Elements of a confident Faith

Read Acts 4.

Peter and John continued to publicly proclaim the resurrected Jesus.  With a large crowd gathered at the Temple, it did not take long for the religious leaders to react.  When they heard the message from Peter and John and saw the response of the people, they felt threatened.  They thought they could stop Jesus, but He is alive.  They had to stop the Apostles.  Peter and John were arrested and spent the night in jail without being charged of any wrong.

The next day, the Sanhedrin met to confront and intimidate the men.  Their questions and concerns were multiple and not all were voiced.

1. Authority (v.7)
The Sanhedrin saw themselves as the only ones to authorize the teaching about God and the Scriptures.  The problem was that the Pharisees held their traditions in equal or higher authority than the Old Testament.  The Sadducees did not go beyond the Pentateuch in their reverence for Scripture and they did not believe in the resurrection of anyone, let alone Jesus.  And since Peter and John had not been educated as they were (v.13), there was no respect for these disciples.

Peter's answer to "what power or by what name did you do this?" was direct and clear.  He spoke by the name (authority) of Jesus "whom you crucified."

2. Evidence (v.14)
What prompted this scene began in chapter 3 with the healing of a 40-year-old lame man.  The man had been unable to walk since birth.  This well-known beggar outside the Temple was "walking and leaping and praising God" (3:8).  The miracle validated the message.  God's power displayed was a "sign" to them (v.15).  "They had nothing to say in opposition."

Faced with such undeniable evidence of this man and the empty tomb, their hard hearts rejected what God was trying to say to them.  This falls into the category of "Don't bother me with the facts.  My mind is made up."  Since no crime had been committed, only good, all they could do was dismiss Peter and John (v.15).

3. Boldness (vv.23-37)
How were these followers of Christ able to stand up for their faith in this way?  First, they were filled with the Spirit (v.8).  They yielded themselves to God's authority and control.  As a result, they spoke with boldness, or "frankness, bluntness," with confidence.  A person who has doubts about the truthfulness of God's word and lacks the empowerment of the Holy Spirit will speak hesitantly of their faith and allow for other opinions.  Afterwards, they prayed to be able to continue to speak with boldness.

Note that they were not being obnoxious in their boldness.  Their great confidence was in the uniqueness of the message.  "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (v.12).  Their great power (v.33a) was not based on personality but the Holy Spirit working through them.  Their great grace (v.33b) was demonstrated in the open display of generosity toward other believers.

The miracle and the Message

Read Acts 3.

God used the miracles to validate the message.  Peter and John healed this man whom everyone knew had been lame since birth.  The news spread and a crowd gathered.  This provided a spontaneous preaching opportunity.

In some fifteen verses, we have a full gospel presentation to the people of Israel.  Here Peter synthesized the key Old Testament prophecies and declared that Jesus is the Messiah.  The key elements are all here.

1. The Gospel. (v.15)
The Apostle Paul defined the Gospel as: "that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:1-3).

2. Personal Repentance. (v.19 and 26)
Turning from one's sin and turning to Jesus by faith in Him alone results in forgiveness by God; "blotted out," literally "to obliterate" or wipe away one's sin debt.

3. National Restoration. (vv. 20-21)
All the prophecies concerning a future king and the restoration of the kingdom on earth will be fulfilled when Jesus returns.  That kingdom will last for one thousand years (Revelation 20:1-6).

4. The Promised Prophet. (v.22-23)
Peter claimed that Jesus was/is that person of whom Moses prophesied in Deuteronomy 18.

5. The Abrahamic Covenant. (v.25)
God has not forgotten nor reneged on His everlasting promises to Israel.  In Genesis 12, 15 and 17.  God made an unconditional, one-party covenant.  It included:
-Land.  The boundaries are given in Genesis 15:18-20.
-Descendants.  The family of Abraham would become innumerable.
-Blessing.  God promised to bless those who bless Abraham's descendants and curse those who curse them.  In addition, "in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."  Humanly, Jesus is a descendant of Abraham and by faith in Him we get to enjoy the blessing.

