Peter Preaches in the Temple Square (Acts 3:11–26)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, April 21, 2024

How many of you put together puzzles?

Can anyone here put together puzzles with 500 pieces? How about 1000 pieces? How about more than 1000 pieces?

Is it frustrating when you get everything together and then you are missing one piece?

So, my question for you is this: Do you have Jesus? Do you have the right piece in place? Where are you in your relationship with Christ? Today, we are going to look at Peter’s second sermon in the book of Acts. In this sermon, we find out that the Jewish people of the day were missing the main piece of their historic Jewish faith. Jesus is the One the prophesies were about. Jesus was the one that Moses prophesied about. Jesus is the one they killed. Peter challenges the Jewish people to believe and accept Jesus as Lord.

As we look at this passage, we should notice how Peter takes an event and makes a beeline for Jesus. In college, I was taught someone once said we, as preachers, should take a text and make a beeline to Jesus. That is what Peter is doing now. He is proclaiming Jesus as the prophesied Messiah.

Allow me to give some context to this passage: We have already been through Pentecost. At Pentecost, in Acts chapter 2, the Holy Spirit came upon the church in mighty power. They saw tongues, like fire, resting on each one of them. They heard a violent wind. Peter preached, and 3000 people were saved. Then, we saw an amazing example of the early church’s fellowship. We saw this in Acts 2:42-47. We saw that the early church had self-sacrificial fellowship as they were involved in evangelism, discipleship, worship, and ministry. Then, last week, we talked about Peter and James healing a lame beggar. This man had been lame his entire life, and now he is over forty years old (Acts 4:22). This brings us to where we are at now. Peter will now respond to all the people looking at them because of this miracle. Let’s read the passage.

Acts 3:11–26 (ESV)

¹¹ While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s. ¹² And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? ¹³ The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. ¹⁴ But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, ¹⁵ and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. ¹⁶ And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.

¹⁷ “And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. ¹⁸ But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. ¹⁹ Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, ²⁰ that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, ²¹ whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. ²² Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. ²³ And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’ ²⁴ And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. ²⁵ You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ ²⁶ God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.”

1. In verses 11-16, Peter explains the miracle.
   1. In verse 12, the formerly lame beggar is still holding on to Peter and John. They had gone into the Temple, and now they are back outside of what is called Solomon’s Colonnade.
   2. In verse 12, Peter affirms they did not have the power or godliness to bring this healing.
   3. Peter could have participated in the worship, and he could have allowed them to worship him, but he didn’t. He gave glory to Christ.
   4. In verse 13 notice how Peter appeals to the God of the Jewish lineage. He says the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He says the God of our Fathers. This is a Jewish audience, and he talks to them that way.
   5. I notice in verse 13 he says that God, the Father, glorified Jesus.
   6. Then Peter starts pointing the finger, and rightfully so. Peter starts telling them that they had Jesus crucified.
   7. In verses 13-14, Peter tells them that they disowned Jesus. They gave Him over to Pilate and allowed a murderer to be released. I think that most of you know this story, so I don’t think I need to walk through it right now. But know that Israel crucified her own Messiah!
   8. But do notice that Peter calls Jesus, the Holy and Righteous One. This was a common Jewish phrase for the Messiah. Holy One and Righteous One are messianic terms (cf. Isa. 53:11; Mark 1:24).^[1]
   9. In verse 15, Peter appeals to the resurrection. Peter says that they (you) killed the author of life, but God raised Him from the dead.
   10. Notice that Peter calls Jesus the author of Life. We must ask if we are trusting Jesus as the author of life. The Scriptures affirm that Jesus created us in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139).
       1. Trusting in Jesus as the author of life must shape how we view life.
       2. We will view all life as valuable.
       3. We will view war as a greater tragedy since Jesus is the author of life.
       4. We will view abortion as a great tragedy as well.
       5. We will trust and obey what Christ teaches since He is the author of life, He must know what is best.
   11. In verses 17-26, Peter exhorts them to repent and trust in Christ Jesus.
   12. Peter affirms this was done out of ignorance (verse 17). Sometimes, we take it as an insult if someone calls us ignorant, but I do not think we should in this case. In this case, Peter is softening things. Peter started out this sermon strongly stating they were the ones who crucified Jesus, using “us” and “them” language. Now, Peter affirms this was not entirely their fault.
   13. In my studies, I read that sins of ignorance could be forgiven with sacrifices on the “Day of Atonement” in the Old Testament. So, Peter is once again appealing to their Jewish heritage.
   14. Peter exhorts they should believe and trust in Jesus now as it is for their redemption and cleansing from sin (verse 19).
   15. Notice the word “repent,” which Peter uses. To “repent” means to change our minds. It also implies changing our behavior. We must change our minds and behavior, which reflects patterns or trends. As we repent to follow Christ, the patterns or trends of our lives are reflected in a life after Jesus.
   16. Notice also that Peter says their sins will be “wiped out.”
   17. Think of the image of a chalkboard with all your sins listed on it, and when you repent and give your life to Jesus, they are wiped away. Psalm 103:12 says our sins are as far as the east is from the west.
   18. As a believer in Christ, you can do nothing to bring those sins back. Allow yourself to be forgiven and be comforted that God has forgiven you!
   19. Peter affirms this was all God’s Divine plan, as the prophets have said (verses 18-26).
       1. Verse 18 and the crucifixion.
       2. Verse 26 and the resurrection.
       3. Verse 21 and the present ministry of Jesus in Heaven.
       4. Verse 20 and Jesus’s second coming.
2. This passage helps hurting people:
   1. This passage can help hurting people when we see that God is not limited.
   2. This was the follow-up to an amazing miracle. A man born lame and over forty years old walks and is right in front of them. Throughout this sermon, they can see proof of what God did.
   3. Where is our hurt?
   4. Where do we need God to help us? Don’t limit Him. Trust that He can help us as well. He is the author of life.

Close:

Going back to the puzzle illustration, do you have the right piece? I read the following:

The Sunflower is probably the most amazing flower God created. They literally follow the sun. I don’t know about you, but one of the most amazing things I have seen is a field of sunflowers. Watching one follow the sun through is cute. Watching hundreds in absolute unison follow the sun is quite incredible. I recently discovered that Sunflowers continue tracking the sun’s direction long after the sun sets. Through 360 degrees, they ensure that they are always oriented in the direction of the sun. Their unity is totally dependent on one thing –their relationship to the sun.

How is our relationship with the Son? How is our relationship with Jesus?

Do you know Jesus?

God created us to be with him. (Genesis 1-2)

Our sin separated us from God. (Genesis 3)

Sins cannot be removed by good deeds (Gen 4-Mal 4)

Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. (Matthew – Luke)

Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life. (John – Jude)

Life that’s eternal means we will be with Jesus forever. (Revelation 22:5)

Pray

^[1] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2086.