Acts 10:42-43 42And he commanded us to preach to the people and to solemnly testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43To this one all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him might receive forgiveness of sins through his name.”
The final points of Peter’s summary of the good news of Jesus’ life focus on eschatology and how the risen Jesus impacts people’s lives now. The good news was not just something that happened in the first century with Jesus’ resurrection. The eschatology is evident with Jesus as the judge of the living and the dead. One of the topics of the apostles’ preaching (us) was judgment (17:31). Solemnly testify (diamartyrasthai) indicates the urgency and extreme importance of the message Jesus gave the apostles. The message of warning is part of the good news. This warning should create a sense of fear and awe before the Almighty God and lead to repentance. Judgment is not the final word because of the offer of forgiveness. Preaching about judgment serves as a warning about the consequences of sin and should lead to repenting and seeking God’s forgiveness.
Those who respond appropriately by seeking God’s forgiveness and accepting God’s offer of salvation need not fear judgment because of who the judge is. Jesus is our advocate before the Father because he identified with sinful humanity and was tempted in all ways like us. He is the perfect judge because he overcame temptation and never sinned (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus, as judge of the living, brings conviction through the Holy Spirit. As judge of the dead, he will be the final judge of how people have responded to God’s grace (Matthew 7:21-23). Forgiveness comes through Jesus’ name, which represents all he did through his death and resurrection, which Peter just mentioned.
Peter did not quote any Old Testament passages, like in other sermons he preached, but the mention of the prophets implies that this sermon, like others, was built on the foundation of Scripture. He certainly could have mentioned various Scripture passages in his actual message, since what Luke records is a summary of what Peter spoke. Peter and other early Christians found the good news of forgiveness through Jesus in the Old Testament. Their preaching was scriptural and solidly based on what God had revealed over the ages. Forgiveness came through Jesus’ name, which represented his person and all he did. The key to receiving this forgiveness is to believe in him. The core issue is what it means to believe in Jesus. As clear in the Gospels, especially the Gospel of John, believing in Jesus means accepting him as the full revelation of God the Father, believing that he is the Way, Truth, and Life, and showing this faith by living in obedience to his commands. The result is forgiveness and being made right before God, which is the open door to eternal life.
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