Scripture to Read: Acts 3:17–18
God loves to display His grace and mercy throughout His Word, and that is what we find today as God used Peter to share His Truth with the people who had gathered. God had Peter continue in Acts 3:17–18, “And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also. 18 But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.” Though God had used Peter to tell the people (in Acts 3:13–16) that they were the ones who had ”disowned” Christ, He also had Peter continue by telling the people that God knew they acted in ignorance. Ignorance is never an excuse for sin, but God had Peter mention the people's ignorance to display His perfect grace and mercy. God showed His mercy and grace by not bringing down His judgment on them. Of course, God’s judgment was poured out on Christ for them and us, but they did not know that yet. Then, God also had Peter remind the people that what they did to Christ, the prophets had foretold about Christ, that He would suffer. How heart-wrenching a moment that would have been for all of those people to discover that what the prophets foretold about Christ’s suffering, they had been the ones used by the spiritual forces of darkness to fulfill those prophecies. But, because we were born in sin, we are just as guilty, because Christ also had to suffer for our sins. Thankfully, God offers His mercy and grace to all.
Challenge & Application
· When did you have that first heart-wrenching moment, realizing your sin sent Christ to the cross to pay for your sin?
· How are you sharing with others that Christ paid for their sin and that they can receive God’s mercy and grace through Christ?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!