Acts 3

Read Acts 3

God’s power was at work in the world and in the disciples like never before in the days after Pentecost, which we read about yesterday.

Here in chapter 3, Peter was headed with John to the temple to pray, healed a man who had never walked by the power of Jesus (vv. 1-11), then explained the good news to the audience around him (vv. 12-26).

In the middle of Peter’s gospel message, he said these words, “You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this” (v. 15). I find the phrase, “you killed the author of life” fascinating. The word “author” describes God as a story-teller. He has a plan and it is unfolding through the lives of everyone in scripture and in your life and mine.

As the author “of life,” God is the creator of all things, including life. The Bible tells us repeatedly that Jesus, the Second Person of God, was the active agent of the Trinity who created. It was his voice that said, “Let there be light” and it was he who formed Adam out of the dust of the ground and and breathed into him the breath of life. It was he who took a rib from Adam’s side to create Eve. There is no life apart from Jesus.

Ironic, then, that men killed Jesus. Apart from the creating power of Jesus, humanity would never have existed. Apart from his sustaining grace, humanity would cease to exist. He is the author of life, not only making us alive but writing for each of us a story–a personality, a background, a cast of other characters, and all the other elements of story. Yet when he entered into the world, he was not honored by the characters in the story he wrote as the author. Instead, he was killed even though all living depends on him.

Fortunately, this was all part of his story and it did not end with his death; instead, “God raised him from the dead” (v. 15b). We celebrated that truth on Sunday. But as important as remembering the event of the resurrection is, it is even more important to understand the point of the resurrection.

And the point of the resurrection is: “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus” (vv. 19-20).

I write these devotionals for Christians to strengthen us with God’s word. But it is possible that someone is reading this who is not a Christian–either you found this page on our website or you subscribed to my devotional.

Do you understand that your story, your life, is one thread in a thick fabric of interwoven stories of all people?

Do you see that all of us depend on Jesus for existence, need him to rescue us from the consequences of our rebellion against God, and are designed to bring glory and worship to Jesus when he returns to be our Lord? If so, turn to him! In the words of verse 19: “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord….” The author of life invites you to experience eternal life through his resurrected Son, Jesus Christ. Ask him to save you and give you eternal life, and he will!

For those of us who are Christians, remember that your life really isn’t about you. You are a character in the life of Jesus–he’s the one on the hero’s journey. As the author of life, he devised the plot and set this story into motion. So let’s focus on him in our lives and point others to him so that he will come and conclude this story well.