Acts 3:17-18 17And now, brothers, I know that you acted out of ignorance, just as your rulers also. 18But God has thus fulfilled, the things which he announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer.
Although the Jews plotted against Jesus, the Author of life, they were ignorant about what they were doing. Ignorance (agnoian) means unaware of the real issues or consequences of one’s decisions. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:8 about how “none of the rulers of this age knew; for if they knew, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” Being ignorant does not make one innocent. Jesus prayed for those who crucified him because they did not know what they did (Luke 23:34). According to Numbers 15:27-31, a person could make atonement for sins of ignorance under the law by offering a sacrifice.
Atonement always requires the human response of recognition, repentance, and humility before God. Peter challenges the Jews in the temple to respond with faith. They did not need to offer any sacrifice in the temple for their ignorance because the sacrifice was already given for them. They just needed to recognize God’s offer of forgiveness through Jesus.
Verses 17-18 touch upon the great mystery in human existence of the tension between human free will, mentioined in verse 17 as the people’s action out of ignorance, and God’s sovereignty, explained in verse 18 as God’s plan beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets. Getting deep into the theological debate of this tension was not Peter’s purpose, nor is it ever for any writer of the Bible. More important for him was that Jesus fulfilled God’s plan. God spoke through the prophets about the Messiah’s suffering. This verse is an important correction of the idea of a glorious return of political Israel. God’s intent for Israel all along was for them to be a spiritual people, with God as their King and guide. The Messiah would come, suffer for the people, and return them to God’s original plan. His suffering was a crucial part of this plan.
Jesus’ death on the cross may have been instigated by the Jewish leaders and those who aligned with them, but it was God’s plan. God knew beforehand what people would do. It was inevitable that when the Light of the world came, the darkness did everything it could to destroy him, but death could not hold Jesus in the grave. Peter has both cast blame on the people of Jerusalem while also pointing them to the greater plan of redemption.
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