Acts 3:24-26
24. Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.
When the priesthood failed in Eli (1 Sam. 4:18), the people no longer had a way to be brought into the presence of God. He graciously raises up prophets who will bring Him through His Word to them.
God’s prophets speak the same truth, for He and His truth never change (Mal. 3:6). That truth centers upon His beloved Son (John 14:6). May we hold the truth of God taught us by “faithful men” (2 Tim. 2:2), speak “the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15), teach “the same thing” (1 Cor. 1:10) and receive the truth sent for our present need (1 Thess. 2:13).
25. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
They were the descendents (the seed of Abraham) of those who preached the coming Messiah. It was with their fathers that God had made His covenant. Yet they were guilty of casting out and murdering the One in whom all these promises were to be fully realized. Without faith, position and knowledge are helpless to produce blessing. Being raised in a Christian home and being brought to the bosom of the assembly—great blessings indeed—do not automatically impart reality before God.
26. Unto you first God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
The Lord Jesus as Messiah had come, sent from God to the people in order to turn them from their sin and disobedience. And they were the more responsible, for He had come first to them. With privilege comes solemn responsibility.
Acts 4:1-15
1. And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them.
Satan uses the religious leaders of that privileged nation in order to stifle divine truth. The nation had drifted far from God, for its leaders openly taught evil doctrine concerning the resurrection (Mark 12:18; Acts 23:8). It is so today—Christianity, which ought to have been a beacon of pure truth, has become the dwelling-place of every foul and wicked Christ-dishonoring doctrine (Matt. 13:32; Rev. 18:2).
2. Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
“Being grieved” at the truth! The awful result of giving up what once they possessed, they chose a liar rather than the Truth. Thus the truth of life from death through resurrection—hope and joy to believers—is a source of grief to them. How blind a dead, faithless religion makes man (Matt. 15:14)! They chose a hopeless grave, rather then bow before Jesus—the Prince of Life!
3. And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.
It was morally “eventide” in the hearts of these servants of Satan. Earlier, the enemy had sought to turn aside God’s blessing, by using men to “mock” (Acts 2:13). Now the enemy seeks to “shut up” the testimony by physical, rather than verbal, means. Joseph—a blessing in prison just as much as when in Potiphar’s house or Pharaoh’s court (Gen. 39-40)—gives wonderful encouragement today when the enemy is so busy hindering the truth of God.
4. Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
The apostles are put in hold, unable to preach the truth in full liberty—but the Spirit of God is not restrained. The company of believers keeps growing. We needn’t give up preaching and spreading the truth of God. The power (the Spirit) is the same and the Word is the same, and He promises the truth will not return to Him void (Isa. 55:11).
56. And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes, and Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.
The whole responsible leadership of the Jews is represented here and they take sides against Jehovah and His Christ. It is not the Gentiles, but the very leaders of the Jewish nation who were responsible before God and who gather together against the truth. Professing Christianity is fast moving to this same gross darkness and unbelief (Matt. 6:23).
7. And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?
They couldn’t deny the miracle, but having “denied the Holy One and the Just” (Acts 3:14), they are blinded as to the power that worked this healing. The actions of our lives ought to cause those around to ask “by what power” we are enabled to walk in peace through this dark world (1 Peter 3:15).
8. Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel.
The solemn message—directed to those most responsible for the death of the Messiah—must be given by one under the control of the Spirit of God. Believers are to be filled with the Spirit of God (Eph. 5:18). Only then can a truly effective, fruitful testimony for Christ be rendered in this world.
9. If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole.
“If we be examined.” Christians will always be scrutinized by the world. May the world only find “good deeds” to examine in our lives, rather than things which dishonor the Lord (1 Peter 3:17).
10. Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by Him doth this man stand here before you whole.
What an indictment! The despised name of Jesus and their horrible guilt concerning Him and God’s complete satisfaction were gloriously shown in His resurrection. And before their very eyes, the healed cripple gave proof to the truth they denied.
11. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
Building a happy life that glorifies God must start with this Stone—Jesus Christ—rejected in the world, yet chosen of God and precious (1 Peter 2:4). They wanted their place and nation (John 11:48) but rejected God’s foundation for getting that blessing.
12. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
The blessed name of Jesus, so hated of the Jews, is the only hope for them and the world. The urgency of Peter’s message is found in the words, “must be saved”—not “can be saved.” Salvation is not a choice left to man’s will; it is a must, and solemn, eternal issues rest on obeying the gospel.
13. Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
It was not so much the words that Peter and John spoke, but the manner of their bold testimony that surprised these learned religious antagonists (Prov. 28:1). They saw more with their eyes than they heard with their ears. What they saw caused them to marvel, knowing the apostles—unlettered and uninstructed men (JND)—had been with Jesus. Here again we see the Spirit press the importance of our actions over our words.
14. And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
The healed cripple didn’t talk, he didn’t walk, he didn’t leap—he stood. For him it was now a time of standing with those who proclaimed the truth. What a powerful silent testimony to Peter’s words he gave! We need wisdom and grace to act thus, “and having done all, to stand” (Eph. 6:13).
15. But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves.
No room for divine truth in this group! Their deliberations were among themselves—God in whom they boasted was left out. The subject was how to stifle the truth they could not deny, even as they had tried to stifle the truth of His glorious resurrection (Matt. 28:12-13).
Ed.