Sunday, May 30, 2021
Acts 3:11-16
“Seize the Moment”
Service Orientation: As conduits of Jesus’ love and power, we too can and should seize the opportunities we are given to point others to Jesus.
Memory Verse for the Week: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 (NIV)
Background Information:
- The language that Peter used here took them squarely back to the Old Testament. This miracle was done by the One who “glorified His Servant Jesus,” identifying Christ with the promised Messiah of the latter portion of the book of Isaiah, the “ebed Yahweh,” the servant of the Lord, the One whose exploits are set forth in Isaiah 53—the “Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief ” (v. 3), the One who would bear the sins of His people. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 57)
- For the Jewish observers and readers, the sign here was too spectacular to overlook. Isaiah had written of such a time: “The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will sing for joy!” (Isaiah 35:6 NLT). All this Jewish audience needed was a “witness” to explain the significance to them. Peter, ever the one to take advantage of such a situation, seized the moment to bring a pointed message to an astonished audience. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 47)
- Greek public buildings regularly included such porches, which philosophers and others employed for activities such as public lectures; covered on top and shielded on one side by the building to which they might be attached and somewhat on the other by pillars, they provided shade and shelter. (Craig S. Keener, Acts, Vol. 1, 1074)
- The concept of the “servant of the Lord” was well-known in Israel because of Isaiah 53 and other texts. So when Peter used “servant” and then went on to speak of “the Holy and Righteous One”—another title for the Christ that also appears in Isaiah—it is pretty clear that he was thinking of these chapters. He was teaching that Jesus is the Messiah promised in the Old Testament Scriptures. (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 66)
- The name, as we have observed, meant the authority and power of a person which could be called forth by another who was given that right. The phrase “in the name of Caesar,” when used by an official, meant that the power of the emperor and all his kingdom could be brought to bear on that particular situation. “In the name of the king,” in more recent history, implies by the authority and imperial power of that king. But there is something deeper here for us. In Hebrew, sem, translated “name,” was used as a sacred synonym for God. In order not to break the third commandment, and because no Hebrew spoke the name Yahweh, “Name” became the acceptable designation of God. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 86)
- Peter’s sermon here is similar to the one he preached at Pentecost (2:14-40). He proclaimed the truth, enhanced richly with Old Testament Scripture (3:12-16), and then called for repentance (3:17-26). In this sermon, however, Peter more clearly developed the teaching of the person of Jesus—as God’s servant, the holy and righteous one, the author of life, and a prophet like Moses. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 47)
The question to be answered is…
What’s happening in this text that should serve to inform and influence our faith?
Answer…
With crowds amazed at the healing of the blind man, Peter seizes this moment to point to the Name that is above every name. For it was by this Name that this man was healed and salvation was freely available.
The word of the day is… Name
What further facets of this text serve to bolster our faith?
- Peter’s confidence in Jesus, not in himself.
(Psalm 20:7; Isaiah 41:10; Proverbs 3:26; Philippians 2:9; Hebrews 10:35-36)
A dead Christ, lying in an unknown grave, could never have inspired His crushed followers with such courage, insight, and elastic confidence and gladness in the face of a frowning world. (Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts, 67)
- Peter’s glorification of Jesus; not the miracle.
(John 4:48; Acts 3:16; Romans 11:36; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Philippians 2:10; Hebrews 1:3)
Peter did not focus his preaching on the signs, but rather on Jesus. In both sermons, Peter focused on the crucial facts of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Peter called his hearers not to glory in signs, but to repent and turn to God. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Edition)
Nothing exalts Christ more nor gives greater opportunity for further witnessing than does the miracle of a transformed life. The Church’s task is to make men whole in the name of Jesus. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 45)
- Peter’s proclamation of truth; not relenting under pressure.
