Acts 3 Commentary
Just as Peter had explained the “speaking of strange tongues”, he now explains the healing of the lame man. And it isn’t the usual “Glory to God” Christian slogan but a detailed account of the healing. Jesus has done it. We shouldn’t tire of explaining who this Jesus is.
The healing has nothing to do with the saint’s power or godliness. It is by faith in the name of Jesus.
Peter doesn’t hold the secret healing key to himself. Everyone must know what it is: “Faith in the name of Jesus”.
Then Peter the Messiah Jesus from the scriptures that his audience understood very well. The Messiah would be Isaiah’s Servant. Isaiah 53. “Man of Sorrows” – punished for our iniquities.
Jesus is the Prophet that Moses talked about.
And Samuel? What did he say about Jesus? Peter is probably referring to the entire body of scripture. Nevertheless, an important function of the great prophet Samuel speaks volumes about Jesus. Samuel anointed Israel’s first two kings, first Saul and then David. When things go wrong with the first king (Saul), God tells Samuel that the LORD God doesn’t look at outward appearance, like men do. Isn’t the LORD talking about a man whose appearance was anything but “kingly”?
Isn’t Jesus the man after God’s heart, the beloved Son of God?
So, Samuel anointed the young David – the shepherd-king. It is a title we know he held until the real owner showed up. The Good Shepherd is actually King Jesus!
Probably in keeping with Peter’s character, he speaks severally about ‘countless’ subjects within a short period. None of them is developed fully but the Bible student knows exactly what Peter is talking about. His audience can pick it up better than us today as they understand the scripture well.
This chapter isn’t even longer than 26 verses yet we have several mentions: Abraham, Isaac, and consequently, the Covenant – the Old Testament; we have Moses and then Samuel and the rest of the prophets; we have references to Isaiah’s suffering Servant (Isaiah 53); we also have references to the second coming of the LORD Jesus.
His sermon is focused on repentance. He would not spend God’s time proving his brilliance and knowledge of the scriptures. The Holy Spirit has a mission and we shouldn’t waste time complicating the message. Let the people repent and come to the personal knowledge of Jesus.
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