6. To the Jews First. (v.26)
The Gospel was always intended to be offered to the entire world (John 10:16).  But the good news of Jesus began here with the Jews.  The Apostle Paul wrote to the Roman believers, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16)

When life is going in the wrong Direction

Read Acts 2.

What better way to quickly spread the Gospel throughout the Roman world than this!  The Holy Spirit came upon these disciples as Jesus promised.  With Jews gathered in Jerusalem for the annual celebration of Pentecost, they heard "the mighty works of God" being proclaimed in their own languages.  This unusual event not only gained their attention and drew a crowd, but it provided a platform for Peter to preach the good news about Jesus.

As a nation, Israel had rejected Jesus.  The religious leaders of the day claimed Jesus was empowered by Satan.  Though the crucifixion took place "according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God" (v.23), the message presented human responsibility in no uncertain terms.  "This Jesus whom you crucified" (v.36).  Jesus taught in John 16 that the Holy Spirit would convict of sin.  "Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart" (v.37).

It is one thing to feel the pang of sin.  It is quite another to desire to resolve the problem.  When these listeners heard the message and were pricked in their conscience, they responded: "Brothers, what shall we do?"

The good news of Jesus is that forgiveness and life-change is available to all.  The remainder of this chapter provides an outline of what is required by all who desire to have eternal life and then to grow as a child of God.
1. Repent.
The word means to turn.  It requires one to admit they have gone in the wrong direction and need to turn from sinning against God.  Then, realizing that Jesus died for our sins, one must turn to the Lord for forgiveness.  That repentance saves one from eternal judgment and births them into the family God.

2. Be baptized.
This is the New Testament means of outwardly and publicly declaring one's faith in Jesus.  There is no power in the water.  Being let down into the water and raised back up, symbolizes what took place already on the inside.  It is a picture of the death of the old self and that God has made that one a new creation in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17).

3. The gift of the Holy Spirit.
At the moment of salvation in Jesus, "you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit".  He takes up permanent residence in the life of the believer.  He is the seal and guarantee of our eternal life (Ephesians 1:13-14).  He affirms that we belong to Christ.  "Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him" (Romans 8:9b).

4. Added to the fellowship.
When a person was saved and baptized, they became an official part of the congregation of believers in Jerusalem.  The New Testament knows nothing about "lone ranger" Christians.  True believers gladly engage themselves in a committed body of believers for the purpose of mutual growth and service.  Without this, one will never grow up spiritually and be all that God has designed that person to be.

6 characteristics of Christ's Return

Read Acts 1.

For the forty days between the feasts of Passover and Pentecost, Jesus proved His resurrection from the dead.  Through touch, speech, walking and eating in various places with over 520 different people, the evidence of His bodily resurrection is undeniable.

In His last teaching with the eleven disciples, Jesus reviewed with them again the subject of His coming kingdom on earth.  The way we know that the subject was earthly, not the heavenly one, was due to the question in verse 6 and the use of the word "so".  It had been centuries since a descendant of David had occupied the throne and Israel had enjoyed control over its own nation.  Matthew 1 establishes that Jesus has such a royal right.  But the timing was not right.  There was much to do and much that needed to take place first.

Jesus gave them two charges.  First, to return to Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the predicted baptism of the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit would empower them to accomplish the second charge; that is, to spread the good news of Jesus throughout the world.  As Jesus promised in John 16:7, the Spirit will not come to indwell believers until His departure.

But what about His return?  "This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven." (1:11)

1. He will return visibly.
This will be no secret second coming.  Luke 21:27-"And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory."  Revelation 1:7 repeats this claim-"Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him..."

2. He will return bodily.
This will not be a spiritual return.  "This same Jesus" who ate and was touched will come again.

3. He will return powerfully.
Revelation 19:11-16 describes the scene of Christ's return when with a spoken word from His mouth, all His enemies will be destroyed.