(Psalm 27:1-3; Psalm 86:11; John 8:32; Hebrews 13:6; James 1:18; 1 John 5:20)
This new capacity to believe in what Christ had done for them began to grow into an expectant confidence in what He could do through them. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 77)
There must be conviction before a sinner can experience conversion. Unless a patient is convinced that he is sick, he will never accept the diagnosis or take the treatment. Peter turned the temple into a courtroom and laid all the evidence out for everybody to see. How could two ordinary fishermen perform such a great miracle unless God was with them? Nobody would dare deny the miracle because the beggar stood there before them all in “perfect soundness” (Acts 3:16; 4:14). To accept the miracle would have been to admit that Jesus Christ is indeed the living Son of God and that His name has power. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 330)
Conclusion… How should this then influence our faith as 21st century followers of Jesus?
A. Draw your hope and confidence from Jesus, not yourself.
(Psalm 51:5; Proverbs 28:26; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 7:18; 2 Corinthians 3:5)
So long as the Christian thinks only of what he can do and be, there can be nothing but failure and frustration and fear. But when he thinks of “not I, but Christ in me” there can be nothing but peace and power. (William Barclay, The Acts of the Apostles, 34)
B. WATCH OUT if tempted to look to a miracle more than the miracle-maker.
(Matthew 16:4; John 4:48)
Jesus came into the world to give sight, not only because He wanted to but also because He could. A miracle is called that for a reason. It is harder to lift the hardness off of the heart of a sinner than it is to give a blind man physical sight. (Jackie Hill Perry, Gay Girl Good God, 146)
I think it is proper for us to say that a genuine Christian should be a walking mystery because he surely is a walking miracle. (A. W. Tozer, Whatever Happened to Worship, 75)
C. Seek to know the truth so as never to be in a position to sacrifice it.
(Psalm 145:18; John 8:32; John 17:17; Ephesians 6:14; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 1 John 3:18)
You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you. (C. S. Lewis, A Grief Observed, 22)
Are you in a dilemma, wondering if you should tell the truth or not? The question to ask in such moments is, Will God bless my deceit? Will He, who hates lies, bless a strategy built on lies? Will the Lord, who loves the truth, bless the business of falsehoods? (Max Lucado, Just Like Jesus, 111)
D. When given opportunity to speak the truth, do so boldly and in love.
(John 1:14; John 14:17; John 8:32; Ephesians 4:15; Colossians 3:17; Colossians 4:5)
We need to speak the truth in love, and yet speak it boldly. There is no contradiction between speaking in love and speaking boldly. (Donald Grey Barnhouse, Acts, 37)
Peter had an audience, and he capitalized on the opportunity to share Jesus Christ. He clearly presented his message by emphasizing Jesus’ true identity, explaining how the Jews had rejected him and why their rejection was fatal, and telling what they needed to do to change the situation. Peter told the crowd that they still had a choice. God offered them the opportunity to believe and receive Jesus as their Messiah and Lord. Displays of God’s mercy and grace, such as the healing of this crippled man, often create teachable moments. Pray to have courage like Peter to see these opportunities and to use them to speak up for Christ. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 48)
Gospel Application…
Jesus is the hope of the world. In him is all truth, power, and hope to live boldly both forever and now.
(John 3:16; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 15:13; Philippians 4:13; 2 Timothy 2:15)
Who, truly, are the Christ-killers? Who nailed the Messiah to the cross? I did. You did. Every human being who ever lived nailed Him there. Every sin we committed—every lustful thought, every hateful word—drove the nails deeper into His flesh. But Jesus wasn’t executed against His will. He went to the cross willingly, out of obedience to the Father and love for you and me. He was killed by the human race and for the human race. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 57)
We need to realize that we are all to blame for the death of Christ in one way or another. Even though we were not there at the time Jesus was arrested, tried, and crucified, it was our sins that took him there. And If Jesus were here today, we would spurn him today, just as the masses of Israel spurned him in Jerusalem long ago. (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 68)
Spiritual Challenge Questions…
Reflect on these questions in your time with the Lord this week, or discuss with a Christian family member or Life Group.
- Have you ever faced persecution for living or proclaiming truth about Jesus? What happened? What was it like?
- What does the people’s response in this text indicate about their hearts?
- The most remarkable feature of Peter’s second sermon, as of his first, is its Christ-centeredness. He directed the crowd’s attention away from both the healed cripple and the apostles to the Christ. What vital points did Peter make in his sermon to the crowd?
- Look at each of the titles Peter gives to Jesus. How do each of these speak to the uniqueness of Jesus?
