ACTS LESSON 7
We will begin this lesson in Acts 3:13 "The God of Abraham, and of
Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son
Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate,
when he was determined to let [him] go."
In the lesson just before this one, Peter and John had prayed and
healed the lame man in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The mob
ran to them, as if they had done this miraculous healing. Peter
quickly told them that it was not his power, but God's power. Now in
this verse above, Peter is specifically saying what God this is. He
says, you say you worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and
yet you rejected His Son (the Messiah), and you even insisted on
Pilate crucifying Him, when Pilate wanted to release Him. This healing
of the man lame from birth glorifies the name of Jesus Christ of
Nazareth.
Acts 3:14 "But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a
murderer to be granted unto you;"
Peter is giving them the terrible details of their total rejection
of the Saviour of the world, and insisting that Pilate let the
murderer Barabas go instead.
Acts 3:15 "And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised
from the dead; whereof we are witnesses."
Peter is telling them here, that without Jesus there is no
life. Jesus said in John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the
truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." Jesus
is the Life. In Him we live, and breathe, and have our being. Peter,
John, and about 500 other people were eyewitnesses that Jesus rose
again.
Acts 3:16 "And his name through faith in his name hath made this
man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath
given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all."
Again in St. John 14:13 Jesus says, "And whatsoever ye shall ask
in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the
Son." Peter explains that this great miracle done to the man lame from
birth is because Peter and John activated the faith they had in the
name of Jesus Christ, and that power healed this man. These onlookers
here could not deny the miracle of the man walking who had been lame
from birth. This is Christianity in action.
Acts 3:17 "And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did
[it], as [did] also your rulers."
Wot means I know. Here, we see some compassion on Peter's part,
because he had denied Jesus himself. He says, I know you did not
realize who Jesus Christ was the same as the rulers in the church did
not realize, or you would not have killed the King of all glory.
Acts 3:18 "But those things, which God before had shewed by the
mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so
fulfilled."
We see, here, a little remorse even from Peter. He says, the
prophets had told us in the Scriptures, we just didn't see it. Even
Christ had told them He would suffer, but they did not grasp what He
was saying. Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies.
Acts 3:19 "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins
may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the
presence of the Lord;"
This is the first good news that they have heard. There is hope
for them. They must repent of rejecting Jesus as their Saviour. The
most wonderful thing of all is that not only will their sins be
covered over, but that they will be completely done away with (blotted
out). All they have to do is repent and change from not believing in
the name of Jesus to believing. To repent is to change ones mind
completely. To be converted is to be saved. Without repentance and
believing in the name of Jesus Christ, one can not be saved. This
change that takes place that makes a person a new creature in Christ
is not a physical change, but a spiritual change. A person who was
born of the flesh, after conversion is born of the spirit. This
refreshing will come at the presence of the Lord.
Acts 3:20 "And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was
preached unto you:" Acts 3:21 "Whom the heaven must receive until the
times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth
of all his holy prophets since the world began."
Peter, here, is telling them of the second coming of Christ. Jesus
Christ will come in great power and glory. Hebrews 7:25 "Wherefore he
is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him,
seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." You see, Jesus
did not stop working to help His followers when He went to sit at the
right hand of the Father. He speaks on our behalf to the Father
continuously. Jesus promised His followers in Hebrews 13:5 (the last
part), "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." You may read of
His coming with power and great glory in Luke 21:27 "And then shall
they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory."
Acts 3:22 "For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall
the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me;
him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you."
We see, here, Peter explaining exactly which of the prophets
(Moses) has spoken in their Bible that their Messiah would be of their
brethren. You see, even John the Baptist sent word to Jesus and asked
if He were that Prophet that Moses had prophesied would
come. That Prophet was Jesus Christ their Messiah. This prophecy
included the fact that they must hear and believe Messiah.
Acts 3:23 "And it shall come to pass, [that] every soul, which
will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people."
Peter is giving them the bottom line of salvation here. There is
only one way to heaven and it is Jesus Christ. Those who reject Jesus
as their Saviour are lost. As far as God is concerned, there are only
two kinds of people in the world: those who believe in Jesus as their
Saviour and those who don't. Those who do not believe in Jesus will
spend an eternity in hell.
Acts 3:24 "Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that
follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these
days."
Just about every Old Testament Book tells of the coming of the
Lord to die on the cross and save His people. The Old Testament is
full of not only the coming of Jesus as Saviour, but also of His
return to earth as King of kings and Lord of lords.
Acts 3:25 "Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the
covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in
thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed."
All believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are the spiritual seed of
Abraham who was found worthy of God, because he believed. Galatians
3:29 says, "And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and
heirs according to the promise." These people, Peter was speaking
to here, were the physical descendents of Abraham. If they accept
Jesus as their Saviour, they will be the spiritual descendents.
Acts 3:26 "Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus,
sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his
iniquities."
Peter reminds them, here, that Jesus offered salvation to the Jew
first and then to the Gentiles. The Lord only turned to the Gentiles,
after the Jews refused to believe in Him. In Romans 11:11, "I say
then, Have they stumbled that they should fall God forbid: but
rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to
provoke them to jealousy."
This is speaking of the Jews stumbling, so that the Gentiles might
receive the Lord, also.
Notes
Acts 7 Questions
1. In verse 13, whose God did Peter tell them was Jesus' Father?
2. Who believed Jesus and did not want to crucify Him?
3. By what two names is Jesus called in verse 14?
4. Who had these Jews preferred over Jesus?
5. In verse 15, Jesus is called whom?
6. What had Peter and John been witness of?
7. In chapter 14 verse 6, what does Jesus call Himself?
8. Approximately, how many people had seen Jesus alive after the
resurrection?
9. What does Peter say was the power in the healing of the lame man?
10. What is Christianity in action?
11. What does wot mean?
12. Through their ______________, they had doubted.
13. By whom had God told of Jesus' suffering?
14. What is the wonderful promise made that will happen when you
repent and are converted?
15. What must these Jews repent of?
16. Without ______________and _______________in the name of Jesus
Christ, one can not be saved.
17, Becoming a new creature in Christ is what kind of change?
18. When will Jesus return to the earth?
19. When Jesus returns, it will be in great ________________and
_____________.
20. What promise did Jesus make to all of His followers in Hebrews
13:5?
21. In Luke 21:27, how will Jesus come?
22. Which Old Testament prophet said there would be a Prophet raised
up from the people?
23. Who asked if Jesus was that Prophet?
24. What will happen to those who do not believe this Prophet?
25. Which Old Testament prophet was mentioned in verse 24?
26. Through whose seed would all the kindreds of the earth be
blessed?
27. What does Galatians 3:29 tell us of the spiritual descendents of
this man?
28. Who was Jesus sent to first?
29. In Romans 11:11, what is said about the Jew and Gentile?
Notes
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