By Jay T. Robertson, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Systematic Theology, University of Mobile
PLACED
Acts 3:12–26
You may wonder why you have to sit so long in the waiting room at the doctor’s office or why your granddaughter’s practice is taking forever. We need to remind ourselves that God puts us in the right place at the right time. God places us in positions to share the gospel with the lost around us. In our passage this week, God placed Peter and John in a position to proclaim the good news of Christ.
Recognize (12–16)
As Peter and John were going up to the temple for afternoon prayer, they saw a lame man sitting at the Beautiful Gate begging for money. They didn’t have any money to give the man, but Peter healed the lame man in the name of Jesus Christ. The healing attracted a crowd, and Peter discerned this was a providential opportunity to share about Jesus.
Peter wasn’t promoting himself or even the church in Jerusalem. Peter wanted the people to recognize that it was Jesus who had healed the lame man. And this miracle shouldn’t have come as a surprise to them. Scripture foretold of God sending His Servant to heal, restore and save His people.
Not only should they recognize that Jesus healed the man; they also should recognize they had denied Jesus before Pilate. The apostle who had denied knowing Jesus accused these people of the same thing.
Having been forgiven of his sin of denial, Peter knew there was hope that they too could be forgiven. This hope should compel every Christian to share the gospel with the lost. The covenant-breaking Jews had denied the “Holy and Righteous One,” the very Author of life. But God raised Him from the dead. Jesus was alive and had healed this man. Jesus can forgive them of their sin.
Repent (17–21)
Peter’s sermon pointed to Jesus, highlighted the people’s sin and made an appeal to the people. He was not interested in merely condemning his hearers. He wanted them to repent of their sin and believe in Jesus.
He addressed them as brothers, not as enemies. He acknowledged they had acted in ignorance. Their ignorance did not make them guiltless. Rather, it meant that they were not fully aware of what they were doing, and Peter had been in exactly that category himself when he had denied Christ.
Peter made it clear that they should have known how God had foretold Jesus’ death through all the prophets. On the road to Emmaus, Jesus explained how Moses and the Prophets foretold how the Messiah would suffer (Luke 24:25–27).
Peter called on the people to “repent and turn back” to God. Repentance is a change of thinking that leads to a change of living. They were to turn back to God by trusting His saving promises in Scripture. Then their sin would be totally obliterated, and they would experience seasons of refreshing as they fellowshipped with the Lord.
Remember (22–26)
Peter kept pointing the people back to Scripture. Moses and the prophets had written about the Messiah who would come. Too many people today are saturated with ignorance when it comes to the Word of God.
We need to be nourished by the sound doctrine of Scripture so we can utilize Scripture as we share the gospel of hope with the lost.
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