Christ Church

A Christmas Sunrise (Advent #1) (Christ Church)

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INTRODUCTION

And the evening and the morning were the eighth day. We should not be surprised at the pattern of darkness and then light, a pattern which we see not only in the creation of the world, but also in the re-creation of all things.

THE TEXT

“I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star” (Revelation 22:16).

THE SETTING AT NIGHT

A number of the events of the first Christmas occurred at night. The angels announced the good news to the shepherds as they watched their flocks by night (Luke 2:18). The wise men followed the star to Jerusalem, and then to Bethlehem, which meant that they were observing it at night (Matt. 2:9). Joseph fled to Egypt with Mary and Jesus, and he did so at night (Matt. 2:14). And one of the most obvious things about Christmas, when we step back and look at it, is that the first Christmas happened in the world’s dark night. Evening, then morning, the eighth day.

It is not for nothing that our Christmas carols have picked up on this theme—“it came upon a midnight clear,” “wake, awake, for night is flying,” “how lovely shines the morning star,” “as the Light of light descendeth from the realms of endless day, that the pow’rs of hell may vanish as the darkness clears away,” “amid the cold of winter when half-spent was the night,” and “disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death’s dark shadows put to flight.”

THE SUN RISES SLOWLY

When the sun rises, it does not happen the way a light comes on in a room when you flip the switch. The sun rises slowly. First you do not know if anything has happened or not. It may be just as dark as it was a moment ago, but maybe not. And some time later, you notice that the eastern sky is not what it was. There is some kind of light there. The stars that have been visible all night begin to disappear. Soon there is just one left—the morning star, the planet Venus, the last indication that day is coming. The next event is for the sun to actually rise, for the day to come.

Christ was born at night, and His arrival was the arrival of the morning star. Note John’s language again. Christ is the root and offspring of David and He is the morning star. He is the one who was born at night, and His birth was the arrival of the morning star. It is important for us to allow Scripture to tell us what time it is. If you did not already know, you could not tell the difference between a pre-dawn darkness and a twilight gloaming. Is the sun going down or coming up?

CHRIST THE MORNING STAR

Christ Himself is the Word of God, and yet you have the Word of God in Your hands. Christ Himself is the day star, the morning star, and yet Peter tells us that to take heed to Scripture is to have the day star arise in our hearts.

“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Pet.1:19-21)

THE LIGHT OF EVERY MAN

Jesus Christ is the light of the world. In the heart of every converted person, He is the light within, the day star in the heart. But whether men are converted or not, blind or not, He is the day star of the world. But it is also important to note that He is the rising sun of the entire world.

“In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended [overcame] it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (John 1:4-9, emphasis mine).

We ought not to think that when men are converted, they each become a little lamp, and if enough of them get converted, they will be able to form a consortium and pool their lamps to try to make a sun. The vision of the coming noontime glory does not depend at all on us trying to get some momentum up. The sun has risen, and it will continue to do what rising suns do.

INDIVIDUAL RESPONSE

Of course, individual response is important, but it is equally important to note what the response is to. The sun has risen. Christ has come. He is the king. The light covers the world. A return to heathen midnight is actually an impossibility. Those who walk in darkness now are doing so in a world suffused with light. This is hard to do—you have to remain blind, or hide in root cellars. There are ways to stay out of the sunlight, but they are difficult to accomplish. Not only so, but as the day passes, they will get increasingly difficult.

“Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes” (1John 1:8-11).

The task of evangelism, now that Christ has risen, is not so much to run around at night, poking our flashlights into corners and cellars. Rather, the task of evangelism is more like pulling back the curtains. “But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light” (Eph. 5: 13-14). Get out of that bed! Christ will shine on you!

SO PASS A LAW?

So the secularists don’t like the first Christmas, and they certainly don’t like the subsequent ones. What are they going to do? Pass a law? This would be worse than King Canute’s acted out parable when he commanded the tide not to come in—this would be Congress passing a law commanding the sun not to shine on places where the First Amendment was in effect.

