The Book of Acts
Peter’s Second Sermon
Text:
Acts 3:12-26
This sermon is similar to the sermon on Pentecost but different in
some important ways. In both Peter proclaims the truth, backs it up
with Old Testament scripture, and then calls for repentance. In
this sermon, he more clearly defines who Jesus is: the servant of
God, the holy and righteous one, the author of life, and the prophet
like Moses.
Verse 12
Acts 3:12
“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?’ ”
NKJV
As the people ran to Peter and John, Peter asked them, “Why are you
amazed at this?” They had witnessed the sick being healed by Jesus
in Jerusalem. He said that it wasn’t because of John’s and his
holiness or godliness that had healed the lame man.
Verse 13
Acts 3:13
“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.”
NKJV
Peter reviewed how the Jews had treated Jesus. He first described
who God is and then described Jesus as His Servant. Peter wanted
his listeners to recognize that this Jesus was the Servant about who
was prophesied. (Isaiah
53:3)
“He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted
with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was
despised, and we did not esteem Him.”
NKJV
While Jehovah glorified Jesus, (Acts
2:32-34)
“This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.
Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having
received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured
out this which you now see and hear. For David did not ascend into
the heavens but he says himself: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at
My right hand,’”
NKJV
the Jews delivered Him to Pilate and denied Him. (Matthew
27:22-23)
“Pilate said to them, ‘What then shall I do with Jesus who is called
Christ?’ They all said to him, ‘Let Him be crucified!’ Then the
governor said, ‘Why, what evil has He done?’ But they cried out all
the more saying, ‘Let Him be crucified!’ ”
NKJV
Verse 14
Acts 3:14
“But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer
to be granted to you.”
NKJV
The Jews disowned Jesus, the Holy and Just One [the perfect and
innocent One]. They demanded He be crucified and asked for
Barabbas, a murderer, to be released! Note : (Acts
4:27-28)
“For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both
Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of
Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your
purpose determined before to be done.”
NKJV
Verse 15
Acts 3:15
“and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of
which we are witnesses.”
NKJV
The Jews had put to death the Prince of Life [the author of life or
the One who gives life]. (John
6:35, 58)
“And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to
Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never
thirst.’
58
‘This is the bread which came down from heaven – not as your fathers
ate the manna and are dead. He who eats this bread will live
forever.’”
NKJV
Jehovah had raised Him from the dead. Note: (Acts
2:23-24)
“Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of
God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to
death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because
it was not possible that He should be held by it.”
NKJV
Note that Peter wanted his listeners to know that they were guilty
and would be convicted of their sins. This must happen before
conversion can occur. (II
Corinthians 7:9-11)
“Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow
led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that
you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces
repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow
of the world produces death. For observe this very thing, that you
sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what
clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement
desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved
yourselves to be clear in this matter.”
NKJV
Verse 16
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.”
NKJV
Peter made it clear that this lame man was not healed through the
authority of Peter and John, but through the authority of Jesus
alone. The lame man did not need to have faith, but Peter and John
did. (Matthew
17:14-21)
Since the man had been healed in the name of Jesus, then Jesus must
be the Messiah.
Verse 17
Acts 3:17
“Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also
your rulers.”
NKJV
Their ignorance did not make them less guilty, but it did give them
hope.
Note: (Hebrews
10:26-27)
“For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the
truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain
fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will
devour the adversaries.”
NKJV
Verse 18
Acts 3:18
“But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His
prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.”
NKJV
Their prophets, especially Isaiah, had foretold that the Messiah
would indeed have to suffer. (Isaiah
52 and 53)
Also (Psalm
22)
This suffering was fulfilled in Jesus.
Verse 19
Acts 3:19
“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.”
NKJV
Before Peter began listing many of the prophets by name, he called
upon the people to repent and return to God. Both repent and return
are in the active voice. [It was something that they had to do
themselves.] It is the imperative mood. [It was a command]. “Blot
out” is to wipe away. (Colossians
2:14)
“having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against
us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way,
having nailed it to the cross.”
NKJV
(Revelation
3:5)
“He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not
blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name
before My Father and before His angels.”
NKJV
In comparing
Acts 2:38
“Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be
baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and
you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’ ”
NKJV
and
Acts 3:19,
one sees that being baptized is an essential part of returning to
God. “Times of refreshing – We shall receive spiritual blessings
from the Lord starting with forgiveness of sins.
Verse 20
Acts 3:20
“and that He may; send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you
before,”
NKJV
Another blessing that awaits the faithful child of God is the second
coming of Christ. Christ was appointed or ordained to be the
Messiah before the world began. (Ephesians
3:10-11)
“to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made
known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly
places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in
Christ Jesus our Lord,”
NKJV
Verse 21
Acts 3:21
“whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all
things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets
since the world began.”
NKJV
Upon Jesus’ return, all the prophesies of the Messiah would have
been completely fulfilled. All things would finally be made right.
Recall the prophecy of Zacharias in
Luke 1:68-79.
Verses 22-23
Acts 3:22-23
“For Mosses 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. And it shall be that every
soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from
among the people’ ”
NKJV
Peter goes all the way back to Moses’ prophecies concerning the
Messiah in
Deuteronomy 18:15, 18-19. “The Lord your God will raise up for you a
Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall
hear,
18
I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their
brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to
them all that I command Him. And it shall be that whoever will not
hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of
him.”
NKJV
and
Leviticus 23:29.
“For any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall
be cut off from his people.”
NKJV
Jesus had taught the apostles to recognize these prophecies. (Luke
24:44)
“Then He said to them, ‘These are the words which I spoke to you
while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which
were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms
concerning Me.’ ”
NKJV
Verse 24
Acts 3:24
“Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as
many as have spoken, have also foretold these days.”
NKJV
There are well over 300 prophecies in the Old Testament concerning
the Messiah.
Verse 25
Acts 3:25
“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.”
Peter’s listeners were spiritual heirs of the prophets and
inheritors of the Abrahamic covenant. They were blessed by the
coming of the Messiah, the seed. (Galatians
3:16)
“Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not
say, ‘And to seeds,’ as of many, but as of one, ‘And to your Seed,’
who is Christ.”
NKJV
Verse 26
Acts 3:26
“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.”
NKJV
The Jews had been especially blessed because the Messiah was of
Jewish lineage. God had sent the Messiah to turn them from their
wicked ways.
Bobby Stafford
June 7, 2015 [Evening]
Lesson 13
Acts 3:12-26
