
As the angel of the Lord said, "And ye shall call His Name JESUS for He shall save His people from their sins ... Emmanuel, being interpreted, God with us." (Matthew 1:21-23)
Stay tuned for the next post when we read how the captain of the temple, the priests, and the Sadducees also came against Peter and John, being grieved that they taught the people, preaching through Jesus the resurrection of the dead.
Stand in the offering plate.
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