Such laws, such foolish resistance, can cause short-term grief. Think again of Herod and the little boys he slaughtered. But think also about how ineffectual it all was. Did he stop the morning star from appearing? Did he stop the day from coming? In the same way, we must know that the message of Christmas is not that we have to persuade anybody of anything. The message is far more good news declaration than it is argumentation.

The message is plain. Christ has risen in two distinct senses. He has risen from the grave. He has also risen over the horizon, and He is the sun that will never set.

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Great Grace, Great Fear (Acts of the Apostles #11)

Lindsey Gardner on

INTRODUCTION

We come now to the famous story of Ananias and Sapphira, the moral of which is sometimes thought to be “what happens to chintzy tithers.” But actually, that is not it at all. Many more layers are involved. It is also worth noting that we come across three men named Ananias in the book of Acts. We have this man in our text (Acts 5:1), we have the man who was used to bring Saul of Tarsus into the covenant (Acts 9:10), and the high priest who was so hostile to Paul (Acts 23:2; 24:1). In a figure, we have Achan, we have Joshua, and we have the king of Jericho.  

 

THE TEXT

“But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, and kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God . . . (Acts 5:1–16). 

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

So we come to the well-known story of Ananias and Sapphira (v. 1). He and his wife sold a possession, held back part of the price, and brought the rest to set at the apostles’ feet (v. 2). Peter asked why Satan had moved him to lie to the Holy Spirit about the sale (v. 3). Wasn’t the land theirs? Wasn’t the sale price theirs? Why did he do this? He lied to God, not man (v. 4). At these words, Ananias toppled over dead, and great fear descended on everyone who heard about it (v. 5). The young men carried him off (v. 6). Three hours later, Sapphira came in, not knowing anything about what had happened (v. 7). Peter asked her about the sale price (v. 8), and she confirmed the amount. Peter asked how it came about that they agreed together to tempt the Spirit (v. 9). He said the feet of the men who buried your husband are here for you now (v. 9). She fell down dead, and the same thing happened (v. 10). Fear descended on the church, and on everyone who heard about it (v. 11). The apostles were performing mighty signs, and they were all meeting with one accord in Solomon’s Portico (v. 12). They were feared, but respected (v. 13). Multitudes joined them, men and women both (v. 14). Things got to the point where the shadow of Peter passing by was powerful to heal (v. 15). A multitude of sick people from surrounding towns came to Jerusalem, along with those with demons, and all of them were healed (v. 16).         

THE FONT OF SIN

Peter asks about the origin of this sin in various ways. He first asks how it is that Satan “filled your heart” to do this (v. 2). But in the next verse, he attributes it to Ananias himself (v. 3). Why have you conceived this thing? And then in verse 9, talking with Sapphira, he says “ye have agreed together.” It is apparent that Satan’s working does not displace our own complicity in sin. Such things are not billiard balls.

ALL THINGS IN COMMON

Peter is very plain that the possession was theirs, and theirs to keep. There was no obligation to sell. This was not communism—there was nothing coercive about it. And once they sold and the money was in their hand, it was theirs to keep. The donations from the believers were not being strong-armed from them.

The fact that Jerusalem was doomed was unique, as was the fact that there were so many from out of town. But the spirit of koinonia-unity that these believers enjoyed was not a one-off thing. We see it elsewhere in the New Testament.

“For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened: But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality: As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack” (2 Cor. 8:12–15). 

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD

It is important to note how the lie was directed. It was not a lie told to men (v. 4). Peter says plainly the that lie was told to the Holy Spirit (v. 3), and then in the next verse he says that the lie was told directly to God (v. 4). Hang on to this because it will help to clarify everything in a moment. But we should note in passing that to lie to the Holy Spirit is to lie to God. 

GREAT FEAR

The sin of Ananias and Sapphira was not a lack of generosity, but rather the lie. But more than this, it was the high-handedness and impudence of the lie. It was the context of the lie, and God’s response to their sin simply added a number of layers to that context. Great fear was already the context: “And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles” (Acts 2:43). 

