Peter Preaches from Solomon’s Portico of the Temple

“Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouths of His holy prophets long ago.  Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.  You shall listen to Him, whatever He tells you.  And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.  And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days.” –Acts 3:19-24 (ESV.  Read Acts 3:11-26 – Acts 4:4).

Peter’s second sermon recorded in Acts was delivered from an area of the Temple known as Solomon’s Portico (Porch), a colonnaded portion along the eastern wall of the Temple.  It was where Jesus had ministered and taught and where the church worshipped.  The healed lame man had drawn quite a crowd.  Peter first had to refute the idea that he and John had healed him by their own power.  He declared that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, through His Son Jesus Christ, had healed the man.  With great boldness Peter declared that the Holy One had been crucified and raised from the dead.  In this sermon, Peter used illustrations from Moses and the Pentateuch to declare that Jesus had, indeed, been the promised Messiah.  With those who heeded the words of Peter, imagine their remorse to realize that they had consented to and perpetrated the death of the One sent from God.  In verses 11-18 Peter told of the crime of killing the Savior, presented the evidence of it, and told of the nature of their sin.  Then he presented a strong appeal of how they could gain pardon and restoration.

Repentance was the first step toward restoration.  Repentance is genuine sorrow for sins and a determination to turn from them.  Repentance is the heart’s response to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit.  Some explain repentance by showing that it is like going in one direction, realizing that way is wrong, making an about-face, and going in a new direction.  It is admitting that what God says is true, and accepting the Truth.  In Christian repentance, it is turning to Jesus and acknowledging that He is the Savior.  This second step is called conversion and comes with turning to Jesus and believing that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  Peter told his hearers what would happen when repentance and belief came.  Sins will be blotted out and times of refreshing will come.  Scholars note that Peter was appealing to both individuals and the nation.  Blessings would come to both through repentance and belief.  He was pleading for national repentance—and promising subsequent national blessing—so that the Messiah could return and begin the promised kingdom.  But Peter did not overlook the individual responsibility of each person to repent and turn to the Lord for restoration.  Notice in verse 26 that he says:  “by turning, every one of you  from your wickedness.”  Restoration and faith is a one-by-one process whereby each individual is confronted with the claims of the Lord Jesus Christ, makes a conscious and deliberate decision to turn from sins and going in the wrong direction, believes that Christ is the only way to salvation, and turns to Him, accepting Him in faith. What were the results of Peter’s second sermon?  Go to Acts 4:4 and learn that the number of believers grew to five thousand—from three thousand saved on the Day of Pentecost to a total of five thousand believers at the time of Peter’s second sermon delivered on Solomon’s Portico. No national repentance came.  In fact, persecution was forthcoming from the Jews.  But the Holy Spirit touched hearts and many became believers.  This is still how God works today.  Praise be to God!