Sermon notes

Jesus shows His power to save by healing a lame man Key question: Why does God heal? Similar structure to Pentecost; the event v1-10, the explanation/interpretation v11-16, and the appeal v17-26. 'Peter preaches Jesus as the exalted servant who fulfills God's promise and so possesses the power to heal this lame man...the speech relies heavily on the Torah...the opportunity is presented to enter into the era that prophets promised would come one day...failure to respond leaves them culpable before God, for they risk failing to heed the prophet like Moses' (Bock, p165) 1. Jesus heals a lame man, through Peter (v1-10) A specific example of the signs and wonders mentioned in chapter 2 . The particulars matter; a particular person, particular time, and place. These details are known and matter. Local, at the end of the day, is all there is. The desire to live in abstraction is part of the desire to 'be like God'. 3pm also the time for the afternoon Tamid offering (continual burnt offering), Exodus 29.39; Numbers 28.3-4. One of the two main prayer times - the other was 9am (Daniel 9.21). This is the same time - 3pm - that Cornelius has his vision. God uses formal structures; don't bin them! The lame man comes out now since he knows there will be a crowd. Beautiful Gate - 75 foot high, covered in brass, with huge double doors. We're told Peter touched this poor man; v7 says Peter took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his ankles and feet were made strong. God uses us as means when he heals; our prayers, our faith, and our touch of another. So many of Jesus' healings involved touching one who was suffering. We have a bit of a cultural blindspot for touch, and so we often don't register this when we read. But it's part of being re-made as humans, that touch is redeemed and restored. True and instantaneous healing. His helplessness had been emphasised. A 'new creation' of muscle, nerves, etc. Even perfect surgery would have then needed months of physio etc. Jesus is the healer ( Acts 4.10 ). Vindicating His message. Just as signs and wonders accompany the key turning points of Scripture (cf all the demon-possessed incidents in the gospels; a Biblical-theological cluster). v8 he entered the temple with them. This healing enables the man to walk into the temple properly for the first time! Leviticus 21.17-20 , 2 Samuel 5.8 . This really is a miracle (hence why it's recorded, they weren't naieve, they knew the laws of nature; eyewitness that could have been refuted/discredited; none of the weirdness of myths/legends - this is so good; God is outside the box). The question is, what does it mean? Metaphorically, this man visually receives an entirely new life through Jesus' Name. Rolling back the screen to glimpse the Kingdom of Jesus. Compare the prophecy, 'the lame shall leap like a deer' Isaiah 35.1-10. 2. Peter explains that it is the risen Lord Jesus who has healed him, through faith (v11-16) v12 just like at Pentecost, Peter's speech originates with a need to correct a misunderstanding; why do you marvel at this, as though by our power or piety we healed him?! If you know about Jesus, you would get this. Credit where credit is due. 'If one understands where Jesus is and what His exalted position means, then one can understand the healing.' His ascension/exaltation the link between Christology and eschatology (i.e. this 'end times' healing). Most remarkable feature of Peter's sermon, like his first, is the Christ-centredness. v12 power or piety; the two things we latch onto and trust in. v13 quotation of Exodus (Moses' call from the burning bush) The Jewish leaders might have started the process (of rejecting the Christ), but the crowds certainly approved it. But, what 'you all' approved (v13-15) can be reversed (v25-26), so there is no anti-semitism here. Anyway, Peter identifies himself with them; the God of our fathers, etc. v15 so there are 4 charges; they handed Jesus over, they disowned Him before Pilate; they asked for a murderer instead of the Author of life; and they killed Him (through their actions). v16 faith in 'His Name' 3. Jesus' rule is what the whole Bible is about - so turn back to him (v17-26) v17-26 Biblical theology. Following it protects us from missing the whole point, and just doing 'classic fm theology.' Let's learn from Acts how to handle the OT. 'Ignorance'; not ignorance of a lack of opportunity to understand what they truly were doing in crucifying Jesus, but ignorance in failing to perceive with understanding. cf much of the church in the west might be called ignorant; not perceiving with understanding (although they have the chance if they would earnestly search the Scriptures). This healing gives them another chance to understand and respond rightly (as every sermon does). v18 Biblical theology; what God promised, He fulfilled. Again in v22 quotation from Moses. And again v24-26. v19-21 note sequence of 'that' link word ( ὅπως); repent, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send His Christ. Forgiveness and times of refreshing lead to the return of Christ. Refreshing; like rest, or relief. In OT, relief from plague of frogs. Soothing. Enter into the age of rest given by the Messiah through His Spirit. 'Come to me, all you who are weary...' 'Peter is urging repentance so that one can participate in God's entire planned program from start to finish...' 'with His return comes "the seasons of the restoration of all things...this restoration is what Jesus brings with His return, an idea given later development in Revelation 19-22 but whose roots Peter declares here are already evident in that "of which God spoke through the holy prophets of old."' (Bock, p177) v26 God sent Him to you first. In what sense is it to the Jew first? [cf Bock & Glaser volume] 'the "new" faith is actually very old, rooted in promises that go back to the beginning of God's work in the world.' (Bock, p158) v24 Peter links from Moses/Torah onward. Samuel evokes the anointed David's reign, and the looking-forward to great David's greater Son. v25 quoting Genesis 22.18 ; his point here is that God's promises were made to and for Israel first of all ( Acts 13.46 ; Romans 1.16-17 ; Romans 2.9-10 ). All the 'families' of the earth; people groups/tribes. Summary: three blessings in v19-21; forgiveness, times of refreshing, and participation in the Messiah's return. Stott called them total forgivenss, spiritual refreshment, and universal restoration. In Peter's speech, Jesus is: the servant; the Holy and Righteous One; the Author of Life; the prophet like Moses; the Christ; the seed of Abraham. How many names for Jesus come to your mind? Our danger is that He's basically only 'the lamb', or even simply, 'the substitute.' How rich is your Christ? As rich as the NT says? Enjoy His richness! The authentic Messiah is the suffering Messiah, as the OT foretold (and cf 1 Peter 1.10-12 ). And also see Matthew 13.17 ; we are living in the age which prophets of old longed to see. Context is parable of the sower (and the weeds too) Matthew 13.1-25 Conclusion Note irony; an immobile man serves to spark the great mobility of the gospel.