Great fear came to everyone who heard about this (v. 5). Great fear came on the whole church (v. 11), and to everyone else who heard. The fear was so great that no one dared to join them (v. 13) . . . but then it says a bunch of people were joining them anyhow (v. 14)—multitudes, men and women both.

Now think about Achan back at the fall of Jericho. They had marched around the city repeatedly, then seven times in one day, and then they blew the trumpets, and the city walls collapsed. For a man to think that this was the moment for pilfering is a stupefying testament to the blinding power of sin. What do we have there? A doomed city. By furtively hiding a piece of the doomed city, they turned it into spoil. They attached themselves to the land that was devoted to destruction, and so they were the first inhabitants of Jerusalem to fall. The others were selling and letting go, and these two were “kind of” letting go . . . but reluctantly, the way Lot’s wife died looking back at her favorite shopping malls. Talking about the destruction of Jerusalem, who did Jesus say that Sapphira should have remembered? Lot’s wife (Luke 17:32). The lie revealed that they were trying to preserve a bit of the old world, doomed to destruction, carrying it around with them in their pocket.

But it cannot be. You cannot have the new world and the old world both. It must go one way or the other.    

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God’s Hand and Determinate Counsel (Acts of the Apostles #10)

Lindsey Gardner on

Introduction

 The God of all creation is, of necessity, the God of all history. It is not possible to separate the two, and any attempts to separate the two will only land us in chaos and confusion. God is God, and that is the end of it. This is how the early Christians thought and prayed, and this is something that we must learn from them.

 

The Text

“And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done . . .” (Acts 4:23–37).

 

Summary of the Text

So after they were threatened this way, Peter and John were released. They went back to their own people and reported everything (v. 23). When the believers heard this, they lifted up their voice to God (probably singing together) and glorified Him as the Creator of all (v. 24). The Creator is the one who spoke through David, saying “why did the heathen rage? the peoples imagine vanity? the kings resist? the rulers conspire?” (vv. 25-26; Ps. 2:1-2). How was that prophecy fulfilled? Against the anointed Lord Jesus, Herod, Pilate, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel had all conspired to do exactly what God had foreordained for them to do (vv. 27-28). And so, Lord, look at their threats and give your servants two things—boldness to preach, and power to heal in the name of Jesus (vv. 29-30). After they had prayed, the place was shaken, they were all filled with the Spirit, and they declared the Word with boldness (v. 31). The multitude of believers were of one heart and soul, and were not possessive; they held everything in common (v. 32). The apostles testified to the resurrection with great power, and great grace fell upon all of them (v. 33). No one lacked anything because those who had homes and lands sold them, and brought the money in (v. 34), and laid the money at the apostles’ feet so that distribution could be made to the needy (v 35). And Barnabas, who was well-named as a son of encouragement, a Levite from Cyprus, sold his land and brought the money in (v. 37).

Liquidating Assets in a Doomed City

Remember that the Spirit had been poured out when the population of Jerusalem was swollen with pilgrims due to the festival of Pentecost. No doubt many stayed over longer than they had budgeted for. Remember also that the gift of tongues was a harbinger of doom for the city, according to Isaiah, and that Jesus had predicted the destruction of the city. He had also predicted His own resurrection, and then He did it, which validated Him as the prophet Moses had predicted. He was the prophet that you must either believe or die.

We see here that the believers began selling both lands and houses (vv. 34-35), which was the obvious thing to do in the circumstances. This gave them the ability to establish a gigantic deacons’ fund, that would take care of everybody. This was mentioned earlier as well (Acts 2:44). We are introduced to Barnabas as someone who did this (vv. 36-37). As the story of Ananias and Sapphira in the next chapter revolves around this, we will discuss it more there.


Integrated Faith

The Jesus who predicted He would rise from the dead is the same Jesus who predicted that Jerusalem would be leveled. It is the same Jesus

The God who created the heavens and earth, and all in between is the God who inspired David to foretell the fact that the ruling elites would conspire against the Messiah. It is the same God.

