Would I? Could I?

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. (Acts 3:13)

As with many Bible passages, there is so much going on here. Peter is pointing out truth to the people. Harsh and raw truth that may be difficult for them to swallow. Peter is stressing to the crowd their guilt before God in rejecting the Messiah, joining the mob, and demanding His death. 

The stark reality is they killed Jesus - The Holy One, The Righteous One, The Author of Life. (Acts 3:14-15) Isn't it easy for us to smugly acknowledge 'their' sinfulness? But, how often did/do we reject Jesus, dismiss His love as too demanding and walk away from Him? 

How often did I miss my appointed duty? How many times did I stand by and denounce Jesus as Lord? Have I lost opportunity to tell someone of Jesus and His Love? Is Heaven lined with people that I encountered, but did not Disciple? Did someone else do what I was supposed to do? Tough questions, right?

I wonder sometimes, just what I would have done had I been in the crowd that day...when Pilot washed his hands of the entire matter and let the mob rule. Could I have been strong enough, faithful enough to be a voice of reason - unto death? What about now, today? When the world is struggling against good, turning their backs on Light and Truth, only to embrace what is safe, comfortable and non-threatening, could I make the difference?  

As we approach the Lenten season, how does this passage touch you? Discuss the questions above and share here if you are inclined to do so.

Faith Moves Mountains

Acts 3:16 (MSG) Faith in Jesus' name put this man, whose condition you know so well, on his feet—yes, faith and nothing but faith put this man healed and whole right before your eyes.

Once again, the people are being reminded that they killed the Son of Man, the Author of Life. It looked as though Peter and John cured a man who had been crippled from birth and when the people began to look with amazement at them they immediately set the record straight. They told the people who really made the crippled man walk.

They began to teach about faith and also reminded the crowd of Jesus and His power and love. As the Life Application Study Bible puts it, “The apostles did not emphasize what they could do but what God could do through them. Jesus' name is not to be used as magic—it must be used in faith. When we pray in Jesus' name, we must remember that it is Christ himself, not merely the sound of his name, who gives our prayers their power.”  

Faith is a powerful gift.  Without Faith life is meaningless, with faith God will show us how to move mountains.  Without faith we are helpless to find happiness or meaning in life. There have been times in my life when my faith was weak, when I would be on my knees praying for enough faith just to put one foot in front of the other and move forward.

It is in these times of trouble that faith grows and matures.  The Apostles faith grew as they faced hardships with Jesus.  Their faith faltered at times, just as yours and mine will, but through the tough times, because of the difficulties that could not be overcome by their own power, their faith blossomed to the point we find it in the reading today.

Acts 3:11-16