- Peter ends his sermon by challenging his hearers with the necessity of repentance. What blessings would follow if they repented (vv. 19-26)?
Quotes to note…
This man, who had been congenitally crippled and had never stood on his own two feet in his entire life, was so miraculously healed by the touch of the Apostles that he not only stood, but he walked, jumped, and leapt for joy without any assistance or handholding. Yet we are told that this man, after running and praising God, came back to Peter and John and held onto them for dear life. Wouldn’t you? (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 56)
We cut ourselves off from so much that helps us to know Him better if we limit our study to the last one-third of the Bible. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Edition)
Many people want the benefits of being identified with Christ without admitting their own disobedience and turning from sin. The key to forgiveness is confessing sin and turning from it (see 2:38). (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 50)
They were guilty of killing the author of life. What a contrast! They gave death to the One who gave them life. (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Locations 2105-2107)
There are here three paradoxes, three strange and contradictory things: the paradoxes of man’s perverted and fatal choice, of man’s hate bringing death to the Lord of life, and of God’s love and power causing life to come by death (Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts, 68)
If that is true in all regions, it is eminently true in regard to religion. For what we need there most is not to be instructed, but to be impressed. Most of us have, lying dormant in the bedchamber and infirmary of our brains, convictions which only need to be awakened to revolutionise our lives. Now one of the most powerful ways of waking them is contact with any man in whom they are awake. So all successful teachers and messengers of Jesus Christ have had this characteristic in common, however unlike each other they have been. (Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts, 74)
The key phrase is in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. “The name” stands for all that Jesus is in the full measure of His revelation to His own followers. In our prayers it ought to be no mere formula , but the affirmation of His living presence and power amongst us. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 44)
Calvary may have been man’s last word, but the empty tomb was God’s last word. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 330)
The early preachers always stressed the power of the Risen Lord. They never regarded themselves as the sources of power but only as channels of power. They were well aware of their limitations but were also well aware that there was no limitation to what the Risen Christ could do through them and with them. (William Barclay, The Acts of the Apostles, 34)
Peter looks at the gathering crowd and sees two different expressions. First, there is wide-eyed amazement over the healing. Second, there is misplaced awe and reverence for Peter and John. Peter can tell that the people have misunderstood the source of their healing power. They think Peter and John are magicians. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 55)
Peter wants us to know that God has stirred up our feelings of guilt for one purpose only: He wants us to turn to Him for forgiveness. He takes no pleasure in our feelings of guilt and remorse. God wants to free us forever from our guilt, so that we can experience what Peter calls “times of refreshing.” (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 59)
Not only does Peter’s sermon point to Jesus and highlight the listener’s sin—making it clear that the people of Jerusalem had something to repent of — but it also contains an appeal. This is because in the final analysis, Peter was not interested in merely condemning his hearers. On the contrary, he wanted them to repent of their sin and believe on Jesus. (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 68)
Peter asked a question here that comes across like the truck driver whose truck was stuck under an overpass. A policeman came to him and said, “Did you get your truck stuck?” The man had a tremendous grasp of the obvious. Without batting an eyelash the truck driver said, “No. I was delivering the overpass and I ran out of gas.” (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 56)
This man, after running and praising God, came back to Peter and John and held onto them for dear life. Wouldn’t you? If someone had just cured you of a malady that had afflicted you for so many years, you wouldn’t want those people out of your sight. So he came and held on tightly. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 56)
Peter asked a question here that comes across like the truck driver whose truck was stuck under an overpass. A policeman came to him and said, “Did you get your truck stuck?” The man had a tremendous grasp of the obvious. Without batting an eyelash the truck driver said, “No. I was delivering the overpass and I ran out of gas.” Just so, Peter asks why the people are amazed. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 56)