We must repent of thinking in bits and pieces.


How They Got to the Conclusion

Any Christian who believes in creatio ex nihilo is a Calvinist in principle. And any Christian who does not believe in creation from nothing is . . . not really a Christian. Notice the reasoning of these early Christians: God created everything > God inspired David to predict what would happen > that is in fact what happened > which means that the enemies of God did exactly what He had foreordained to happen. The reality of creation is one of the premises.

The world is one screwed-up place, and who put it here? The Calvinist says He put it here this way on purpose. The Arminian says He put it here knowing what would happen if He did, which means that it was on purpose also, but with this last part whispered. The open theist says that He put it here knowing what might happen if He did so reckless, and so He closed His eyes with a gambler’s hope, and rolled the dice anyhow.


The Plainest of Statements

This point is made earlier in Acts as well. Jesus “being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain” (Acts 2:23). Notice two elements—determinate purpose of God, first, and wicked hands of men second. There is no contradiction. God foreordains evil actions without being Himself evil, and without turning us into puppets without moral agency.

And here it is stated again, plainly, and with no varnish. Who crucified Jesus? Did Herod sin? Yes (Luke 23:11). Did Pilate sin? Yes (John 19:11). Did the Gentiles sin? Yes (Luke 23:34). Did the Jews sin? Yes (Matt. 27:25). Not mentioned here, but did Judas sin? Yes (John 17:12). And did God foreordain absolutely every last detail of this murder that laid the foundation for your salvation and mine? Amen—“Whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done” (v. 28).

The short form is that if God does not know how to wield sin and evil to His own good and holy purposes, then it follows that God does not know how to save the likes of us.

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No Other Name (Acts of the Apostles #9)

Lindsey Gardner on

INTRODUCTION

The foundation of the Christian church was the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and because His execution had been perpetrated by the authorities, this meant that Christianity was established in defiance of the established authorities. And once the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Lord’s disciples, this also meant that the Body of Christ took shape under exactly the same conditions.

 

THE TEXT

“And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide. Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand . . .” (Acts 4:1–22).

 

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Peter was preaching, but apparently other apostles were there speaking as well (v. 1). As they were doing so, the Temple authorities arrived (v. 1). They were greatly displeased over the fact that the Christians were teaching the people, and over the fact that they were proclaiming the resurrection through Jesus (v. 2). They arrested them (Peter and John), and put them in custody because it was evening by this point (v. 3). Remember that the whole thing had started in the afternoon. In the meantime, the number of men who were believers was now around 5,000, meaning that the number of Christians has approximately tripled since Pentecost (v 4). The next morning the Temple elites assembled, meaning the rulers, elders, scribes, and the extended family of the high priest (vv. 5-6). Peter and John were set down in the middle of them and asked by what power or name this miracle had been done (v. 7). Peter was filled with the Spirit and addressed the rulers and elders, saying that if they were asking about the healing of this crippled man, the miracle had been done by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom they had crucified, and whom God had resurrected (vv. 8-10). Notice the charge of murder again.

Peter then changes the subject from the crippled man to Jesus. The stone that was rejected by the builders—meaning the men Peter was speaking to—has been made the cornerstone, in fulfillment of Psalm 118:22 (v. 11). Salvation is to be found nowhere else, meaning there is no other name under heaven by which men can be saved (v. 12). The elites could see that Peter and John were unpolished and uneducated, marking that they had been companions of Jesus (v. 13), and they marveled. The crippled man had been clinging to them the day before, and had also made a point of coming the next day to their trial. He was right there, and so the rulers could say nothing (v. 14). So they put Peter and John out of the room (v. 15), and conferred among themselves. They couldn’t deny the miracle, although the implication is that they would if they could (v. 16). The best plan they could come up with was to command Peter and John to shut up, which is what they then did (vv. 17-18). Peter and John replied that they did not accept these conditions, and invited their rulers to judge whether or not they should obey them, or obey God (vv. 19-20). At this the leaders blustered, but they really couldn’t do anything because everybody was glorifying God over the healing (v. 21). The healed man was over forty, and presumably had been begging at the Temple for a very long time (v. 22).

