Peter has preached the first sermon to a Jewish audience, and 3000 people were added to the church. The church grew daily in uninhibited joy and fellowship. And this chapter offers an example. Let’s take a look.
1) V1-5 – 1One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer – at three in the afternoon. 2Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
As Christians led by the Holy Spirit, Peter and John continued living their devout Jewish lives. In this passage, they headed as usual to the temple for the second of at least three daily prayer services. But on this day, God had scheduled a Divine appointment for them. Crippled from birth and placed, by his caregivers, near the temple entrance called Beautiful, a beggar saw Peter and John and asked them for money. In routine hopelessness, he doesn’t even look up as he begs. But Peter and John looked at him with careful intent, and they told him to look at them. This man needed to expect mercy by looking for it. Are you looking for mercy in your life? Or just going through the motions of hopelessly begging? How are you looking at others, carefully intending to be merciful?
2) V6-10 – 6Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
The beggar had asked for money, but Peter could not give him any. Instead, Peter gave what he had – mercy – something far better for the beggar than money would have been. But Peter didn’t stop with the mercy of miraculous healing; he mercifully extended his hand, helped him up, and accompanied him into the temple courts, where those who saw were amazed. Oftentimes, it is easier to give money, or to do nothing at all, than to give mercy, something better than money. Compare this passage to Luke 10:30-37. Perhaps you’ve heard the proverb, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Who can you teach to fish? To whom can you show mercy?
3) V11-16 – 11While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. 12When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Men of Israel, 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? 13The 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. 14You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15You killed the author of life, but God raised Him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16By 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 given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.”
With the beggar in tow, learning to walk after being born a cripple, Peter saw the gathering crowd as an opportunity to speak the gospel (v11-12). He starts off with a couple of questions: “Why are you surprised? Do you think we healed this man?” Has anyone been surprised by your acts of mercy? By the results of your acts of mercy? How do you give glory to God for the results?
The gospel that Peter begins to speak, earning the right to do so by his merciful deeds, is not all “good news.” It begins with the bad news (v13-15): “You killed the author of life.” None of us have loved God rightly; we are all immoral and idolatrous. And then Peter says, “But God raised Him from the dead.” That’s the beauty of the gospel: “But God.” There are a number of valuable “But God” passages in Scripture. Read these for a sampling: Genesis 8:1; 20:2-3; 41:16; 50:20; 1 Samuel 23:14; Psalm 66:18-20; 73:26; Luke 16:15; Acts 10:28; Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 1:26-28; 3:6; 2 Corinthians 7:5-7; Galatians 3:18-20; Ephesians 2:3-5; Philippians 2:27; Hebrews 3:4; 12:10.
In v16, Peter continues sharing the gospel to the group of Jews that had gathered to see the result of his compassionate act of mercy. Do you have a testimony of “complete healing” – physically and/or spiritually – as a result of faith in the name of Jesus?
4) V17-26 – 17“Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18But this is how God fulfilled what He had foretold through all the prophets, saying that His Christ would suffer. 19Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20and that He may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you – even Jesus. 21He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as He promised long ago through His holy prophets. 22For 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. 23Anyone who does not listen to Him will be completely cut off from among his people.’ 24Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days. 25And 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.’ 26When God raised up His servant, He sent Him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”
In v17-20, we learn to consider that all of us have acted in ignorance in the past; but there comes a time when our ignorance turns into knowledge, and our response is crucial. Peter says, “Repent, then and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” When Peter remarks that God “may send the Christ who has been appointed for you – even Jesus,” Calvin comments, “When Christ shall come to judge the world, you may find Him a redeemer and not a judge” (Acts 17:30-31).
In v21-24, we see that Peter’s gospel message includes the consummation, or the restoration of all things, at which time Christ will return to earth. Until then, as Peter says elsewhere, God is patient (2 Peter 3:9). He quotes the Old Testament Scriptures to confirm his claims, foretelling the last days.
In v25-26, Peter concludes by making the gospel personal for his audience. John Calvin says, “It is not sufficient to have the mercy of God preached unto us generally, unless we also know that the same is offered unto us by the certain ordinance of God.” In other words, talking generally about God’s mercy is good, but proclaiming that God’s mercy is specifically for you is better. Calvin goes on, “Christ was raised up then, when he fulfilled the function enjoined him by his Father, but the same thing is done daily when he is offered by the gospel, that he may excel amongst us.” When we raise up Christ to others, we are striving to bless them by turning them from their wicked ways. How can you bless someone with mercy of God that leads to repentance? We see the results of Peter’s sermon in the next chapter.
Footnotes
- 3:18 Or Messiah; also in verse 20
- 3:23 Deut. 18:15,18,19
- 3:25 Gen. 22:18; 26:4
Bible text from Gospelcom.net. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.