notes

Look-up

NT

Acts 3:1-26

na28

3 1 Πέτρος δὲ καὶ Ἰωάννης ἀνέβαινον εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν ἐπὶ τὴν ὥραν τῆς προσευχῆς τὴν ἐνάτην. 2 καί τις ἀνὴρ χωλὸς ἐκ κοιλίας μητρὸς αὐτοῦ ὑπάρχων ἐβαστάζετο, ὃν ἐτίθουν καθʼ ἡμέραν πρὸς τὴν θύραν τοῦ ἱεροῦ τὴν λεγομένην Ὡραίαν τοῦ αἰτεῖν ἐλεημοσύνην παρὰ τῶν εἰσπορευομένων εἰς τὸ ἱερόν• 3 ὃς ἰδὼν Πέτρον καὶ Ἰωάννην μέλλοντας εἰσιέναι εἰς τὸ ἱερόν, ἠρώτα ἐλεημοσύνην λαβεῖν. 4 ἀτενίσας δὲ Πέτρος εἰς αὐτὸν σὺν τῷ Ἰωάννῃ εἶπεν• βλέψον εἰς ἡμᾶς. 5 ὁ δὲ ἐπεῖχεν αὐτοῖς προσδοκῶν τι παρʼ αὐτῶν λαβεῖν. 6 εἶπεν δὲ Πέτρος• ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον οὐχ ὑπάρχει μοι, ὃ δὲ ἔχω τοῦτό σοι δίδωμι• ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Ναζωραίου [ἔγειρε καὶ] περιπάτει. 7 καὶ πιάσας αὐτὸν τῆς δεξιᾶς χειρὸς ἤγειρεν αὐτόν• παραχρῆμα δὲ ἐστερεώθησαν αἱ βάσεις αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ σφυδρά, 8 καὶ ἐξαλλόμενος ἔστη καὶ περιεπάτει καὶ εἰσῆλθεν σὺν αὐτοῖς εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν περιπατῶν καὶ ἁλλόμενος καὶ αἰνῶν τὸν θεόν. 9 καὶ εἶδεν πᾶς ὁ λαὸς αὐτὸν περιπατοῦντα καὶ αἰνοῦντα τὸν θεόν• 10 ἐπεγίνωσκον δὲ αὐτὸν ὅτι αὐτὸς ἦν ὁ πρὸς τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην καθήμενος ἐπὶ τῇ ὡραίᾳ πύλῃ τοῦ ἱεροῦ καὶ ἐπλήσθησαν θάμβους καὶ ἐκστάσεως ἐπὶ τῷ συμβεβηκότι αὐτῷ. 11 Κρατοῦντος δὲ αὐτοῦ τὸν Πέτρον καὶ τὸν Ἰωάννην συνέδραμεν πᾶς ὁ λαὸς πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τῇ στοᾷ τῇ καλουμένῃ Σολομῶντος ἔκθαμβοι. 12 ἰδὼν δὲ ὁ Πέτρος ἀπεκρίνατο πρὸς τὸν λαόν• ἄνδρες Ἰσραηλῖται, τί θαυμάζετε ἐπὶ τούτῳ ἢ ἡμῖν τί ἀτενίζετε ὡς ἰδίᾳ δυνάμει ἢ εὐσεβείᾳ πεποιηκόσιν τοῦ περιπατεῖν αὐτόν; 13 ὁ θεὸς Ἀβραὰμ καὶ [ὁ θεὸς] Ἰσαὰκ καὶ [ὁ θεὸς] Ἰακώβ, ὁ θεὸς τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν, ἐδόξασεν τὸν παῖδα αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦν ὃν ὑμεῖς μὲν παρεδώκατε καὶ ἠρνήσασθε κατὰ πρόσωπον Πιλάτου, κρίναντος ἐκείνου ἀπολύειν• 14 ὑμεῖς δὲ τὸν ἅγιον καὶ δίκαιον ἠρνήσασθε καὶ ᾐτήσασθε ἄνδρα φονέα χαρισθῆναι ὑμῖν, 15 τὸν δὲ ἀρχηγὸν τῆς ζωῆς ἀπεκτείνατε ὃν ὁ θεὸς ἤγειρεν ἐκ νεκρῶν, οὗ ἡμεῖς μάρτυρές ἐσμεν. 