Preaching the Gospel

Acts 10:43 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name

This portion of Peter explaining the gospel to Cornelius and his household is a very good and useful example for us to understand and preach Jesus to the world. The family was already righteous and prayerful but their righteousness was not sufficient for salvation. Peter had to bring Jesus to them. For this we have to understand Romans 3:21-26. It is not by our righteousness that God would accept us but by His righteousness which we gain by believing in Jesus by trusting in His blood. This understanding gives us a clear definition on heaven where we go there by God’s righteousness.

When Peter begins the sermon (v 34, 35), he confirms the same statement that any person who is righteous is acceptable to God. Being acceptable is not enough. In romans 8:21, we submit our bodies as being acceptable to God. This is worship and not a complete life. Worship is something that we offer and this is never sufficient unless we complete doing what we had given as a commitment to God. Worship is something like promises we make to God. Worship makes us acceptable to God but for Him to actually receive us, it requires Grace.

The word of God was sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ. This peace is not peace we enjoy in this world with the world. This peace is even more different than the one in John 14:27 which is the assurance of eternity. That peace is something to console the mind and the heart. This peace Jesus preached to everybody is that God wants to make peace with man. So, before peace, it is evident that God was terribly angry at mankind as much as to destroy all of us together. But, He gave peace to us through Jesus Christ with Him.

When Jesus is introduced, Peter clearly mentions that He is the Lord of all. In John 13:13, 14, after washing his disciples’ feet, He confirms that He is Lord and teacher. Jesus took all the agony while being our Lord. Unless we learn to see Jesus as the Lord of all, it is impossible to see salvation. There are many verses that mention this like Mathew 11:27, John 17:2 etc. Jesus did not come to the world with a deputation of saving us and to become a scape goat, but He came with the authority of giving us eternal life. In Mathew 28:18, Jesus wants everybody to go and make disciples because all authority is given to Him. In Phil 2:10,11 we read that because Jesus humbled Himself, He is given a name to which every knee shall bow and every tongue shall accept. This acceptance is expected of us by God, the Father. We read this again in Acts 10:38 where God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and power.

When speaking about anointing, Peter now uses “Jesus of Nazareth”. Jesus is both our Lord and was human. Jesus received the anointing of Holy Spirit and power in his humanity. In Phil 2:6, we read how he emptied himself and so needed this anointing. Let us remember that Jesus’ life was harder than ours as He received this anointing before His ministry and not earlier during His personal life. He lived just like us. Jesus did good and healing because God was with Him. This should be seen along with God’s peace with us. Since God’s anger is about to be quenched, Jesus symbolizes this peace with God through miracles. Jesus could have done all miracles by Himself, but it is seen that He performed these miracles because of God the Father who was with Him in this time. It was God’s excitement with mankind because of the covenant that is going to place.

Jesus was put to death but God raised Him on the third day and made Him to appear. The resurrection is the important message of the gospel. The strength of this resurrection is in the one who carries it. Peter mentions that he is a witness twice in the message, first for His works and then about His life after death.  Peter mentions that this being a witness the second time is because God made Him so. Peter and the other apostles had personally dined with Jesus. Just like this we are witnesses of the life Jesus gives to others. Unless we confirm that Jesus lives and transforms lives of people around us, it is hard for them to understand the gospel.

Again, before concluding with the message of forgiveness, it is established that Jesus is coming as a Judge. He does not judge Christians alone but everybody. John 5:22 says that all judgement has been given to the Son. We cannot please God the Father unless we please Jesus Christ. We cannot honor God until we honor Christ. We also have to inform that God will not judge like the world. Romans 2:16 says that God will judge the secrets of men. The Old Testament made us expect grace from God through all the prophets, but we are living in grace now. The next stage is judgement.

Speaking about forgiveness, Peter assures that this forgiveness is complete because all the prophets bear witness for this. The method for others to follow is to believe in Jesus as the Son of God and the only way to heaven. Forgiveness is given not if you plead God, but in the name of Jesus. But to receive forgiveness, we should believe and trust the whole of our lives to Jesus. We should pray that we believe Jesus fully and that we are submitting to Jesus’ discipline and teaching and so, God would forgive because of Jesus’ name.

Amen.