Skip to main content

Lent Day 14


Scripture Reading 

Acts 3:17-25

As you think about this passage from Acts it helps to place it in proper context to fully understand what is taking place here. This is Peter talking to his fellow Jewish people after he and John healed the crippled beggar. Peter explains to the Jews that the healing power of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God who is the Father of Jesus, made the man walk again. Peter's purpose is to demonstrate the connection of the promised Messiah of the Old Testament with Jesus of Nazareth, a simple carpenter turned teacher. The underlying interpretation of Peter's statement is that God was always in control in spite of the circumstances and actions of the Jews, God's chosen people. Peter picks up his discussion of Jesus being the Messiah that Moses, Samuel, and all the other prophets had foretold. 

The other interesting thing about this passage is verse 19. Remember that repentance is about turning from our sin to God. It is in the act of turning from sin and to God that our sins are wiped away because God forgives us. Repentance does not precede our sins being paid for by Christ. Rather it is because Christ has endured the cross for us that we are able to repent from sin and claim God's forgiveness in our lives. 


Lent is a season when one focuses on the cross of Christ. It is also a time when we mourn over our sin and in repentance seek the Lord again. Why do we repent from sin and turn to God as Christians? So that "times of refreshing can come from the Lord." As you pray today ask the Lord to bring to mind sin that you need to confess and repent from so that you can seek God with renewed passion. 


Prayer: Lord, to turn from sin to you is a difficult thing because of the power sin has over me at times. Help me to rely on you for strength and grace to repent and turn to you. Bring times of refreshing to my life. Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Lent Day 45 Good Friday

Scripture Reading John 19:23-30 Imagine that you were there. You are one of Christ's followers and you are there at the foot of the cross. Can you hear the crying, the moans of Christ's pain? Can you see him as he gasps for air and struggles to speak? Do you see his mother weeping and the crowds around her cheering his death? The stench of hatred and death are around you and the one that you love and believe to be the Messiah is hanging on a cross before you? Now...someone tells you that this is "good." It seems unreal that anything good could come from what is around you. You want to believe, but how can it be good?  The Christian life at times is hard for us to understand. Throughout scripture we are told things that on the surface do not make sense. If we give up our lives, we gain life. The poor in spirit will inherit the Kingdom of God. The meek will inherit the earth.  And the death of Christ is good. On that Friday, it must have been unimaginably difficult to b...
Post a Comment
Read more

Lent Day 31

Scripture Reading Matthew 2:1-6, Micah 5:2 The prophet Micah prophesied the coming of the Messiah, from Bethlehem out of the land of Judah, seven centuries prior to Jesus' birth. Again scripture is fulfilled and Jesus' Davidic background is brought to our attention. The Jews, although blind to the servant king that the Messiah would be, were very well versed with the prophet Micah's words which said that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem from the lineage of David. King Herod, appointed by the Roman government to rule Judea, Galilee, and other territories, was distraught over this question the magi from the east asked, "Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews?" To the reigning king, this must have been quite alarming. He asked the chief priests and teachers of the law what they knew about this king. The fulfillment of Micah's words shook Herod. He was a man known for his ruthlessness and vengeance. It is known that he murdered his wife, sons, a...
Post a Comment
Read more

Lent Day 17

Scripture Reading Romans 7:7-12; 8:1-4 The main point Paul is attempting to make is that through the Law he realized what sin was. "Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, 'Do not covet'" (Romans 7:7). It's the same principle of when someone tells you not to do something you hadn't even thought about doing until they said something to you about not doing it. For instance, if you are walking in a park and you see a sign that says "Stay off the grass," it will probably arouse in you an intense desire to walk all over the grass even though before you saw the sign you hadn't even thought about walking on the grass. Paul is saying that the Mosaic Law is what points out our sin to us in hopes of driving us to see our need for God.  In chapter 8 the incredible news for those who are believers is that there is no condemnation. That means because of Chr...
Post a Comment
Read more