Why is murdering a policeman such a terrible crime? It is a crime to commit homicide at all, but the higher the office of the one killed, the greater the significance it holds for us. When a president is murdered, it is an assassination. It becomes an unforgettable moment in a nation’s history. Yet the assassination of a president is nothing compared to the murder of the Prince of life Himself. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 58)
Someone told me that he has a friend who is not an atheist but an agnostic. I told him that an agnostic is the worst kind of atheist. Theism is the affirmation of the existence of God or of gods. Atheism covers everything outside the category of theism, so the agnostic is outside the category of the theist because he will not affirm the existence of God, and then he blames God for it. He says that the reason he cannot affirm the existence of God is that he is agnostos. He is without knowledge. The Latin translation of agnosis or agnostic is “ignoramus,” so the plea of the agnostic is this: “Oh, God, if you just would have made yourself known to me, if you had just shown me a miracle, if you had just given me sufficient data to make a rational judgment, I would have been your most faithful supporter.” That, despite the fact that every moment of the supposed agnostic’s existence, heaven is declaring the glory of God and God is manifesting Himself clearly before his very eyes and in the midst of his soul. Every human being that walks upon this earth knows with certainty that God exists. Our sin is not that we do not know Him; it is that we refuse to acknowledge Him, even though we do know Him. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 59)
Peter’s first sermon tied Jesus to two Old Testament figures: Joel and David. In this second recorded sermon, Peter broadened his Old Testament base. He still focused on Jesus, by whose power the lame man had been healed (see Acts 3:13-16), but worked to show how all the prophets (3:18, 24; see also 3:21) had looked forward to Jesus and the events which were occurring in Jerusalem during the decade in which Jesus ministered. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Edition)
Peter wanted to make it clear to this Jewish crowd that this miracle was the handiwork of the very God they claimed to follow, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the God of all our ancestors. The miracle also had purpose: to bring glory to his servant Jesus. God the Father was exalting the Son through this miracle. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 48)
The Jews (especially the Pharisees) of Jesus’ day are often portrayed as sinister and villainous. This is an unfortunate (and inaccurate) representation. They lived moral lives. They were diligent students and teachers of Scripture. They were highly respected in their culture. When a charismatic carpenter came on the scene with his revolutionary teachings and unorthodox practices, he threatened a whole culture. He made claims that were hard to swallow (given the Jews’ religious traditions and presuppositions). Fearing a reprisal by the ruling Romans and also that the populace might be led astray by such a popular false teacher, the Jewish rulers felt they had no choice but to squelch this Jesus of Nazareth. They were only trying to preserve their way of life. Ironically, they killed the very one who had come to give them life! The book of Proverbs says it well: “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death” (16:25 NLT). (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 49)
Not only had the Jews rejected him, but they had killed him. With a ring of irony, Peter stated that they had killed the author of life, the one who had written the book on life, the Creator (John 1:1-4; Colossians 1:16). The term “author” (archegon) means the “prince, leader, pioneer, originator,” a champion who is victorious in behalf of those whom he represents. The sense of outrage here is heightened by the use of three strong contrasts in three straight verses: (1) 3:13—the Jews had delivered Jesus to be killed, though Pilate had decided to free him; (2) 3:14—they had rejected Jesus, and requested the release of a murderer; (3) 3:15—they had killed Jesus, though God raised him from the dead. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 50)
By this time the healed cripple, still holding the hands of Peter and John, was in Solomon’s Colonnade, a roofed portico formed by a double row of white-marble Corinthian columns, fifty feet high, on one side of the temple court (probably the eastern side). From all over the temple courts the greatly amazed people ran together to see the three. There could easily have been ten thousand people in the temple at the hour of prayer. (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Locations 2080-2083)
Peter was not preaching a new religion but the fulfillment of the one God had revealed from Abraham’s time on. (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Locations 2099-2100)
“The name,” of course, refers to the character and nature of Jesus as the Healer, the great Physician. The healing came on the ground of faith in Jesus for what He is. But it was not their faith as such that brought the healing. It was the Name, that is, the fact that Jesus is true to His nature and character. He is the Healer. Faith did have a great part, of course, but it was the faith that was “through him [Jesus].” The faith Jesus himself had imparted (not only to Peter and John, but also to the man) gave complete freedom from defect before their very eyes. Jesus had healed cripples during His ministry. He was still healing cripples through His followers. (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Locations 2118-2121)
