Summing Up

Acts 3:18-21

But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.

N. T. Wright, Acts for Everyone (Part One)

Peter, you see, is claiming much more than simply a few random proof-texts . . . . He is understanding the Old Testament as a single great story which was constantly pointing forward to something that God was going to do through Abraham and his family, something that Moses, Samuel, Isaiah and the rest were pointing on towards as well. This great Something was the restoration of all things, the time when everything would be put right at last. And now, he says, it’s happened! It’s happened in Jesus! And you can be part of it (59).

Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, anyone who turns away from the life they’ve been leading and turns to God instead . . . anyone can know in advance the joy of being forgiven, of being refreshed by the love and mercy of God, of discovering new life and purpose in following Jesus (59-60).

Aaron Orendorff

Peter’s sermon (his appeal)—prompted by the miraculous healing of a well-known, crippled beggar just outside Temple gates—unfolds in three parts. First, the gospel proclaimed: Jesus died—that is, he was crucified, “denied . . . delivered over . . . killed” (vv. 13-15)—and was raised—“glorified,” Peter says, by “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Second, the gospel response: faith in Jesus as the “Holy and Righteous One . . . the Author [or Ruler] of life” and repentance—“turning every one of you from your wickedness.” Third, the gospel results: (1) the forgiveness of sins, (2) times of refreshing in the present and (3) the restoration of all things in the future.