"PETER'S MESSAGE."
Intro. We have been looking at the characteristics of the men that God used in order that we might also be usable. I now want to go back and look at the message that Peter preached to the people.
I. YE MEN OF ISRAEL, WHY MARVEL YE AT THIS?
A. If you are men of Israel, then you must believe in the God of Israel; if you believe in the God of Israel, why would you marvel that a lame man is walking?
1. The God of Israel, is the eternal, almighty God; He is the One who created our bodies. Why should you marvel that He would make a minor adjustment in the lame man's body so as to enable him to walk?
2. The reason they marveled is that they had lost the awareness of the greatness of the God of their fathers.
B. Peter is going to remind them of the greatness of the God that they believed in and worshipped.
C. Peter wants to make sure that they do not think that he had anything to do with this miracle.
II. PETER'S EXPLANATION. "THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, ISSAC, AND JACOB, THE GOD OF OUR FATHERS, HAS GLORIFIED HIS SON JESUS."
A. Jesus had told the disciples, "And whatsoever you shall ask the Father in My name, that will I do, that the Father might be glorified in the Son."
1. As you honor the Father, you honor the Son.
2. As you honor the Son, you honor the Father.
B. How Jesus is praised spontaneously as a miracle is accomplished in His name.
C. Jesus is the reason that this man is walking.
D. What Peter has to say about their relationship with Jesus.
1. You delivered Him up to Pilate.
a. Jesus had prophesied this to His disciples.
MAT 20:17 And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them,
MAT 20:18 Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn Him to death,
MAT 20:19 And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify [him]: and the third day he shall rise again.
2. You denied Him in the presence of Pilate.
a. When Pilate said to them, "Behold your King." They answered, "We have no king but Caesar."
b. When Pilate asked the people, "Which of the two shall I release unto you, Barrabas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?" They called out Barrabas.
3. You denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you.
4. You killed the Prince of Life.
a. That sounds like an oxymoron. If He is the Prince of Life, how could He be killed?
b. Jesus answered that one Himself.
JOH 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
JOH 10:17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
JOH 10:18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
JOH 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the Spirit.
c. "Whom God has raised from the dead, whereof we are witnesses."
E. Peter declared that Pilate was determined to let Him go. John confirms that as he tells us of the trial of Jesus before Pilate.
JOH 18:29 Pilate then went out to them, and asked, What accusation do you bring against this man?
JOH 18:30 They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have brought Him to you.
JOH 18:31 Then said Pilate unto them, You take Him then, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death:
JOH 18:32 This was fulfilling the statement of Jesus when he spoke to them signifying by what means He would die.
JOH 18:33 Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art You the King of the Jews?
JOH 18:34 Jesus answered him, "Do you ask this thing of yourself, or did others tell you of Me?
JOH 18:35 Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You unto me: what have You done?
JOH 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then My servants would fight to keep Me from being delivered to the Jews: but my kingdom not from here.
JOH 18:37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art You a king then? Jesus answered, You said that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause I came into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth hears my voice.
JOH 18:38 Pilate asked Him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and said unto them, I find in him no fault.
JOH 18:39 But you have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will you therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?
JOH 18:40 Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.
JOH 19:1 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged [him].
JOH 19:2 And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns, and put [it] on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,
JOH 19:3 And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.
JOH 19:4 Pilate therefore went forth again, and said unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that you may know that I find no fault in him.
JOH 19:5 Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And [Pilate] saith unto them, Behold the man!
JOH 19:6 When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify [him], crucify [him]. Pilate said unto them, Do you want to crucify [him]: when I find no fault in him.
JOH 19:7 The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.
JOH 19:8 When Pilate heard that saying, he was even more afraid;
JOH 19:9 And went again into the judgment hall, and said unto Jesus, Where have you come from? But Jesus gave him no answer.
JOH 19:10 Then Pilate said unto him, "Do you refuse to speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to crucify You, and I have power to release You?
JOH 19:11 Jesus answered, You could have no power [at all] against Me, unless it was given to you from above: therefore he that delivered me unto you has the greater sin.
JOH 19:12 And from then on Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.
JOH 19:13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.
JOH 19:14 And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!
JOH 19:15 But they cried out, Away with [him], away with [him], crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.
JOH 19:16 Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led [him] away.
F. Matthew also tells us of the trial before Pilate.
MAT 27:11 And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, "You said it."
MAT 27:12 And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.
MAT 27:13 Then said Pilate unto him, "Do you hear these things they are witnessing against You?
MAT 27:14 And he answered him never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.
MAT 27:15 Now at [that] feast the governor was accustomed to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they desired.
MAT 27:16 And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.
MAT 27:17 Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?
MAT 27:18 For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.
MAT 27:19 When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent a message to him that said, Have nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.
MAT 27:20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.
MAT 27:21 The governor answered and said unto them, Which of the two do you want me to release unto you? They said, Barabbas.
MAT 27:22 Pilate said unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? [They] all said unto him, Let him be crucified.
MAT 27:23 And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.
MAT 27:24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but [that] rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed [his] hands before the multitude, saying, I want you to see that I am innocent of the blood of this just person.
MAT 27:25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood [be] on us, and on our children.
MAT 27:26 Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered [him] to be crucified.
MAT 27:27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band [of soldiers].
MAT 27:28 And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.
MAT 27:29 And when they had woven a crown of thorns, they put [it] upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!
MAT 27:30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
MAT 27:31 And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify [him]. Pilate was torn between his sense of justice, and political expediency. He was being forced to decide between Jesus and Ceasar. He was being forced to make a judgment that he knew in his heart was not just. His question will forever must be determined by each man. "What shall I then do with Jesus who is called the Messiah? Only one of two things, accept Him as King, or crucify Him.
III. VERSE 17: "I KNOW THROUGH IGNORANCE YOU DID IT."
A. Remember the prayer of Jesus? "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do."
1. They say that ignorance of the law is no excuse.
2. Under the Law, the sins of ignorance had to be atoned for.
B. However there was no real excuse for their ignorance, for:
Act 3:18 those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that the Messiah should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
1. In the very first promise of the Messiah, God declared that Satan would bruise His heel.
2. The psalmist prophesied that His hands and feet would be pierced.
3. Zechariah said that they would look on Him whom they had pierced.
4. Isaiah said of Him:
ISA 50:6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.
ISA 52:13 Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.
ISA 52:14 As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:
ISA 52:15 So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their
ISA 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were [our] faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
ISA 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
ISA 53:5 But he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
5. To the disciples on the road to Emmaus He expounded to them the scriptures from Moses onward, the scriptures concerning Himself.
6. We read of Paul,
Act 17:2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
Act 17:3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.
Act 26:22 Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:
Act 26:23 That Christ should suffer, [and] that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.
IV. VERSE 21: "RESTITUTION OF ALL THINGS."
A. From this one reference a heretical doctrine has been created known as the final restoration of all things. They basically teach that a day is coming when there will be a final restitution of all things, and even Satan will be restored to His pre-fall condition as the anointed cherub.
B. This whole doctrine is refuted in the latter part of this same verse, for Peter added, "which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began."
Act 3:23 And it shall come to pass, [that] every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.
V. PETER'S CALL TO THEM. VERSE 19.
A. Repent and be converted.
B. The result of the repentance and conversion, "You sins will be blotted out."
1. The times of refreshing shall come.
Verse-Reference
Square — [Jhn 1:1 KJV]
Abbreviate Books
Use SBL Abbrev.
