Easter 1
Today’s first reading brings us into the middle of the incident: While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people came running toward them in utter amazement in the area called Solomon’s Colonnade. So what had happened before this? It begins with Peter and John healing a lame man--that man that was holding on to Peter and John. This man was unable to walk from birth and was daily brought to the temple in order to ask people for alms. Peter and John were going to the temple that day about 3 PM. And, yes, there was no need for them to go because Jesus had fulfilled all these OT sacrifices. But God allowed these services to continue on for a while until He would once for all put an end to them with the Roman destruction 40 years later. These 40 years were a time of grace for the people of Israel to hear the Gospel of Jesus crucified and risen for the forgiveness of sin and eternal life.
The apostles would preach Christ crucified at the temple--a place where large numbers of people would gather. This lame man saw Peter and John going to the temple and asked them for money, alms. Peter directs that man’s attention to him and John and says: Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. And lifts that man up by the hand and not only does he walk but he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them--walking, leaping, and praising God. There were no months or years of intense therapy getting atrophied muscles and nerves to work, or even of learning how to walk--something he had never done before. It was instantaneous. This guy was known by everybody as the lame guy at the temple; they knew his story; they knew it wasn’t a fake/ staged. And right before our text we read: Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
Also notice something else interesting that St. Luke records here--the very spot where this miracle took place: all the people came running toward them in utter amazement in the area called Solomon’s Colonnade. Jesus had been there several years before at the time of Hanukkah. At that time St. John records [10.23 ff.]: Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch. Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me.” A few years before, Jesus had been here and had been asked if He was the Messiah; and He pointed to His works confirming His word. And now, through Peter and John, Jesus again shows by His work--healing this man born lame-- who He is, that He is the Christ.
And there is something else here that is a tremendous truth and comfort. It is this: Jesus had been here at the temple, certainly on several occasions and very likely He saw this man but at those times He did not heal Him. The apostles were at the temple daily. But only that day did they heal that man. Why didn’t Jesus heal him during His earthly ministry? Why didn’t Peter and John do so earlier? To know that would to know the mind of God. But what is vital for us to keep in mind and for our comfort when we have our various hurts and trials, things we have been praying about for a long time, is that in His way and at His time the Lord answers our prayers in the way that is best for us and that serve our Lord’s gracious and glorious purposes toward us and others. Here in our text, for example, through this miracle at this time, the holy apostles were able to preach Jesus, calling people to repentance and faith, and certainly bringing many to faith! For us in the midst of suffering like it was for this lame man, it is a matter of faith that the Lord will grant us relief and blessing in His right and best way.
This healing gave St. Peter the wonderful opportunity to preach Jesus for the salvation of many. Right away, Peter points away from himself and St. John and directs the people toward Jesus:
Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this? Why are you staring at us, as if by our own power or godliness we have made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and disowned in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release Him. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you. You killed the Author of Life, whom God raised from the dead. We are witnesses of this. And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus that has strengthened this man, whom you see and know. This faith that comes through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.”
Notice, in this brief sermon how St. Peter identifies Jesus: He calls Him God’s servant; He calls Him the Holy and Righteous One; and he calls Him the Author of Life. Today we will spend a few moments pondering that last one, that Jesus is the Author of Life.
Notice what St. Peter says to the crowd that day: Men of Israel, that is, the ones so richly blessed by God who have the Scriptures and prophecies, the very ones who should know better, What did they do? You killed the Author of Life. Here in this title identifying Jesus we come to the heart and core of who Jesus really is. As the Author of Life Jesus must be true God because all life comes from God, from His creative hand. No one but God alone can give and create life. That Jesus is the Author of Life comes from that fact that He is the very God Himself. He is life in and of Himself. But what happened? You killed the Author of Life. The very One who is pure life, who is eternal, who is the great I AM, was killed; He died. Life died?! How can that be? --Because Jesus is also true man, One who can die. And Jesus did die fully, completely, absolutely on the cross. Who can fully understand and fathom this great mystery? --The eternal, God who is life died. This could only happen because Jesus, true God, is also true man.
But precisely by dying, Jesus, is/ can be the Author of Life. Because what happened on the cross when Jesus died? It wasn’t just a mere man dying on the cross, it was the very God Himself. So when You killed the Author of Life, that is the martyrdom of God; it was the death of God; it was the blood of God that was poured out. And that’s what gives Jesus’ sacrifice and death on the cross such infinite value and worth to pay the price for the sins of the world--yours and mine and all people’s. Jesus’--God’s--blood and death is put in the balance against all of our sins. And guess which is greater? --Of course, the sacrifice/ blood/ death of God.
