By Faith in the Name of Jesus

 Acts 3:12-26

Good morning, everyone!  We are picking up at a cliffhanger moment as we go through the second half of chapter 3 in the book of Acts.

We sang the song “Peter and John Went to Pray” already, so you have the background of where events stand going into today’s passage.  At the beginning of Acts 3, Peter and John did go to pray, at the Temple.  They indeed met a man on the way.  The man asked them for money.  Peter told the beggar that they had neither silver nor gold, but that he would give what he did have.  Peter tells the man, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!”  He reached out his hand and grasped the crippled man and pulled him up to his feet.  This man had been lame from birth.  Miraculously, his atrophied bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons are healed and strengthened.  The man follows Peter and John holding on to them while walking and leaping and praising God.  The people in the Temple recognize the man for he had been there begging at the Temple for years.  The people were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to this man.  Word of the miracle spread quickly across the Temple Mount, and people run to Peter and John at an area on the eastern side of the Temple courts called Solomon’s Colonnade.

That is where our passage stopped last Sunday.  Like I said, kind of a cliffhanger moment.  You’re filled with a sense of curiosity and question.  Wait!  What happens next?  Let’s pray and step directly into Acts 3, beginning in verse 12.

God, thank You that You get the blocking right.  Thank You that You work all the circumstances out according to Your plan.  Thank You that Your plan is for us and not against us.  Speak to us through Your Word.  We pray in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Fellow Israelites, 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? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus. … 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 completely healed him, as you can all see.” – Acts 3:12-13, 16

When Peter saw what?  All the people running toward them. He realizes the opportunity to address them all with the gospel, and he speaks to them with humility.  Peter takes no credit for what has happened.  It is the work of God.  It is the power in Jesus’ name.

Remember that Peter is talking to a Jewish audience, so he mentions God as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  The God of our fathers, the Jewish people.  He is the one true God, and He has glorified Jesus.  It may sound strange that Jesus is referred to as God’s servant.  Isn’t Jesus God’s Son?  Yes, yes He is.  And yet, Jesus as God’s Son was totally submissive and obedient.

“Here is My servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear His voice in the streets. A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out, till He has brought justice through to victory. In His name the nations will put their hope." – Matthew 12:18-21 (quoted from Isaiah 42:1-4)

See, My servant will act wisely; He will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. Just as there were many who were appalled at Him--His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and His form marred beyond human likeness—so He will sprinkle many nations. – Isaiah 52:13-15

… being found in appearance as a man, He [Jesus] humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! – Philippians 2:8

Jesus’ humility is amazing.  He is completely obedient to the Father.  In His obedience, He has made salvation possible for all who put their faith in Him. 

Maybe you noticed that I skipped some verses.  Let’s go back and add those back in.

When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Fellow Israelites, 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? 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. 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. We are witnesses of this. 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 completely healed him, as you can all see.” – Acts 3:12-16

The pattern and themes in this exposition by Peter here and in chapter 2 (v. 14-40) are similar.  This was apparently common in the early church because we will see something like it again in chapters 10 and 13 with other hints in chapters 4 and 5.  It starts with (1) an explanation of the events leading to the crucifixion which is followed by (2) the good news of Jesus Christ, His death, resurrection, and exaltation and closes with (3) an exhortation to repentance (v. 19-20).

Peter pulls no punches.  He speaks of what they had done.  Their rejection of Jesus was shocking and complete.  The words of the crowd in Matthew 27:25 can’t be more clear as to what they were thinking.  When Pilate tried to release Jesus, “All the people answered, ’His blood is on us and on our children!’ ”  That’s the truth but is it the end?  Where does Peter go from here?

"Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what He had foretold through all the prophets, saying that His Messiah would suffer. – Acts 3:17-18

Amazingly, God worked through the betrayal of the Jewish people.  We looked at a few verses from the end of Isaiah 52.  In Isaiah 53, we hear more of the suffering servant.  As we are going to move from the message into the communion time, I’m going to close today with portions of Isaiah 53.

But now, how should they respond to the fulfillment of prophecy?

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that He may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you--even Jesus. – Acts 3:19-20

Those who had gotten things so awfully wrong.  The ones who had killed the King of Glory.  Their sins held Him on that cross.  Our sins, too, as I Peter 2:24 reminds us.  “ ‘He himself bore our sins’ in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.”

Peter’s imperative call to the people is interesting.  Repent and turn to God.  In this address, he juxtaposes the thought that there is a turning away from sin (repentance) and a turning to God (faith).  We see can see repentance without faith in scenarios where a person might, for example, turn from an addiction without turning to God.  It is important to see that both are necessary.

I think there cannot be a long term turning from sin unless there is a turning to God.  Otherwise, we don’t experience what Peter says next, “that your sins may be wiped out” and “that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”

The Greek word translated wiped out is not used so often in the Bible.  Colossians 2:14 uses it in a legal sense, saying “having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; He has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.”  Our charge of legal indebtedness has been wiped out completely to the point that the English translation is canceled.  The penalty is completely removed.  Then, the same word is used in Revelation 7:17 and 21:4 where it says Jesus will wipe away every tear from our eyes.  He will wipe away every tear completely.  With that complete care, He also wipes out our sins when we turn from sin and turn to Him.  “He’ll fix everything, and get rid of all sin.  And we’re looking forward to that!”

Heaven must receive Him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as He promised long ago through His holy prophets. For Moses said, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything He tells you. Anyone who does not listen to Him will be completely cut off from their people.' – Acts 3:21-23

Peter explains that Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecies made in relation to Moses, David, and Abraham.  He was to be a prophet like Moses.  Moses was the one who received the Law from God at Mount Sinai.  There was no other prophet quite like Moses.  In fact, he also was extremely humble.  Numbers 12:3 says Moses was more humble than anyone on the face of the earth.  We’ve already established Jesus’ humility.  Jesus too is one to whom it is necessary to listen.  The consequence of not listening to Jesus is serious, to be cut off from the people of God.

"Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets who have spoken have foretold these days. And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, 'Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.' When God raised up His servant, He sent Him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways." – Acts 3:24-26

There are many references to the Lord’s anointed throughout the Old Testament.  Then, there are people who exemplify different attributes of Christ.  Sometimes we talk of people in the Old Testament as forerunners or types of Christ.  Of course, there is no one like Jesus.  He is unique.

Verse 25 quotes from Genesis, both 22:18 and 26:4.  Note offspring here is singular.  It points us to Christ, not a nation of peoples.  Just as Galatians 3:16 tells us,

The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say ‘and to seeds,’ meaning many people, but ‘and to your seed,’ meaning one person, who is Christ. – Galatians 3:16

And so, we come to the end of today’s passage.  We are going to go into a time of communion now.  Jesus Himself instituted what we call the Lord’s Supper. 

The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”  In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” – I Corinthians 11:23-25

As Carl comes up and begins to play, I’m going to read most of Isaiah 53.  You can bow your heads.  After the reading, please pray and prepare your hearts.  When you are ready, come to the table and take the bread and cup back to your seat and when you are ready, eat and drink in remembrance of Jesus.

He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces He was despised, and we held Him in low esteem. Surely He took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered Him punished by God, stricken by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open his mouth; He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away. Yet who of His generation protested? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of My people He was punished. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death, though He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the LORD's will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer, and though the LORD makes His life an offering for sin, He will see his offspring and prolong His days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in His hand. After He has suffered, He will see the light of life and be satisfied; by His knowledge My righteous servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give Him a portion among the great, and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He poured out His life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. – Isaiah 53:2-12