Thursday 27 April 2017
- Bible Book:
- Acts
Psalm: Psalm 142
Background
The picture of Peter we get in the Gospels is of a man whowanted to match up to the example of Jesus but kept missing themark. In his enthusiasm to speak he didn't always think. Hispassion to walk with his master led him often to put both feet init.
But significantly it put him in the front row.
The picture we get in Acts is a completely different one. Set onfire by the Holy Spirit, Peter is now a confident advocate of a newreality: "this Jesus … raised up".
The way he begins his address, generally understood as the firstChristian sermon, is in itself a testament to the change broughtabout by the coming of the Holy Spirit: "Peter, standing with theeleven, raised his voice and addressed them: 'Men of Judea and allwho live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to whatI say" (v. 14).
If we follow Luke's narrative, Peter had been waiting in theroom barely an hour ago for the promise of Jesus to be fulfilled(Acts 1:8) and now he is addressing a mass ofpeople in the Jewish nation's greatest city. He is not justappealing for their attention, he is commanding it.
If his manner is bold, then the content is staggering. Petertells them that their hero king, David, is nothing more than amouldering pile of bones in a grave (verse 29), but he and thedisciples have been witnesses to something far greater.
He knew that to prove his case he needed witnesses - his owntestimony would not be enough. He calls Scripture to his defence,indeed the very King David he has dismissed as a dead corpse: notas a king but as their greatest Psalmist - using
Peter tells them that what they were witnessing had been God'splan from the start, King David had been in on it and the discipleswere witness.
To Ponder
- How can the Church tread the fine line between boldness andarrogance when preaching the resurrection of Jesus?
- The change in Peter and the disciples was evidence of theSpirit's coming. How do people see the change in your life?