Daily Devotional Thursday 26th March 2020
by William Moody
Acts 10:36–43
36 As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
(ESV)
In sharing the Gospel Peter is very Christ-centred. He recounts what Jesus did in His life through the power of the Spirit, including healing and delivering people from the power of the devil (v36-38). Peter then shares how Jesus was killed and rose again (v39-41).
The Gospel is not first about what we should do, it is about Jesus, who He is and what He has done. In our own lives and in sharing the Gospel we need to first and foremost focus on Jesus. Jesus is the Gospel.
Peter shares that he is a witness to Jesus’ life and death (v39) and particularly of Jesus’ resurrection (v41). Christianity is not a theory but it is about having faith in a historical person and in the historical events in His life.
People sometimes argue that there is no evidence for Christianity and that is it about blind faith similar to the belief people have in fairies. Christianity is grounded on the truth of Jesus’ life and we have in the Gospels four eyewitness accounts. To those who scoff we should encourage them to look at the evidence of the Gospel accounts.
But we have not only the Gospels, Peter speaks of how the Old Testament prophets, centuries before His coming, clearly testifying about Him (v43). This is evidence that needs the response of faith, through which people receive forgiveness for their sins. Let us be confident in this glorious message.
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