Just the Beginning

Old Mystic, April 26, 2009
Acts 3:11-21

Summary

As Peter addresses the crowd at the entrance of the Temple, the signs of the Kingdom, of God’s powerful presence in the world among human beings, continue to point to Jesus as the Redeemer and are a challenge to believe and to be transformed.

Sermon

Haven’t we lost that sense of awe that captured the imagination of the increasing number of followers of the disciples after Jesus’ ascension? For many 21st century onlookers, some of the accounts of miracles and wonders contained in the book of Acts are hardly credible. We modern and post-modern observers have become very rationalistic and even skeptic about signs and wonders. We want to affirm that for God everything is possible yet we tend to limit God’s actions in the present time to what is “natural” or has a “plausible rational explanation.” We even dare to confine God’s manifestations to a past dispensation, saying that those miracles belong to the apostolic era. I believe that God’s power and intentions to act, reveal, and bless us are the same today as they have always been.

But who are we to judge God’s ways? Whatever way God chooses to speak to us, it is God’s way and I believe we are barely discovering those ways! Sometimes we are kind of trapped by the “letter” of the Scriptures and we fail to “hear” the Word from a God that wants us to find him in the Bible—not just the rules for safe and successful living. Are miracles possible today? Yes they are. But if we are looking for miracles to help us in our particular situations, or as a proof of God’s existence, or as a way to strengthen our faith, we are missing the point. God can speak through wonders, common experiences, current events, Biblical and contemporary prophets, and stories, both Biblical and non-Biblical. But the whole point is that God appears in history—past and present, in our lives, churches, communities, and situations through signs. And those signs are powerful and promising because they are signs of the Kingdom. When lives are healed, where there is hope, loving relationships, when the hungry fed, the naked covered, and the imprisoned visited, we have clear signs of God’s doing. When we see a joyful community that celebrates life, people caring for one another, volunteers mobilizing to help in disaster areas, or missionaries leaving everything behind to minister to underserved populations, we have clear signs of the kingdom. And they all point to Jesus, “The Pioneer and perfecter of our faith.”

There is no question that it was all about Jesus for the disciples in our story. Great things had happened in a very short period of time. They had seen the wonders performed by him. They had heard his stories and parables. They were witnesses to the atrocity of the cross, but also saw Jesus raised from the dead and ascending to heaven. They received the blessing of the filling of the Holy Spirit in Pentecost. God used them to heal a paralytic who had been born that way. It was clear for Peter, that Jesus, the one who was denied by the people and delivered to be crucified, was and is the “Holy and Righteous one… the Author of life.” And Peter, having gone through a powerful transformation from the impetuous and fearful fisherman to the brave and valiant preacher, declares with passion that all the signs point to Jesus Christ.

But many of the bystanders were just watching, not understanding, trying to grapple with the events and with what was being revealed. As Peter addressed them, he said, “why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk?” Full of wonder and amazement they were just watching. In all honesty, I cannot blame them. I have felt so many times that is so much safer to stay on the sidelines and watch to “see what happens.” Many of these onlookers, were aware of the injustice that was being committed when they crucified Jesus but they were not sure. It was too risky to say anything in his behalf.

Unfortunately, there are many still watching in this 21st century. And the doubts have grown because the once unquestionable truth of Christianity is now challenged by other ideas religious or secular in the post-modern spiritual landscape of our age. The church is no exception: many remain faithful to the institution, to the community, to the tradition, and the history, but it seems like they have lost the focus. They dwell on these symbols as if they were the end themselves. But these are also signs that point to Jesus Christ! We are the church, we have a church, we have hope, we are who we are, and we have the potential to be like him if we believe and surrender to Jesus Christ.

Peter is calling the people gathered at the Portico of Solomon to invite them to believe. And he is not as polite as most of us modern preachers are. He took the opportunity to remind them that they had denied Jesus, had requested a murderer to be released in his place, and had delivered him to be crucified. Quite an accusation! But Peter also calls to their attention that all the signs, wonders, and miracles point to Jesus so they would believe. His message is clearly implicit in his speech: God glorified Jesus; he is the Holy and Righteous one; he is the Author of life. Jesus continues to be God’s greatest revelation and the appeal is the same today as it was on the first century: believe in him, embrace him, and walk with him.

If there are any signs of goodness in the world; if we see seeds of love among human beings; if men and women are making peace; if a child keeps on smiling in spite of being stricken by poverty and malnutrition; if we hear words of hope and the expectation of a future, it is God’s work in Jesus Christ.

Peter’s sermon reaches its climax at the end of the passage. It is the moment of the challenge; the call to repent. “Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord…” To repent is to turn round; to change; to be transformed. It is not just a matter of overcoming being legally bound by our sins. What is being offered is a transformation that anticipates “times of refreshing” of which we are barely seeing signs. Repentance is not just a liberation from being condemned; it is foremost the opportunity to walk in a new life of hope, of possibilities, of love, and joy.

Sometimes it seems that we have become too far detached from this new life. There’s neither much joy, nor any sense of purpose, nor a vision for the future. It very often seems like we are just going through the motions. Yet, the message is the same, still fresh and calling us. We can be transformed!

The signs from God keep on coming. God is in the world and working. In spite of the fact that many things are so wrong we can still be hopeful because all those signs that speak through the Scriptures; all the wonders of the past and the present; the life of Jesus and the presence of the Holy Spirit; all these things continue to point to the hope of the kingdom, a new order completely different to the world order as we know it; a kingdom of love, peace, and justice. Let us rejoice in the signs, believe in Jesus the Christ, and be transformed by his unequaled power. That is just the beginning.