Acts 3: What Place Does Sin Have after Christ's Death for Sin

Even though we will draw from Acts 3 today, and in particular Simon Peter’s speech in the Temple, this post is the second of three parts. Part One in this brief series on sin is here; I recommend reading that post first.

In this series, we are answering the question: whether sin changed after Christ’s death? In Part One, we considered that question by a review of Acts Chapter 1, and an emphasis on Peter’s speech to the crowd that had gathered when men began praising God in various languages. We focused on the crowd’s reaction—their being cut to the heart and their crying out for help. The conclusion I drew was this: all sin has grown to its full height in the rejection of Jesus as both Lord and Christ. The resolution contra Christ is both the first and the last sin after his resurrection. The opposite is of course true, as we see with the crowd who both repented and escaped that crooked generation. At the end of Chapter 2, Luke portrays them as woven deeply into the fabric of a new life—devoted to the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. (See 2:42).

What does Chapter 3 have to add to this question of sin, and the point I have made that sin has been distilled into a rejection of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, but that the distillate has concentrated and strengthened sin beyond its measure before Christ died?

You remember Chapter 3. A lame man had been healed at the entrance of the Temple (I have looked at the miracle previously, here and here). It was a dramatic piece of testimony to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Only he had done works like that; but as far as anyone knew (other than the disciples), he was dead. In light of the no-longer-lame man leaping and praising God, apparently not. Jesus was alive, in full power and grace.

A crowd gathered. Who among them were simply curious, or who among them genuinely wanted an explanation, we are not told, but Peter interprets for them what they are seeing in any event. He tells them this miracle evidences, demonstrates, and proves:

(i) their God, the God of their fathers, has now glorified Jesus in two ways: by healing the man and by implication raising Jesus (v. 13);

(ii) Jesus was God’s servant, but by implication they were not serving their God (instead they disowned him, chose a murderer instead, and killed him) (vv. 13-14);

(iii) Jesus was the Holy and Righteous One, and the author of life (vv. 14-15);

(iv) while they therefore may have tried to kill God, they were unsuccessful—Jesus had risen from the dead (v. 15); and

(v) Jesus was the Name (v. 16) (see e.g., Exodus 23:20-22)

Here is what Peter is saying: He was yours, your blessing intended to be your fullness and joy; but you disowned him, gave him over to that dog, Pilate; insisted Pilate out him to death, over Pilate’s objection; you chose life for a hardened criminal, and death for the author of life instead. You killed our Messiah, our best hope, and our deliverance. You killed him.

Please don’t forget the no-longer-lame man is still there clinging to Peter, overwrought with emotion. The setting of the lame man free is the backdrop for this rebuke. Not only does the lame man standing there take away the sting of Peter’s words a little bit, but it also opens up some possibilities of drawing out the poison of what they have committed, and a healing for them as well. Think of this way: lame man—healed man—Jesus raised to life and glorified—Jesus still healing and setting free. In other words, there is hope for these murderers—the miracle offers them hope, which they would not have had in any way without it.

I just find that immensely kind of the Lord. These members of the crowd had done an evil thing, and they would be justifiably put to death for it (and some will be). But the no-longer-lame man shows that not only has all been forgiven, He wants to bless them all. (v. 26) The healing is an invitation to life for the crowd. And yet, He is still more gracious.

Notice what Peters says in verse 17 after his condemnation of them, “I know you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders.” The door to a realization of the hope offered through the lame man’s healing just opened a little wider for them. Peter continues, verse 18, “But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer.” (see e.g., Isaiah 53, Psalm 22).

And here we flashback to Joseph before his brothers in Chapter 50: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” Could it be that God would forgive these? Yes, but what was the condition?  

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.

Repent! John the Baptist said it, Jesus said it, and now Peter says it in verses 19-20. Ignorance only carried the crowd so far, up to the resurrection. Once they understood or had the evidence that God had raised Jesus from the dead and glorified him, once they understood the evidence that he was Messiah, and God, and the author of life, they could not fall back on ignorance. Their ignorance could carry them no further as they were no longer ignorant from God’s point of view. Christ resurrected demands a decision: yeah or nay.

That’s it. Sin begins and ends here at this point of repentance or rejection when confronted with the evidence that Jesus is very much alive—whether you were a first century Jew in the Temple that day or you are a reader of this blog post today. Disowning Him now marks a much greater departure from God because God has affirmed the identity of Jesus Christ by raising him from the dead. Reject the Son, reject the Father who sent him. As I said in Part One, rejection of resurrected Jesus brings not only the judgment of that rejection, but you also knowingly accept the judgment for killing him while you were once ignorant. Thus, after Christ resurrected and glorified, sin has reached its full height. if that is the way you have chosen, you have nowhere else to turn for hope when death comes, and ultimately, as the Day of Lord will prove, nowhere to hide.