4. He will return geographically.
The ascension took place from the Mount of Olives, about a half a mile from Jerusalem (v.12).  He will return to that same spot.  Zechariah 14:4 is clear, "On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west..."

5. He will return royally.
At that time, all the unfulfilled prophecies concerning His earthly kingdom will take place.  "...and the government shall be upon his shoulder...on the throne of David and over his kingdom..." (Isaiah 9:6-7)  "And the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David..." (Luke 1:32)  "...and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth." (Revelation 5:10)  "...but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years." (Revelation 20:6)

6. He will return suddenly.
"Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." (Matthew 24:44)

When you feel like a Failure

Read John 21.

The Apostle Paul warned, "Therefore let anyone who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall."  (1 Corinthians 10:12)  It is shear hubris on our part any time we think we are not vulnerable to sin.  Peter, like all of us, exemplifies this truth.

When Jesus foretold of His departure at the end of John 13, Peter's response was, "I will lay down my life for you.  Jesus answered, '....the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.'"  Surely, those words stung Peter's character.  Yet, that same night while he warmed himself by a fire, Peter cursed and denied that he even knew Jesus.  He had succumbed to temptation of lying out of fear and self-protection.  The moral failure was sin and he knew it.

Jesus showed Himself alive after the resurrection over the next 50 days, from Passover to Pentecost.  Peter had seen the Lord twice before during that time.  Now, he and some of the other disciples went fishing.  What took place on the shore in this chapter restored Peter in both his relationship with Jesus and with his mission in life.

Several insights are here concerning restoration after a spiritual failure.
1. Jesus took the initiative.
God always does.  A key ministry of the Holy Spirit is to convict of sin (John 16:8).  He will pursue us.  By making His presence known, Jesus provided an open opportunity for Peter to respond and come to Him.  A soft heart is sensitive to the Spirit's prompting.  It is that quiet voice in the conscience.  God can yell loudly at a heart hardened by sin and they do not hear him.

2. Peter came running.
Running to God and wanting His presence is the first step toward repentance.  This in itself did not resolve the problem, but it was a good start.  Running from God is impossible and only makes matters worse.

3. The root issue is a committed love.
Jesus never mentioned the three denials.  However, by asking three times, the comparison must have been unmistakable to Peter.  Jesus went for Peter's heart.  Love may produce emotions and passions, but true love is a commitment.  It shows itself in actions of fidelity.  Peter had been unfaithful and violated his love for the Lord.

4. Peter was still grieving.
He was not just sorry about what had happened.  These are not mere remorseful feelings because he was caught.  This is a repentance, an admission of wrong, and a recommitment of his relationship with Christ.  "For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret..." (2 Corinthians 7:10)

5. Jesus put him back on mission.
There was work to do, people to reach, the Good News to proclaim.  Here, the Good Shepherd recommissioned Peter to fulfill his calling and his duty.  Indeed, like most of the other disciples, Peter would eventually lay down his life for Christ.

"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.  God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape that you may be able to endure it." (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Confusion after the Crucifixion

Read John 20.

It is always fascinating to read again the actual eyewitness accounts of the resurrection of Jesus.  Though He had predicted this at least several times in their hearing, none of His followers were expecting it.  It was not until later that "they remembered his words" (Luke 24:8) and they realized this was God's plan all along.  Further, the Holy Spirit moved John to include "for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead" (v.9).

It is in hindsight that the Old Testament prophetic passages come alive concerning the Messiah.
"...because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered among the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors." (Isaiah 53:12b)
"For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption." (Psalm 16:10)
And, many others.

Notice the initial responses to the good news by those closest to Jesus.
1. Mary.  
She was confused and certain that someone had stolen the body.  Crying, with her head down, she spoke with angels and with Jesus unaware.  It was not until Jesus called her name that she looked up to see who it was.  "Teacher!"  She quickly ran to tell the disciples, "I have seen the Lord."

