Acts 3
"'And now, [Jewish] brothers, I [Peter] know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent therefore and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah appointed for you, Jesus, 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. Moses said, "The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people." And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, "And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed." God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.'" - Acts 3:17-26
Peter is reasoning with the Jews in Jerusalem about Jesus. He is trying to convince them Jesus is the promised Messiah, God's Servant from Isaiah 40-55, and the Prophet Moses spoke about in Deuteronomy 18. If they change their minds and turn back to God through Jesus, times of refreshing, the Messianic age, will come. It is through Jesus that the promises of the Abrahamic covenant (v. 25) will be fulfilled.
Last night we watched the Voice of the Martyrs film Sabina. Such a great movie! Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand were Romanian Jews who believed in Jesus and worked tirelessly to bring the gospel of forgiveness through Jesus to Jews, Romanians, Germans, and Russians.
I am looking forward to the times of refreshing that Peter talks about here (v. 20).
Father, thank you for the truth of the gospel of Jesus. We believe he is the Prophet Moses wrote about. Thank you that all families of the earth will be blessed in him.
Thank you, too, for ANZAC Day today. Help us to remember those who have fallen in war for our freedom. May we ourselves be willing to sacrifice for the cause of good over evil. In Jesus' name, amen.
- Jeff Coleman