 

IF SOMEONE SHOULD COME BACK FROM THE DEAD

In vv. 5-6, we see that this corrupt operation was overseen by a very powerful crime family. Annas was the patriarch, and Caiaphas was his son-in-law, the one who had presided over the trial of Jesus. The Lord had been brought before Annas first (John 18), and then sent on to Caiaphas. It is worth noting that as part of this family Caiaphas had five brothers, who interestingly figure into this.

Right after the raising of Lazarus in John 11, the rulers convened a council in order to figure out what they should do with Jesus (John 11:47), and Caiaphas was there (John 11:49). Remember that Jesus had once told a parable about one Lazarus, the only parable that had a proper name in it (Luke 16:19ff). The antagonist in that parable is a rich man, one clothed in purple and fine linen—clothing that befits a high priest (Ex. 28:5). Moreover, this rich man down in Hades, when he is denied water, asks Abraham to send Lazarus to his father’s house, because he had five brothers. Abraham says that they all had Moses and the prophets. Let them hear them. The rich man says “no, but that they would repent if someone were to rise from the dead.” And Abraham replies that if they wouldn’t respond to the Scriptures, then they wouldn’t be persuaded if someone rose from the dead either. All of this was pointed and prophetic. Jesus raised a man named Lazarus from the dead, and they responded by wanting to kill the miracle worker (John 11:51), not to mention killing the miracle (John 12:9-11). Kill Jesus and kill Lazarus. And then Jesus rose from the dead, and that wasn’t good enough for them either.

 

THE REJECTED STONE

Not only did Scripture prophesy that Jesus would be the cornerstone, but also that He would be the cornerstone that the official builders rejected. That was an essential part of the story of our salvation. That verse (Psalm 118:22) is quoted in the New Testament is quoted five times (Matt. 21:42; Mark 12:10-11; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; 1 Pet. 2:7). It is a very big deal. This brings us back to Peter’s charge—whom you crucified.

 

NO OTHER NAME

A German historian named Ethelbert Stauffer recorded the fact that in the days of the Roman Empire, salvation was to be understood as the prerogative of Caesar. “Salvation is to be found in none other save Augustus, and there is no other name given to men in which they can be saved.” And this puts Peter’s proclamation in a bold new light. Not only did his message collide with the local rulers there in Judea, but Peter was also throwing down a challenge to the entire Roman world. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” We may also take it as something of a thesis statement for the entire book of Acts. Take for example the anecdote from Acts 9:33-35, where Peter heals a man with palsy—a man named Aeneas. That would be (for us) as though Peter had healed a man named George Washington.

It is not possible to preach the kingdom of God without preaching the name of His anointed Prince, who is the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the fundamental Christian confession, which is that Jesus is Lord. It follows that Caesar never is, however much he wants it.

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Healing At the Beautiful Gate (Acts of the Apostles #7)

Joshua Edgren on

INTRODUCTION

 Faith in the power of Christ is not the same thing as faith in the power of faith. In this passage, Peter says explicitly that it was not through their own power or holiness that this remarkable healing was accomplished. Rather it was the power of the risen Christ who did it, using Peter and John as His instrument.

THE TEXT

“Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them . . . But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.” (Acts 3:1–18).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

