Acts 3:11-13 11And while he was clinging to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them at the portico called Solomon, full of amazement. 12But when Peter saw, he replied to the people, “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why do you stare at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him to walk? 13The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him.
Seeing a crippled man instantly they had just passed when they entered the temple completely healed amazed the people. Full of amazement would be an understatement for the tremendous change that had taken place. The man had likely sat at that gate every day for years. Everyone knew him, though likely few ever stopped to ask him his name. He is not even named in this story. He is like the many nameless people society pushes to the side. People see them, but few stop to talk with them. The crowd swelled around the man, who was by this time tagging along with Peter and John. They were now at the place called the Portico of Solomon. This was the same location Jesus taught in John 10:23. The same location is mentioned in Acts 5:12 as a place where Christians taught. It must have been a popular place for teachers to gather.
Peter, filled with the Spirit, saw the opportunity to preach another sermon. The people were interested, awed, and open to an explanation of what they saw. Once again, a miracle became a wonder, a sign, and an opportunity to share the source of the miracle. Peter addressed the crowd in the same way as on the day of Pentecost: Men of Israel. The crowd on this day was likely the sincere worshippers who had come to the temple for prayer at three in the afternoon.
Peter’s rhetorical question gets to the heart of the issue in their misunderstanding. They may have thought there was something special about Peter and John. A crowd made a similar misunderstanding about Paul and Barnabas in 14:11-12. The problem with miracle workers is that either people or themselves begin to think more highly of them than they should. Peter was wise in acknowledging in verse 13 that a miracle like this could only be done by God. Peter appeals to the identity of pious Jews as descendants of the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Exodus 3:6; Luke 20:37). If Peter stopped there, the healing would still have been significant. But he had learned his source of power in Jesus. God worked his plan of salvation through Jesus. Jesus was the “Suffering Servant” who fulfilled the prophecies of Isaiah, especially 52:13–53:12.
Although God glorified Jesus, the people rejected him. Peter also puts the blame on Jesus’ death on the people gathered in the temple. The people did two bad things to Jesus. They delivered (paredō kate) Jesus over to the Romans. They had the opportunity to free Jesus multiple times, but they kept finding ways, even in deceit and trickery, to get him condemned by the Romans. They also disowned (ērnēsasthe) him. This word also has the sense of disdain or repudiate. They rejected their Messiah, and thus, they also rejected God and God’s plan of salvation. Pilate offered to release Jesus several times, but the Jews refused; instead, they cried, “Crucify him!” (John 19:6, 15).
Likely, not everyone listening to Peter was part of the crowd in front of Pilate’s praetorium, but they shared in the corporate guilt as the chosen people of God. No matter if they were present or not at Jesus’ crucifixion, they were present now listening to Peter. They needed to make a choice at that moment, just as everyone who hears of Jesus and his offer of salvation must make a choice.
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