Jesus is the Author of life--not only since He is God, who is life itself--but now by His death and resurrection He has obtained eternal life for us. He rose from the dead. He died in order to enter and destroy death. And now that He is, as St. Paul [1 Cor 15.23] says, the firstfruits of those who have died, the first one to rise from the dead, never to die again, He is the Author of Life, giving eternal life to all to put their trust in Him as Savior from sin, death, devil and hell. And the very fact that we trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, the very fact that we have faith in Him is because He has brought us out of spiritual death to spiritual life as through His holy word and Sacrament He has given us the Holy Spirit who creates faith in Him in our hearts. Because Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to work through the word and sacrament, that’s why the Holy Spirit is, as we confess in the creed: the Lord and Giver of Life--that very life that Jesus, the Author of Life brought about.
The simple fact is, that like the crowd St. Peter preached to that day, we, too, need the forgiveness of sin and eternal life that Jesus brought about. Just as we needed our Lord to give us physical life, so too do we need Him to give us that new spiritual life; each of us needs Him to be the Author of Life for us. Even though the people St. Peter preached to had every advantage--they were the Men of Israel; they had been given the Scriptures and taught the true God--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, the God of our Fathers--they needed repentance because why? You killed the Author of Life. In spite of every advantage, they denied and rejected Jesus, the Author of Life, when He came to them.
St. Peter then continues: Now brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, just like your leaders. But in this way God fulfilled what He had foretold through the mouth of all the prophets: that His Christ would suffer. Therefore repent and return to have your sins wiped out...We, too, need that daily repentance over our sin--just like St. Peter called these people to repentance that day. Although we do not literally stand in the crowd and hand Jesus over to Pilate, with each of our sins we hand Jesus over to death; with our unholy living we crucify Jesus anew; each of our sins is a hammer blow to the nails and a thorn of the crown. Let each one of us hear St. Peter’s verdict on us: You killed the Author of Life. May that weigh on our hearts and consciences and bring us to recognize our sin, sorrow over them and recognize the seriousness of each of our sins--even those that we think are little or inconsequential sins; even those sins we committed in ignorance. May each of us recognize that by our sin we killed the Author of Life and repent of it.
Therefore repent and return to have your sins wiped out. And why? So that refreshing times may come from the presence of the Lord and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you. Remember: man’s verdict on Jesus--denial, rejection and condemnation. But what was God’s verdict on Jesus? You killed the Author of Life, whom God raised from the dead. We are witnesses of that. Raising Jesus from the dead, God declared Him to be the Son, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity and the Savior of the world; by raising Jesus from the dead, God showed He accepted Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and so by that declared the world--you and me--forgiven our sins; by raising Jesus from the dead, God was declaring that in Jesus is eternal life. Indeed Jesus was raised from the dead--the Apostles were witnesses of it. And with the healing of this lame man in the name of Jesus by these two apostles as His servants, the crowd that day saw that Jesus was indeed living and at work as St. Peter preached: And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus that has strengthened this man, whom you see and know. This faith that comes through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you. Jesus lives and reigns and governs and rules all things now working all things for our spiritual and eternal good and the good of HIs Church.
Now, Jesus, risen from the dead, lives and reigns and gives us the fruit and blessing of His saving work. The risen Jesus can only be rightly understood and known by those who recognize their sins. That’s why St. Peter calls on the crowd that day and us today to repent of our sin so that refreshing times may come from the presence of the Lord. Yes, confessing our sin is hard and unpleasant but it drives us to our Lord’s grace as we recognize we cannot save ourselves. But as we recognize and confess our sins, let us remember that we live in a time of refreshment--our living, ascended and reigning Lord Jesus showers upon us the forgiveness of sin and every blessing in His holy word and Sacrament. Now--before Jesus returns as judge--we enjoy this time of grace and refreshment as we repent of our sins. And as we are refreshed by word and sacrament, the Holy Spirit whom our living and reigning Jesus sends and gives us in His word and baptism, leads us and strengthens us so that we love the Lord and His will and strive to do it. Knowing this renewal and joy, by the Spirit’s work we begin to live now a life of the world to come. This new life of holiness that we begin living already now, too, is a gift from Jesus the Author of Life, who gives us our life now and into all eternity. INJ Amen