Acts 3:12-16
12 But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why are you staring at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made him walk?
13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His Servant Jesus, the one whom you handed over and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him.
14 But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,
15 but put to death the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses.
16 And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.
Peter’s Second Sermon (2)
Condemnation of sin (v 13b-15a)
“The one whom you handed over and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him.” From here begins the condemnation of the Jews’ sin. The sin of rejecting Jesus. Although Pilate had decided to release Jesus, the Jews refused Him. “But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, but put to death the Prince of life.” This scripture contains three important keywords: (1) “The Holy One” is a term that originates from the prophecy of David (Ps. 16:10) and is used in Jewish texts to refer to God. “The Holy One” indicates the divinity of Christ. (2) “The Righteous One” is a term derived from the prophecy of Isaiah (Isa. 53:11), indicating Christ’s sinless humanity. (3) “The Prince of life” signifies that Jesus is the creator of life. Jesus is the source of life and offers us eternal life. (4) Since the feast was over, the audience consisted mostly of residents of Jerusalem. They too had rejected Jesus and demanded the release of Barabbas. The Jews helped a murderer and killed the one who offers life. This presents a profound irony.
The power of faith (v 15b-16)
“Whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses.” God’s plan surpasses human understanding. He resurrected Jesus from among the dead, and Peter and John are witnesses to this. “And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.” (1) The audience that day became witnesses to the power of the resurrected Jesus. This man was healed by the power of the resurrected Jesus. (2) “On the basis of faith in His name,” this man believed in the name of Jesus. That is, he believed that Jesus is the Messiah. It was by this faith that he was healed. This man was converted. Conversion means returning to one’s original state. For Jews, it means believing in Jesus as the Messiah, and for Gentiles, it means returning to God the Father through Jesus Christ. Let us place our full trust in Jesus Christ, who has resurrected and is alive today.
Today's prayer
Heavenly Father, I thank You that I was given peace with You through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Allow me to continue walking by faith today. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.