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Acts 3 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
The miraculous signs and wonders led to opportunities to authenticate the message of the Gospel. Peter did not hesitate to give the glory back to God. In fact, he literally asked the people why they were staring so intently at them. It was not the apostles’ power, but God’s (and the name of Jesus) that healed this man.
In the era we live in, we are jaded by the continual exposure to violence in both the media and entertainment industry. The charge Peter gives here in Acts 3 is the same one he gave the Jews in Acts 2. They crucified the Son of God and it was the greatest crime in human history. Do we understand the death sentence that falls upon us as a result of our sin? Have we become so familiar with violence that the crucifixion of God’s Son no longer brings conviction upon us?
This is exactly what happens when we try to soften sin. We end up undermining the very Gospel we hope to proclaim. If our sin wasn’t costly, then what did Jesus die for? Why was he unfairly sentenced, tortured, beaten, and killed like a criminal? Humanity (you and I) decided to reject and murder the very man who came to show us how we could live for eternity in God’s Kingdom.
Then, God raised Him to life and took that sacrifice as a pardon for our sin. The aftermath of such an event should never become familiar to us. Oh God, shake us from complacency so that we do not take for granted your decision to save us when we were dead in our sins!