Monday 20 April 2015

Psalm: Psalm 140

Background

In the previous verses Peter and John had healed a crippled man(Acts 3:1-10); the passages over the next fewdays recount 'what happened next'.

In today's passage the action takes place in Solomon's Portico.This was a covered walkway that ran down the eastern side of theCourt of the Gentiles, within the Temple precincts.This court was avery busy area and was as far into the Temple as Gentiles,non-Jews, were allowed to go.

The man, who had been lame from birth and who was well known,clung to the two disciples while other visitors to the Temple rantowards them to see what had happened. It is not hard to imaginethat this healing event caused a great deal of commotion witheveryone trying to catch a glimpse of the healed man and of thosewho seemed responsible for his healing. There would have been muchconjecture as to how he had been healed.

Peter explained to the people that the man had not been healedbecause of their power or magic (verse 12), but by God through thepower of the name of Jesus and through faith in him. Peter pointedout that this is the same God that they worshipped, the God oftheir ancestors (verse 13). He also pointed out that this is thesame Jesus whom they had chosen to have crucified, allowing aconvicted murderer to be released instead (verses 13-15).

In the ancient world it was believed that someone's name carriedtheir authority. Peter made it clear that Jesus' name had the fullauthority of God. Peter is also clear that, although Jesus had beenkilled, God had raised him from the dead and that he was stillactive in the world.

Peter also said that in crucifying Jesus  the Israeliteshad acted in ignorance (verse 17) and that Jesus' death had beenforetold in their Scriptures, the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament(verse 18).

The offer of forgiveness from God for all their sins is heldout, all that they needed to do was to "repent" (v. 19), to turnagain, back to God.

To Ponder

• Peter is quick to make sure that God gets the credit for thehealing and not himself. How do you ensure you give all the gloryto God?

• Peter says that they are witnesses of Jesus' resurrection. Howeasy or difficult do you find it to be a witness to what you knowof Jesus? What helps or hinders you?

• Have you consciously repented of something and turned back toGod? What helped you to do this? How did you feelafterwards? 

Bible notes' author: The Revd Ros Watson