\u201cWe need to talk.\u201d Perhaps we can all relate to the inner cringe that happens when you hear these words or read them in a text message. Sometimes it\u2019s nothing, but often it\u2019s the prelude to a hard conversation. Conflict is part of making life together, and healthy relationships mean calling each other out from time to time. When done from a place of love and respect, hard conversations can be the start of great healing. That\u2019s what we see happening in Peter\u2019s electrifying sermon at Solomon\u2019s Colonnade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Peter and John arrived for afternoon prayer, they met a man who was \u201clame from birth\u201d (Acts 3:2), a daily sight at the temple gate. He asked for spare change, but Peter gave him something far more valuable\u2014healing for his broken body. And of course, the crowd noticed. This once invisible beggar was \u201cwalking, leaping, and praising God,\u201d and \u201cthey were filled with awe and astonishment at what had happened to him\u201d (Acts 3:8,10).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No doubt Jerusalem was still buzzing with rumors about Jesus\u2019s resurrection. And here, once again, miracles were springing up around two of Jesus\u2019s closest followers. And this is where Peter started a sermon that might as well have begun, \u201cWe need to talk.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, has glorified his servant Jesus,\u201d Peter claims before issuing a volley of strong accusations. \u201cYou,\u201d he says to these devout worshipers, \u201chanded [him] over….You denied the Holy and Righteous One….You killed the source of life, whom God raised from the dead\u201d (vv.13\u201315).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But even these strong words couldn\u2019t break their familial bond. He called them \u201cbrothers and sisters,\u201d even as he begged them to \u201crepent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out, that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord\u201d (vv.17,19\u201320). He called them fellow Israelites, appealing to the heritage and promise they shared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s a striking response. But Peter knew what it is to repent, to be forgiven, to be refreshed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Though they killed the source of life, an invitation to resurrection awaited. Though it would make sense for Jesus\u2019s closest friends and followers to cut them off, Peter called them family. Though feeling the weight of sin called out can bring a whole set of painful emotions\u2014shame, guilt, embarrassment, and regret\u2014Peter\u2019s sermon is a reminder that it doesn\u2019t have to mean the fracturing of relationships. This calling back into community, to repentance, is one more step toward healing and restoration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The good news of Jesus\u2019s resurrection is victory over death, not just in our bodies. There\u2019s hope for the healing of everything broken and an opportunity to restore humanity to life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cWe need to talk.\u201d Perhaps we can all relate to the inner cringe that happens when you hear these words or read them in a text message. Sometimes it\u2019s nothing, but often it\u2019s the prelude to a hard conversation. Conflict is part of making life together, and healthy relationships mean calling each other out from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":70,"featured_media":72916,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[308],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-73135","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-acts26"],"acf":{"hero_background_image":false,"related_plans":[73104],"weekly_truth":false,"grace_day":false,"share_text":"#SheReadsTruth","devotional_text":"PREACHING IN SOLOMON'S COLONNADE<\/b>
\r\nby Jen Yokel<\/i>
\r\n
\u201cWe need to talk.\u201d Perhaps we can all relate to the inner cringe that happens when you hear these words or read them in a text message. Sometimes it\u2019s nothing, but often it\u2019s the prelude to a hard conversation. Conflict is part of making life together, and healthy relationships mean calling each other out from time to time. When done from a place of love and respect, hard conversations can be the start of great healing. That\u2019s what we see happening in Peter\u2019s electrifying sermon at Solomon\u2019s Colonnade.<\/p>
\r\n
As Peter and John arrived for afternoon prayer, they met a man who was \u201clame from birth\u201d (Acts 3:2), a daily sight at the temple gate. He asked for spare change, but Peter gave him something far more valuable\u2014healing for his broken body. And of course, the crowd noticed. This once invisible beggar was \u201cwalking, leaping, and praising God,\u201d and \u201cthey were filled with awe and astonishment at what had happened to him\u201d (Acts 3:8,10).<\/p>
\r\n
No doubt Jerusalem was still buzzing with rumors about Jesus\u2019s resurrection. And here, once again, miracles were springing up around two of Jesus\u2019s closest followers. And this is where Peter started a sermon that might as well have begun, \u201cWe need to talk.\u201d<\/p>
\r\n
\u201cThe God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, has glorified his servant Jesus,\u201d Peter claims before issuing a volley of strong accusations. \u201cYou,\u201d he says to these devout worshipers, \u201chanded [him] over....You denied the Holy and Righteous One....You killed the source of life, whom God raised from the dead\u201d (vv.13\u201315).<\/p>
\r\n
But even these strong words couldn\u2019t break their familial bond. He called them \u201cbrothers and sisters,\u201d even as he begged them to \u201crepent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out, that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord\u201d (vv.17,19\u201320). He called them fellow Israelites, appealing to the heritage and promise they shared.<\/p>
\r\n
It\u2019s a striking response. But Peter knew what it is to repent, to be forgiven, to be refreshed.<\/p>
\r\n
Though they killed the source of life, an invitation to resurrection awaited. Though it would make sense for Jesus\u2019s closest friends and followers to cut them off, Peter called them family. Though feeling the weight of sin called out can bring a whole set of painful emotions\u2014shame, guilt, embarrassment, and regret\u2014Peter\u2019s sermon is a reminder that it doesn\u2019t have to mean the fracturing of relationships. This calling back into community, to repentance, is one more step toward healing and restoration.<\/p>
\r\n
The good news of Jesus\u2019s resurrection is victory over death, not just in our bodies. There\u2019s hope for the healing of everything broken and an opportunity to restore humanity to life.<\/p>","share_image_height":"640","day_number":"3","scripture":"Acts 3:1-26, Deuteronomy 18:17-19, Mark 1:14-15","available":true,"ad_banner_name":"","ad_banner_image":false,"ad_banner_url":"","songs":"","key_verse":"","key_verse_reference":"","background_image":false,"background_color":"#FBF7F3","scripture_references":false,"share_image":false,"author_name":"","author_bio":"","guest_social_media":false,"show_ad":true,"ad_override":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shereadstruth.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73135","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shereadstruth.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shereadstruth.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shereadstruth.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/70"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shereadstruth.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73135"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/shereadstruth.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73135\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shereadstruth.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72916"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shereadstruth.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73135"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shereadstruth.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73135"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shereadstruth.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73135"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}