"Why Do You Wonder?"

Link to sercice: https://youtu.be/jcRsQbhu31Y

Sermon Manuscript: "Why Do You Wonder?"

Why Do You Wonder?

January 15, 2023

Read Acts 3:11-26

This is the Word of the LORD.

Today we continue with the miraculous healing episode we began last week.  As you may recall, chapter 3 began with Peter and John minding their own business going into the temple for afternoon prayer.  They encountered a man lame since birth who asked them for alms.  Peter said to him, “Look at us.”  Then, he said, ““I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.”  And the man did.

Our sermon text today moves us past the miracle to Peter’s explanation of what happened.  The man clung to Peter and John as they entered the inner portion of the temple – something the man had never been able to do because he was considered ritually unclean because of his disability –and people gathered around, astonished at what they were seeing.

The key sentence in Peter’s whole response was, “And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.”

What is “faith in his name”?

First, let me address what it is not.  It is not an incantation with magical power to wield as a witch or wizard.  We will read more about that in later chapters in Acts.  In other words, it is not a secret knowledge that if you say correctly, you can do all sorts of miraculous things.

The name of Jesus also is not a “prayer convention.”  It is not a formulaic tag line to append to the end of a prayer like the salutation at the end of a letter.  For Peter it is much, much more than a convention.

So, what is it?  Faith in Jesus’ name is the embrace of Jesus’ identity, Jesus’ mission, and Jesus’ ushering in of the Kingdom of God he proclaimed.  If you look at what Peter said, it is clear that he was putting the miracle performed through him in context like Jesus had: it was a manifestation of the power of the Kingdom of God Jesus proclaimed.  Everything Peter said here pointed to what God had done, was doing, and would do to bring about the kingdom of heaven.

Peter looked back.  He began his response by specifically referring to the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the “God of our ancestors.”  To this audience in the Temple area of Jerusalem, that would be a direct reference to the God who was remembered and worshiped right where they were.

The God they worshiped was the God of their ancestors.  The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob was the God who delivered the people from bondage and slavery in Egypt.  Moses had been his servant, able to do great things because of the power worked through him by God.

The God they worshiped was the God with the name delivered to Moses at the burning bush.  Peter’s emphasis on the name of Jesus can be confusing to us; but to the Peter’s listeners, there would be the recognition that Peter was saying Jesus’ name was equivalent to the name given to Moses.  Declaring or believing on Jesus’ name encompassed divine presence and power.  Peter was saying that the power revealed in this healing was the very power of God they claimed to worship.

In short: Peter was saying to them, “look around.”  Reminders of God’s power were all around.  God’s remembered power was on display, so why did they wonder about this expression of it?  Was God not supposed to be here?  Was God not allowed to act here? Was God just a tradition, a way of making people feel good or special; or, was God true, real, and actually powerful?  The healing of this man made the issue very real for them – what was happening?

Before we get feeling too good about ourselves because we know what was happening there, let me ask you the same: we gather here in the sanctuary with an empty cross at the front – a reminder of the power of God on display in the resurrection.  Do we look, see, or anticipate God’s power to be on display around us today?  Is God allowed to show up here; to act here?  Do we believe God is here today?  Is God just a tradition, a way of life that makes us feel good or special; or, is God true, real, and actually powerful?

One of the reasons why the church seems so irrelevant in our culture today – aside from the world’s rejection of God – is that church people act as if God was something important back then, but is not particularly relevant or active today.  I do not think that is accurate, true, or healthy.  We cannot believe God acted powerfully in the past without considering and looking to see how God is acting powerfully in the present.

Peter began his explanation of the miracle by making contemporary the presence of the living God who had been faithful through the generations.  We need to hear that and realize that the living God has been faithful through the generations; and continues to be faithful until and including today.

Then, Peter observed the present.  Remember, Peter was speaking within a few short months of the resurrection.  He observed for the crowd that this God of their ancestors “glorified his servant Jesus.”  If the resurrection glory was real, why would a healing be so astounding?

But pay attention to how Peter described God’s power in action.  Look at how God glorified his servant Jesus.  God glorified Jesus by acting in God’s way despite – and because of – the rejection of the very people who were astounded at this miracle. Peter did not mince words or candy-coat the facts.  He did a compare/contrast essay for them:

1. You handed him over to Pilate and rejected him, even though Pilate wanted to release him;
2. You rejected the Holy One of Israel and chose a murderer to be released;
3. You killed the Author of Life, but God raised him from the dead.

