18 April 2021
‘And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out,
Acts 3: 13-15, 17-19, NRSV
These words from Peter were part of his explanation to the crowds of the first miracle (the healing of a lame man) worked through them by the power of the Holy Spirit. Whilst he laid the blame for Christ’s rejection and death on those he was talking to and their leaders, he also acknowledged that they had not fully understood what they were doing. Peter did not want to make his listeners simply feel bad about what they had or had not done. He called the people “brothers” and called them to repent, to turn their lives around so that their sins could be forgiven and so that they could look to the future with hope.
- How might Peter’s words have affected the people he was speaking to?
- Do Peter’s words apply to us?
Invite Jesus to help you to view any difficulties you are experiencing through his eyes.
