¹¹ While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s. ¹² And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? ¹³ The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. ¹⁴ But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, ¹⁵ and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. ¹⁶ And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.

¹⁷ “And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers.¹⁸ But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. ¹⁹ Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, ²⁰ that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, ²¹ whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.

1) Who is clinging to Peter and John and why is the crowd gathering?
The previous verses in chapter 3 describe a man who had been lame from birth. He had spent his life on the ground, begging for food and money. He was at the very bottom rung of his societal ladder and he knew it, as did everyone else who saw him sitting in the same spot everyday. As with most homeless persons, his eyes were downcast and entirely hopeless, but Peter invited him to more. He healed the lame man by God’s power and as a result, the man leapt up and began dancing and praising God. Don’t let the man’s disability distance you from stepping in his shoes. This man is the picture of humanity without Jesus. Homeless, ashamed, hopeless, feeble, bound up with the chains of sin, but Jesus comes to set us free!

2) Peter’s opening statement in verse 13 seems pretty bold and offensive, is this how we should share the gospel?
Peter pointed out that Jesus, the sinless Son of God, was crucified at the insistence of the same people standing before him. A hard truth, but reality nonetheless. While it’s absolutely true that Jesus loves us and died to redeem us, without our recognition of sin we have no need for a Savior and no need to truly repent. If we aren’t confronted with the reality of our sin, we won’t see a need for salvation and that’s exactly what Peter wanted the people to see that day. When sharing the gospel and all that Jesus has done, and the future He holds, we cannot skip over sin. We don’t have to be rude, offensive, and judgmental, rather we can talk gently about the reality of sin and how it points to our need for Jesus!

3) Why does verse 16 seem to emphasize “faith” “name” and “Jesus”?
When a verse or chapter of Scripture repeats itself, it’s to signify extreme importance. Here, Peter is making clear that the lame man was healed not because of something he did or deserved or because Peter and John had super powers, but it was only through faith in the Name of Jesus. Later in his sermon, Peter emphasizes again that salvation is found in no other name than Jesus Christ.

4) I found a “therefore” in verse 19. What does it refer to?
“Therefore” always means back up and re-read the reason why the author is making his statement. Here, Peter is calling for true, heartfelt repentance based upon who Jesus is. Holy, Righteous One, the Author of Life, Healer, the Son of God, and the perfect sacrifice who had been foretold of centuries beforehand through the prophets. Because Jesus is exactly who He claimed to be, the blameless Son of God, and because we are sin-wrecked beings hopelessly condemned to eternity apart from God, Peter calls his audience, and us, to repent!

1) Who is clinging to Peter and John and why is the crowd gathering?
The crowd had gathered that day because they had either witnessed or heard about the healing of a lame man. Sisters, what Jesus does in our hearts and lives is just as incredible as the healing of that lame man! Peace in the storm, comfort in distress, focus and clarity, wisdom, genuine love are all outflows of being made new in Christ and others are drawn to it. Take the opportunities in regular life where Jesus is remaking you, to talk about Him! Proclaim Christ in your actions and your words! When was the last time you let your joy in Christ overflow into your everyday, enough that the people around noticed?

2) Peter’s opening statement verse 13 seems pretty bold and offensive, is this how we should share the gospel?
The gospel is offensive to people lost in their sin, but to those who are being remade, it is the full essence of life. Knowing the depth of the transformation of Jesus’s sacrifice for us personally, motivates us and makes us bold enough to share Christ with those who are dying an eternal death without Him. Next time you feel the Holy Spirit prompting you to say something about your faith or what Christ is doing in you, don’t back down. Remember the boldness of Peter and John. Because of their bravery in the Spirit as they kept their eyes fixed on the eternal, about 5,000 people came to know Jesus as their personal Savior!

3) How can I practically emphasize “faith” “name” and “Jesus” in my everyday?
Opportunities for talking about Jesus are much more abundant than we probably realize and the more you talk about Him, the easier it becomes. You can turn almost any conversation towards Christ in a very gentle, natural way simply by sharing what He has done in your life. People are drawn in by authentic personal stories and no one can argue with your own experience. The other night my husband was telling me how he just couldn’t go to sleep because he was so pre-occupied. I took the opportunity to practice sharing my “faith in the name of Jesus” and told him how, when I’m feeling the same way, I pray for the first person I think of with a name starting with each letter of the alphabet. I shared that praying for others in Jesus’s name gives me the peace to fall asleep. These examples of everyday, real life chances to talk about your faith are happening all the time! Jump in!

4) How does “therefore” in verse 19 impact my everyday life?
If you’re a Christ-follower, do you ever feel bored in your relationship with God? Or maybe you’re curious about the claims of Christ and would like to explore more. Either way, studying His character and looking at who Jesus said He was and is will push you deeper with Him. As you dwell on His righteousness and the fullness of life He offers, ask Him to show you more about Himself as you seek Him out!

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Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

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