2. John and Peter.
Upon hearing the first report from Mary, ran to the tomb to see for themselves.  Finding nothing but grave clothes, they were not sure what happened.  They returned home.

3. The Disciples.
They were fearful.  If the authorities could kill Jesus, what would happen to them?   They gathered together behind a locked door.  Suddenly, Jesus appeared in the room.  He spoke peace to their troubled hearts.  Then, He empowered and commissioned them to represent Him.  The message was and is that the full and final payment for sin has been made and that all who come to believe in Jesus as their Savior may be forgiven.  As Jesus explained repeatedly, this is the offer of eternal life through faith in Him alone (John 6:26-29).

4. Thomas.
This is the original doubting Thomas.  He refused to believe in a resurrected Jesus.  Even though the other ten disciples confirmed that they had seen and interacted with the risen Christ, he said unless he could see and touch Jesus for himself "I will never believe."  Jesus waited eight days more to confront Thomas about that statement.  When Jesus appeared, Thomas' only responses were to worship and declare that Jesus was "my Lord and my God!"

The resurrection of Jesus is an historical fact.  Responses today fall in similar categories as above.  Some were confused.  Some did not know.  Some were fearful.  Some disbelieved.  None understood the pertinent Scriptures at the time.  It was the personal encounter with the risen Lord that brought spiritual clarity and prompted the worship of Jesus as God.

8 incongruities of the Cross

Read John 19.

The penalty for sin is death (Ezekiel 18:20).  From Genesis 3, and then instituted in the Law, God made provision for the atonement of sin by an animal substitute.  But those repeated sacrifices only covered the sin until such time as the suffering Messiah, the ultimate substitute for sin, would come to make a full and final payment.  John, the Baptist, announced Jesus as God's lamb who would do that very thing (John 1:29).

To Joseph, the angel declared in Matthew 1:21, "...you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."  He was born to die.  Knowing these things and the Old Testament prophecies do not lessen the sense of entering holy ground when reading this chapter.  The details of injustice, mistreatment, and crucifixion should stir our emotions, as well as our spiritual response of worship.

From a human perspective in this account, there are many incongruities and sheer nonsense in the back and forth between the parties involved.
1. His ministry was marked by healing people and teaching God's word.  However, in 18:30, the accusation against Jesus when He was arrested was "doing evil."
2. In 18:38 and 19:4, Pilate announced, "I find no guilt in him."  Then, Pilate ordered Jesus flogged whom he just declared to be innocent.
3. Jesus had the royal right to the throne of David (Matthew 1).  He told Pilate straight out that He was a king (18:33-36).  Yet, the governor turned Jesus over to his soldiers to mock, ridicule and physically abuse Him.
4. Though declared not guilty, the chief priests and officers of the Temple demanded crucifixion.  Why?  Because Jesus claimed to be God.  Under the Law, such blasphemy would have meant stoning to death.  But this was not blasphemy.  Jesus was indeed God in the flesh (John 1:1-18).
5. When Pilate heard this new charge against Jesus, he was struck with fear.  The very thought of sentencing God in the flesh should have done more than strike fear in him.  In 19:8-9, he asked Jesus, "Where are you from?"  Jesus did not need to answer because He already did in 18:36.
6. Pilate's claim to authority in 19:10-11 was invalid.  All judgmental authority belongs to Jesus (John 5:27).
7. While the Jewish leaders accused Jesus of doing evil, in 19:11 Jesus, the Righteous Judge, declared them to have "greater sin" than Pilate.  This indicates that there are degrees of sin and punishment.
8. "Behold your king!", said Pilate.  But in 19:14-16, the positional religious leaders of Israel responded, "We have no king but Caesar."  The truth is they hated the Romans.  Devout Jews longed for God's rule and the restoration of a Davidic king.

But God was and is in control.  All things took place exactly as planned before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8).  John's eyewitness account of these true happenings are so "that you also may believe." (John 19:35)