Notice, too, the pathetic ‘denied’: was Peter thinking of the shameful hour in his own experience? It is a glimpse into the depth of his penitence, and the tenderness with others’ sins which it had given him, that he twice uses the word here, as if he had said ‘You have done no more than I did myself. It is not for me to heap reproaches on you. We have been alike in sin—and I can preach forgiveness to you sinners, because I have received it for myself.’ (Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts, 68)
They wanted a Messiah who would bring them outward freedom by the use of outward weapons, and so they all shouted ‘Not this man but Barabbas!’ The whole history of the nation was condensed in that one cry—their untamable obstinacy, their blindness to the light of God, their fierce grasp of the promises which they did not understand, their hard worldliness, their cruel patriotism, their unquenchable hatred of their oppressors, which was only equalled by their unquenchable hatred of those who showed them the only true way for deliverance. (Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts, 69)
If we try to listen with the ears of these first hearers of Peter’s words, we shall better appreciate his daring paradox. Think of the tremendous audacity of the claim which they make, that Jesus should be the ‘Prince of Life,’ and of the strange contradiction to it which the fact that they ‘killed’ Him seems to give. How could death have power over the Prince of Life? That sounds as if, indeed, the ‘sun were turned into darkness,’ or as if fire became ice. That brief clause ‘ye killed the Prince of Life’ must have seemed sheer absurdity to the hearers whose hands were still red with the blood of Jesus. (Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts, 70)
Jesus is ‘Prince’ in the sense of being source of life to mankind, just because He died. His death is the death of Death. His apparent defeat is His real victory. By His death He takes away our sins. By His death He abolishes death. The physical fact remains, but all else which makes the ‘sting of death’ to men is gone. (Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts, 71)
Now the Name of which Peter is speaking is not the collocation of syllables which are sounded ‘Jesus Christ.’ His hearers were familiar with the ancient and Eastern method of regarding names as very much more than distinguishing labels. They are, in the view of the Old Testament, attempts at a summary description of things by their prominent characteristics. (Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts, 72)
The name of Christ, then, is the representation or embodiment of that which Christ is declared to be for us men, and it is that Name, the totality of what He is manifested to be, in which lies all power for healing and for strengthening. (Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts, 72)
And so, brethren, here is the reason—I do not say the only reason, but the main one, and that which most affects us—for the slow progress, and even apparent failure, of Christianity. It has fallen into the hands of a Church that does not half believe its own Gospel. By reason of formality and ceremonial and sacerdotalism and a lazy kind of expectation that, somehow or other, the benefits of Christ’s love can come to men apart from their own personal faith in Him, the Church has largely ceased to anticipate that great things can be done by its utterance of the Name (Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts, 74)
Sin is perverseness. It is utter opposition to God. It chooses what God rejects, and rejects what He chooses. Sin is self-defeating, self-destructive. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 46)
In order to explain how the cripple had been cured, Peter found it necessary to relate the act of God which had so recently been accomplished in their midst. The cripple had been cured because Jesus had been glorified. From his place of exaltation Jesus had endowed his disciples with power to act in his name, and to perform mighty works such as he himself had performed in the days of his bodily presence among them. (F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, 80)
14-15 You repudiated the Holy and Righteous One, said Peter (using a twofold designation which is rooted in Old Testament language). You refused to acknowledge him as your divinely appointed King and Savior, and when Pilate offered to release him, you asked for a condemned murderer to be released instead. (The role of Pilate here conforms to the fuller presentation in Luke 2321-25.) Yes, Peter continued, you asked that a murderer’s life should be spared, but killed the very Author of life—an amazing paradox! This is what you did, but God restored him to life again, and we are here to bear witness to the fact of his resurrection. Again it is clear how the apostolic preaching in Acts loves to emphasize the contrast between men’s treatment of Jesus and God’s. (F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, 81-82)
