##DailyDevotion You Killed The Author Of Life But God Raised Him From The Dead
Acts 3:11–16 11As he clung to Peter and John, all the people came running together to them in Solomon’s Porch, as it was called. They were dumbfounded. 12When Peter saw the people, he said to them, “Men of Israel, why are you wondering about this, or why are you staring at us as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk? 13The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His Servant Jesus, Whom you delivered and denied before Pilate when he had decided to let Him go. 14You denied the holy and righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you. 15You killed the Author of life. But God raised Him from the dead — we’re witnesses of that. 16Through faith in His name, His name made this man strong whom you see and know. The faith that Jesus works has given him this perfect health right in front of all of you.
Acts 3:11–16 11As he clung to Peter and John, all the people came running together to them in Solomon’s Porch, as it was called. They were dumbfounded. 12When Peter saw the people, he said to them, “Men of Israel, why are you wondering about this, or why are you staring at us as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk? 13The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His Servant Jesus, Whom you delivered and denied before Pilate when he had decided to let Him go. 14You denied the holy and righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you. 15You killed the Author of life. But God raised Him from the dead — we’re witnesses of that. 16Through faith in His name, His name made this man strong whom you see and know. The faith that Jesus works has given him this perfect health right in front of all of you.
So this passage follows the Apostles healing a crippled beggar at the Temple. The people were quite amazed the Apostles could do such a thing. The Jewish reaction to them healing him was not that much different than when Paul healed a man in Ephesus. But Jesus gave this power to the Apostles so they may gather attention to witness the faith of our LORD Jesus Christ. Now the people seemed to think the Apostles own power or piety allowed them to do this.
Upon this they declared the power was not in themselves. They invoke the ancient name of God by which the Israelites would know who sent Moses to rescue them. He revealed that name to Moses in Exo 3:6 6 “Then He said, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’” Many times the LORD identifies himself with this name in the Old Testament. Often it is in relation to the covenant He made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the promise to give them and their descendants a Promised Land.
Peter tells them this God, raise Jesus from the dead. Of course for Jesus to risen from the dead he has to be dead first. Now Peter brings the hammer of the Law down upon his listeners. “You killed the Author of life.” Four times in Acts the Apostles lay the accusation to the Jews to their complicit and direct actions which led to Jesus being killed. Notice who Peter says Jesus is, the Author of Life. If Jesus is the Author of Life then he too must be God, because only God can give life. What dread must have come upon them when they heard these words. The LORD became man and they killed their LORD. But the God of Abrham, Isaac, and Jacob raised Jesus from the dead. The Apostles were witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection. There were at least two their and their witness agreed.
The link of the resurrection with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob can be seen in Jesus’ teaching. He says, Mat 22:31”About the dead rising – didn’t you read what God told you: 32‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He’s not the God of the dead but of the living.” Jesus links it to the land God had promised them here, Mat 8:11 “I also tell you, many will come from the east and the west and will eat with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.” The kingdom of heaven is the Promised Land they were to inherit as Hebrews also tells us in chapter 11. It is in Jesus’ name the man was healed. It is in Jesus’ name we are saved. It is in Jesus’ name we become heirs of eternal life. Trust in the name of Jesus and you too will be raised to eternal life and enter the Promised Land, the Kingdom of Heaven.
Heavenly Father, may we take ownership of our sins in the death of Jesus, receive forgiveness of those sin, be raised from the dead and enter into his kingdom. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.