That was pretty abrasive rhetoric for a “chosen” people.  However, it was the truth. Peter was making the point that God was not subject to human authority.  God was not bound by their approval, acceptance, choice, or even violence.

The same abrasive rhetoric could be applied to our context today, too.  God is not dependent upon the approval or acceptance of people in order for him to be God.  God is God.  Period.

We need to hear this because our culture seems to be confused on this point.  God is not dependent upon people choosing him to be God.  He is not dependent upon people believing that he is God to be God.  I had a conversation with a man this week who was lamenting difficult days in his life, saying it made him question whether God was real.  He seemed a little stung when I said definitively, “God is real. God is.”  Then, he said, “I have a difficult time believing in God.  When all these hard things are happening to me, I just wonder how God could be real.”  My response was, “Believe or do not believe, but God is real.  He is not waiting to exist for you to believe.”

That may sound insensitive to you, but as I have grown older and had more of these kinds of conversations, I have realized what many people are looking for is sympathy, pity, and an excuse to continue in destructive behavior while blaming their plight on God.  Please hear me: I am talking about people who are experiencing the consequences of bad choices made over a long period of time.  Their circumstances may be sympathetic and pitiable.  However, it does not do people any good to affirm the self-delusion that God carries the obligation to serve them; that is, to make life pleasing for them by protecting them from their own choices and behavior.  This notion that God is waiting for them to make up their minds is a death trap.

Now, there are a lot of people who do believe and are suffering.  That is different. For those who believe, suffering drives them to dependence and trusting God to persevere. Yes, they may experience doubt; but that doubt is met with faith: the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen.  If this describes you – you are hurting, ill, anxious, or experiencing hard times of your own making or not – hold fast to God through the doubt and wonder.  Trust that God is holding you.

The question is how to have strength to remain faithful; not if to be faithful and believe.  If God’s existence is dependent on your belief based on your circumstances, you are not contemplating the living God.  If you are dependent upon God in the midst of the brokenness of the circumstances of this world, trusting in the assured hope of the day to come by God’s grace in Jesus, you have your eyes on the living God.

Peter was clear that God glorified Jesus despite the rejection of Israel.  Though Israel (that’s who Peter was addressing at this point) had rejected him, chose a murderer over him, and had him killed, God raised from the dead the Author of Life.  Peter and John were witnesses of that resurrection.  That was power.  That was divine power. The juxtaposition between “you” and “but God” was the ultimate expression of the divine power of the kingdom of God Jesus had proclaimed and demonstrated.

Because of what God had done in raising Jesus from the dead, faith in his name made this man strong.  The crowd could not deny what they were witnessing.  Some sort of power had been demonstrated.  Some sort of power made this happen.  There was no doubt that the man had been made strong.  The people there knew this guy.  They had known this guy.  They now saw the guy – and he was like a completely different guy. This guy who had been lame from birth was now strong enough to stand, walk, and jump.  The same power that raised Jesus from the dead made this guy whole again.

They could not help but see.

Neither can we.  I want you to remember the baptisms we have celebrated in the last few months.  These have been profession of faith baptisms; lives transformed by the power of the living God in the name of Jesus Christ.  That is just one example.  Without working very hard, I am confident we could share abundant observations and experiences of lives transformed by the power of God in the name of Jesus Christ.

Here is what I want you to see about this: Faith in Jesus’ name is the embrace of Jesus’ identity, Jesus’ mission, and Jesus’ ushering in of the Kingdom of God he proclaimed. If you look at what Peter said, it is clear that he was putting the miracle in context like Jesus had: it was a manifestation of the presence and power of the Kingdom of God Jesus proclaimed.

We need not wonder when God’s power shows up. Be amazed and rejoice?  Sure. Wonder?  We do not have to wonder.

Peter charged them with the future.  As rough as was Peter’s description of what had happened, Peter also included the promise of the future.  The promise of the kingdom was still open to all – including those who had acted in ignorance – but according to God’s plan – in rejecting the Messiah.

Peter said, “Repent.”  Just as he had said at Pentecost, Peter said, “Repent.”  Wake up. Look.  See.  Turn from how you are.  Turn to God.  “Turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out.”  And then, the promised future: “so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah appointed for you, that is, Jesus, who must remain in heaven until the time of universal restoration that God announced so long ago.”  This is the second coming.  Peter declared to that gathered crowd that they needed to repent and turn to God before Jesus returned so that their sins might be wiped out and they would be ready to come into the presence of the holy one.

