Just As He Said
Opening Prayer
Good Lord, give me eyes to see You, ears to hear You and a spirit to obey You today.
Read Acts 3:11-26
[11]
Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.
Meditate
“…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6). What purpose and confidence this truth can give us!
Think Further
For Peter’s first listeners, his speeches were truly shocking. They centered on Jesus the Messiah whose death and resurrection were foretold in their scriptures and who now was declared Lord and Christ. Outrageous! A suffering Messiah? Yet Peter consistently argued that his hearers had not understood their own Scriptures. Today’s section is a great example of the unity of Scripture and of fulfillment of God’s purposes in history.
Let us look at Peter’s main points. “The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers” (13) contains echoes from Exodus. The phrase “has glorified his servant Jesus” (13) makes reference to Isaiah’s Servant songs (Isa. 42:1-4; 49:1-6; 50:4-11; 52:13–53:12). “You disowned the Holy and Righteous One” (14) uses the language of the psalmists and Isaiah. “This is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets” (18) makes the point clearly. Verses 22 and 24 add Moses and Samuel to the argument. To tie it all together, Peter proclaims that the foundational promise to Abraham was now fulfilled in Jesus. “All peoples on earth will be blessed” (25).
Followers of King Jesus are caught up in this remarkable story, too. God is fulfilling his purposes, declared across centuries and now realized in Christ. As Peter highlights, God is fulfilling his program of refreshment and restoration (19,21). Peter describes the result of the healing with an unusual word: the beggar had been “made strong,” a word for complete wholeness (16). This represents a small foretaste of what God will ultimately do for the entire universe. How wonderful that God’s purpose through Jesus is not only to restore us, but to bring everything in the created order to unity and completeness (21; 2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:1).
Apply
Pray for times of refreshment for you and for your church, as you anticipate the final day of restoration!
Closing prayer
Lord Jesus, I know I am not what I was, but I also know I am not all that I should be. Continue to mold me after Your will.
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