Having just healed the lame beggar outside of the temple, Peter and John led those around to wonder how they performed this. But being so filled by Jesus’ recent outpouring of the Spirit, they were able to become witnesses of Jesus. They knew this was not by their own doing because of what Jesus had promised them, from performing signs and wonders, to being able to not worry about what to say when in high-intensity moments, like this one they found themselves in.

Those who were in awestruck wonder and “utterly astounded” might have seen or heard of Jesus performing a miracle or two, but most likely did not see them come from the hands of His disciples. Which, I am sure, was equally shocking to these disciples. Drawing this sort of crowd with such attention somehow meant only one thing to these two young, zealous, and perplexed followers of Christ: more of Him, and less of me [John 3.30-36].

Our very existence today should reflect this early Church posture: from wonders to witnesses, all from the outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit that never runs dry.

[Acts 3.11-26]

11 While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon's. 12 And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? 13 The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. 14 But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. 16 And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.

17“And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. 19Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, 20that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. 22Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. 23And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’ 24And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. 25You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ 26God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.”

[ WHAT ] is this passage saying and what is a key truth or thought that we learn?

+ What does it mean to be a ‘witness’? How is this foundational in this passage?

+ Who did all the work in this entire interaction, including yesterday’s verses, too?

+ How did Peter come up with these words in the moment? [Matthew 10.19-20]

+ If led by the Spirit, why might the way Peter preach come off as “unloving”? What does this reveal about our definition of “lovingly preaching the Gospel”?

+ Is the early Church still relevant to us today? Why are we given these testimonies and stories of the apostles?

[ HOW ] is the Lord calling me to action/obedience?

+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?

+ Have I challenged myself recently in thinking about how I would react if put in a situation like this?

+ To build off of what Joey said this past Sunday on ‘witness’: Dalton Thomas, of Frontier Alliance International, wrote in his book ‘Unto Death’, “At the time when the New Testament was written, ‘martyr’ simply meant ‘witness.’ Nowadays, however, dictionaries define the word in terms of ‘the suffering of death according to one’s faith.’...While martyrdom is preeminently a mode of dying, it must also be considered a mode of living. Of this we must be sure: there is no true death for Christ that is not the fruit of a life for Christ. That is, no one ever died for the Lord who has not first lived for Him. This is why Paul could say, ‘For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.’” Keep this term ‘witness’ in mind throughout the next few months of Acts, as we will be watching Dalton’s idea bloom and culminate as we continue to walk through Luke’s book.

[ WHO ] am I walking with and praying for to discover Jesus?

+ What is my next step?

+ Who in my life would be impacted by me stepping out in boldness and courage under the Spirit’s leading? How can I be praying into this starting now?