This is part of the mystery of God’s faithfulness to Israel; how God will fulfill the covenant promises made to Abraham and others.  We are not going to cover or explain that today other than with what Paul wrote in Romans 11:

So that you may not claim to be wiser than you are, brothers and sisters, I want you to understand this mystery: a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.  And so all Israel will be saved; as it is written,

      “Out of Zion will come the Deliverer;

                     he will banish ungodliness from Jacob.”

      “And this is my covenant with them,

                     when I take away their sins.”

As regards the gospel they are enemies of God for your sake; but as regards election they are beloved, for the sake of their ancestors; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.  Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy.  For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all.

It is overwhelming and beyond our capacity to understand what God is doing and will be doing.  Yet, the one thing that is clear is: the kingdom of God is coming.

The full realization of the kingdom of God is coming.  As the healing showed, the kingdom was already present – the power of Jesus’ name was the power of the kingdom present in their midst.  There were others not healed that day, so brokenness was not ended that day.  Instead, the healing was a demonstration of what the full kingdom will be.  The full realization of the kingdom was yet to be fulfilled – is yet to be fulfilled – but it will be.

The promise was – and is – eternal life as citizens of the kingdom of heaven.  We talk about this most often at memorials as those who have gathered to give thanks for the life of a loved one are seeking comfort . It is important we talk about it then, but it also is important for us to talk about now, here, in the day-to-day of life.

The promise is that those who are in Christ have been adopted as children of the King of heaven, brothers and sisters with Christ.  Now, the kingdom of heaven is difficult for us to imagine.  Pearly gates, streets of gold, everlasting light, the immediate face-to-face presence of God; these are all a part of the heavenly experience.

Scripture tells us that the fulfilled kingdom of heaven will be awesome.

Some of you have heard this: for me, the best image of the kingdom of God was something I experienced in ministry in San Diego.  My office was right above the Preschool playground.  Every morning, there was quiet – that is, it was quiet until there was an explosion of laughter, running, playing, and joy.  Adventures were taking place. Friendships were being forged.  Love was all around.  The promise of the kingdom of heaven is that we will experience an inexhaustible joy.  The Bible says,

The home of God is among mortals.  He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.”” (Revelation 21:3-4 NRSV)

Though we live in the midst of brokenness and a world that has rejected God, we live in the hope and expectation that the kingdom of God is here and will be fully here in the future.  Scripture has foretold it. Jesus proclaimed it.  The early church lived it – as made manifest in this miracle.  The promise remains true today.

That is exactly what Peter told the crowd that day.  “All the prophets, as many as have spoken, from Samuel and those after him, also predicted these days.  You are the descendants of the prophets and of the covenant that God gave to your ancestors, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your descendants all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’”

In other words, why do you wonder?  This is what God has said all along.  And it is good news.

The Call To Respond

It is good news.  It is great news.  But – to be clear – it is good news that demands a response.

As I mentioned last week, the transformed man’s new life began in worship.  He praised God.  Now, after a miracle like this, praising God seems like a natural response. Further, because of what Peter has said to the man, how Peter emphasized that this happened in the name of Jesus Christ, the man praised God. He worshiped. Enthusiastically. Joyfully.  Thankfully.  

For the rest of the crowd, the response that Peter revealed was straight-forward: “Repent.”  Repent of their rejection of Jesus.  Repent of their choosing death over life. Repent of their efforts to kill the author of life.  Then, turn to God.

The consequence of not responding was also straight-forward: “It will be that everyone who does not listen to that prophet [meaning Jesus] will be utterly rooted out of the people.”  Listen to him.

Friends, let me sum up Peter’s response to the crowd: this great thing?  It is the power of God. It is the power of God who revealed himself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  It is the power of God who raised up Moses.  It is the power of God who spoke through the prophets.  It is the power of God who, at the right time, became incarnate in Jesus Christ.  It is the power of God who raised Jesus from the dead.  It is the power of God who has given all authority in heaven and earth to Jesus and called us to be his witnesses.

The choice is before us from the God who is: repent and turn to God.  Listen to him.

Do you wonder at this?  Why?  It is how God always said it would be.

“When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you, to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”

Amen.

Questions:

1. Do we look, see, or anticipate God’s power to be on display around us today? Is God allowed to show up here; to act here?  Do we believe God is here today?  Is God just a tradition, a way of life that makes us feel good or special; or, is God true, real, and actually powerful?
2. Can you share observations and experiences of lives transformed by the power of God in the name of Jesus Christ? Will you?
3. What is the good news of the promise in which we hope? How would you explain it to someone who is asking questions about “why Jesus?”