 Peter and John were going up to the Temple at “the hour of prayer,” which was 3 pm (v. 1). There was a beggar there, lame from birth, who would be carried to the gate that was called Beautiful in order to beg (v. 2). For various reasons, which gate this was is uncertain. He saw Peter and John about to enter, and asked them for alms (v. 3). Peter looked at him directly, together with John, and told him to look at them (v. 4). The man did so, expecting to be given some money (v. 5). Peter made his famous statement, “silver and gold have I none,” and commanded him to rise and walk in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth (v. 6). He took him by the right hand and lifted him up, when he was immediately healed (v. 7). The man jumped up, and went into the Temple with them, walking, leaping, and praising God (v. 8). Everybody saw him (v. 9). They all knew who it was, and so they were stupefied (v. 10). The healed man was hanging on to Peter and John, and everybody gathered in Solomon’s portico, filled with amazement (v. 11). Solomon’s portico was a long colonnade along the eastern side of the Temple complex. Peter saw their wonder, and asked them why they were so amazed. It was not as though they did this thing through their own power or holiness (v. 12). He comes right to the convicting point. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the “God of our fathers,” has glorified His Son Jesus—the one you all delivered up (v. 13). You denied Him before Pilate, when Pilate wanted to release Him (v. 13). But you people denied the Holy and Just One, and demanded that a murderer be released instead (v. 14). So Barabbas went free, and you people killed the Prince of Life—the one that God raised from the dead, as the apostles can witness (v. 15). It is the name of Christ and faith in the name of Christ that restored this cripple, a lame man that all of you recognize (v. 16). Peter acknowledges that their crime was done in ignorance, as also done in ignorance by their rulers (v. 17). But all the things that all the prophets had said would happen in the suffering of the Christ had in fact happened (v. 18).

SILVER AND GOLD

One legend had it that Thomas Aquinas was once talking with the pope, who was counting out a large sum of money. The pope said, “You see, Thomas, the church can no longer say, ‘Silver and gold have I none.’ Thomas replied, ‘That is true, holy father, but neither can she still say, ‘Arise and walk.’’” So just remember that it is extremely difficult to keep money from doing what money always does.

FAITH AND THE FAITHFULNESS OF THE OBJECT

The miracle was accomplished by the name of Christ and by faith in the name of Christ. This was the faith of Peter and John, not the cripple, because the healing of the lame man overtook him from behind. He was expecting something else entirely. Faith needs to be understood as the natural response to the perceived faithfulness of God (Heb. 11:11). By faith Sarah “considered him faithful.” When God is understood to be faithful, that understanding is what faith is. Faith has no power or virtue in itself to suspend itself in mid-air. Faith in faith is impotent and empty. Always look away.

You all believe your chairs will continue to hold you, but it is the chair that is doing the holding, not your faith. You all believe that the roof is not going to fall in, but it is the steel beams that hold the roof up, not your faith. You have all seen those early reels of inventors, pre-Wright brothers, jumping off of bridges with Batman wings. How much faith did they have, and did it keep them from crashing? And you all know about nervous passengers on a jet, terrified at every moment, and yet their fear doesn’t make the plane crash. If you have faith the size of a mustard seed (Matt. 17:20), placed in the right object, then mountains move.

WHOM YOU CRUCIFIED

This is the second random crowd of Jerusalem inhabitants that Peter accuses of murder. He did it twice with the people who assembled at random in response to the gift of tongues (Acts 2:23, 36), and he does it four times here. A random crowd at the Temple gathered in response to a lame man being healed, and Peter charges them with murder multiple times (Acts 3:13,14,15,17). He wants them to know that Christ is the one who healed this man, of course, but he wants them to know that it was the same Christ that they had delivered over to death just a few months before.

Peter allows that they did it in ignorance, just as their rulers did it in ignorance (Acts 3:17). This accords with what Jesus said from the cross—”they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). The obstinacy and high rebellion really begin at the resurrection. When the rulers obtained a guard for the grave, they were not trying to prevent the resurrection.

So these events, the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, constituted the condemnation of Jerusalem, that bloody city. These same events were also salvation, if the people repented and believed, from the consequences of this awful murder. This was their crime, and it was also their salvation.

And the same application can be made for each of us. It was our sin that put Christ on the cross, and Christ on the cross is our deliverance from our sin. So when you look at the cross, you should see your crime. And when you look at the cross you should see your salvation. Only faith can see both. Both what? The impaled bronze serpent (John 3:14) and the Prince of Life (Acts 3:15) are both there.

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