16 καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ πίστει τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ τοῦτον ὃν θεωρεῖτε καὶ οἴδατε, ἐστερέωσεν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἡ πίστις ἡ διʼ αὐτοῦ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ τὴν ὁλοκληρίαν ταύτην ἀπέναντι πάντων ὑμῶν. 17 Καὶ νῦν, ἀδελφοί, οἶδα ὅτι κατὰ ἄγνοιαν ἐπράξατε ὥσπερ καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες ὑμῶν• 18 ὁ δὲ θεός, ἃ προκατήγγειλεν διὰ στόματος πάντων τῶν προφητῶν παθεῖν τὸν χριστὸν αὐτοῦ, ἐπλήρωσεν οὕτως. 19 μετανοήσατε οὖν καὶ ἐπιστρέψατε εἰς τὸ ἐξαλειφθῆναι ὑμῶν τὰς ἁμαρτίας, 20 ὅπως ἂν ἔλθωσιν καιροὶ ἀναψύξεως ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ κυρίου καὶ ἀποστείλῃ τὸν προκεχειρισμένον ὑμῖν χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν, 21 ὃν δεῖ οὐρανὸν μὲν δέξασθαι ἄχρι χρόνων ἀποκαταστάσεως πάντων ὧν ἐλάλησεν ὁ θεὸς διὰ στόματος τῶν ἁγίων ἀπʼ αἰῶνος αὐτοῦ προφητῶν. 22 Μωϋσῆς μὲν εἶπεν ὅτι προφήτην ὑμῖν ἀναστήσει κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὑμῶν ἐκ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ὑμῶν ὡς ἐμέ• αὐτοῦ ἀκούσεσθε κατὰ πάντα ὅσα ἂν λαλήσῃ πρὸς ὑμᾶς. 23 ἔσται δὲ πᾶσα ψυχὴ ἥτις ἐὰν μὴ ἀκούσῃ τοῦ προφήτου ἐκείνου ἐξολεθρευθήσεται ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ. 24 καὶ πάντες δὲ οἱ προφῆται ἀπὸ Σαμουὴλ καὶ τῶν καθεξῆς ὅσοι ἐλάλησαν καὶ κατήγγειλαν τὰς ἡμέρας ταύτας. 25 ὑμεῖς ἐστε οἱ υἱοὶ τῶν προφητῶν καὶ τῆς διαθήκης ἧς διέθετο ὁ θεὸς πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας ὑμῶν λέγων πρὸς Ἀβραάμ• καὶ ἐν τῷ σπέρματί σου [ἐν-]ευλογηθήσονται πᾶσαι αἱ πατριαὶ τῆς γῆς. 26 ὑμῖν πρῶτον ἀναστήσας ὁ θεὸς τὸν παῖδα αὐτοῦ ἀπέστειλεν αὐτὸν εὐλογοῦντα ὑμᾶς ἐν τῷ ἀποστρέφειν ἕκαστον ἀπὸ τῶν πονηριῶν ὑμῶν.

na28

lookup