11 While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. 12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. 14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.
17 “Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18 But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. 19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. 21 Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. 22 For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. 23 Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.’[a]
24 “Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets who have spoken have foretold these days. 25 And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’[b] 26 When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”
Acts 3:11-26
One of the hardest things in the world is to admit you were wrong about something. It can look like a lot of things, but for me it happens most often when I'm arguing with my friends and start to realize I'm on the losing side. Not only do you have to face your own pride and see that you're wrong, but you have to acknowledge that fact to your friend too. You basically have to take back things you believed in and swore were true, usually to a pretty smug face ready to roast you and tell you, "I told you so." Luckily for me the topic of argument is normally something that's irrelevant and not about if Jesus was the true Messiah of the world.
The Israelites weren't as fortunate. In this section of Acts, Peter is preaching in the temple and is telling the Isrealites how wrong they were in denying Jesus. Peter tells them they denied His Holy presence multiple times and was the reason He was killed. Talk about having to take back things you said and done. However continuing on Peter doesn't roast the Israelites for how wrong they were or what they did, rather he tells them about life with Jesus now.
See the amazing part about Jesus is that He knows we've denied him or wronged him before. Maybe we didn't literally turn Him into authorities to be killed, but in some shape we sinned and went against what Jesus wanted for us. Even still, He just wants us to turn back to Him and God. Jesus won't hold our past against us, He's just glad we're not turning away from Him anymore. This is exactly what Peter tells the Israelites, "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord." He's telling them just admit your wrongs and believe in Jesus now! Peter tells them if they do their sins will be forgiven, and their spirits will be "refreshed" with the Holy Spirit. And the same is true for us today. You've never done too much and it's never too late to repent and accept Jesus into our own lives.
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