There was no merely magical efficacy in the words which Peter pronounced when, in Jesus’ name, he commanded the cripple to walk; the cripple would have known no benefit had he not responded in faith to what Peter said. But once this response of faith was made, the power of the risen Christ filled his body with health and strength. (F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, 82)
3:16. The crippled man’s healing came because of his faith in the name of Jesus. Faith was also evident in many of those whom Jesus healed (e.g., Mark 5:34; 10:52; Luke 17:19). In Bible times a person’s name represented him and his characteristics. In Acts, Luke spoke of “the name” (of Jesus) at least 33 times (cf. Acts 2:21, 38; 3:6, 16; 4:7, 10, 12, 17-18; 5:28, 40-41; etc.). (John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, 361)
Peter’s sermon in Solomon’s Colonnade is in many ways similar to his sermon at Pentecost (2:14-41). Structurally, both move from proclamation to a call for repentance. The Pentecost sermon, however, is finished and polished, whereas this one is comparatively roughhewn. Thematically, both focus on the denial and vindication of Jesus of Nazareth. But the Colonnade sermon expresses more of a remnant theology than the one at Pentecost. (Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 295)
11 When the service of prayer and worship was over, Peter and John, together with the man who had been cured of his lameness, came out from the inner area of the temple to the outer court, probably going back through the Beautiful Gate, and made their way to the east side of the outer court, along which Solomon’s Colonnade ran. (F.F. Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Acts, 102)
The healing of the lame beggar drew a crowd around the three men. Solomon’s Porch, on the east side of the temple, was a corridor where our Lord had ministered (John 10:23) and where the church worshipped (Acts 5:12). (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 330)
What happened to the lame man drew the attention of the worshipers at the temple. They knew him, having seen him in his customary place, perhaps for years. The Lord had had three purposes in the healing. First, He loved that lame man and released His healing power out of His heart of compassion and concern. Second, He wanted to alert the people, particularly the leaders of Israel, that the movement he had begun as Jesus of Nazareth was continuing through His disciples in whom He was living. During the incarnation, Jesus had healed people out of sheer love for them, but also as a sign of His authority and power as the Messiah. The healing of the lame man was an undeniable, further sign that He was alive. Once again. He had Jerusalem’s attention. The rushing wind of Pentecost a few days before was the talk of the city. The wind was still blowing. But now the Lord had chosen, called, and convinced people who had become like wind tunnels through whom His force was focused. And they were the third purpose for the healing miracle. They, most of all, needed to know that He had meant it when He said, “Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24). (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 84)
Temples following Greek architectural models had porches (e.g., Polyb. 4.67.3), where people could gather protected from sun and inclement weather. Colonnades displayed a city’s wealth or a benefactor’s gifts, starting at least as early as Herod the Great in Antioch. After the NT period, wealthy donors even built a long porch (στοά) from Ephesus to the temple of Artemis, a stadion in length, to prevent worshipers from avoiding the temple during rains (Philost. Vit. soph. 2.23.605). Public speakers often lectured in temples, which were major public buildings. (Craig S. Keener, Acts, Vol. 1, 1074)
Peter’s—and apparently Luke’s—view is that ultimately Israel will accept its king, ushering in the eschatological era. The delay in obedience, meanwhile, leads to a delay of the promised end and so provides the time in which the Gentile mission will be carried out (a view similar to that of Paul in Rom 11). (Craig S. Keener, Acts, Vol. 1, 1076)
Peter lays out the facts of the trial and crucifixion of Christ in such a way that it can do nothing but stir the guilt of the people. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 56)
[Peter] draws a stark contrast between the acts of God and the acts of human beings. He says, “The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed.” In other words, God glorified Jesus; humanity killed Him. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 56)
In order to understand Pentecost, we must remember that these 3000 were not 3000 pagans receiving salvation. No! It was those who were Jews and who were saved under the Jewish covenant who were now being gear-shifted into the New Testament church. (Donald Grey Barnhouse, Acts, 34)
It is interesting to notice that the crowd welcomed the miracle of healing, but the truth of the gospel was too much for the religious leaders (see 4:1, 2). For the gospel has a sharp, cutting edge to it. We care reminded of an experience of this same apostle, John, when he was in exile on the Isle of Patmos years later. God told him to take a scroll and eat it (Rev. 10:10). It tasted sweet at first, but bitter once he had devoured it. So, with the gospel. At first, it may seem delectable. But once its full implications and demands are realized, those who are not the Lord’s people find the gospel extremely distasteful. (Donald Grey Barnhouse, Acts, 36)