David Bahn – Reflections

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Acts 3:1-10

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. ² And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. ³ Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. ⁴ And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” ⁵ And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. ⁶ But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” ⁷ And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. ⁸ And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. ⁹ And all the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰ and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

You’ll recognize the movie line, perhaps: “You lookin’ at me?” You may know it from the Disney movie, Aladdin. I know it from Back to the Future. In either case it is a challenge. The one asking is confronting someone who has crossed his path. Here, however, Peter and John look at the man who was born lame, and Luke specifically notes that they say, “Look at us.” This is not a case of Look-at–me-when-I’m-talking-to-you comeuppance. This is much more significant and a very good thing.

When I drive up to an intersection with someone holding a, “HUNGRY. PLEASE HELP” sign, I’m about 50/50. Will I make eye contact or not? Will I actually see the person, or avoid seeing him? Will I acknowledge her existence or not? Will that person receive any indication that they register on anyone’s radar by my actions? Or will he just have to go on begging, hoping that someone will take pity on him?

Peter and John not only notice, but they ask the lame man to look at them. They wanted a two-way interaction between themselves and this man. They wanted him to know that they saw him. And they wanted the man to see them too. The scene will unfold in the context of a reciprocal relationship. They won’t just throw a few coins in the man’s cap and go on their way. Nor will they look at the man, shake their heads in disgust, and then move on. They see him. They want him to see them.

He expects that they are going to give him some money. They want to give him something far better. They heal the man. This is the most obvious gift. But there is far more happening here than healing – as good as that is. They are showing this man that he has value. He is not someone to be ignored, dismissed, or just paid off. They will not treat him as an impediment to their worship, nor as a pit stop along the way to bragging that they did the right thing by giving him some money.

Simply to look at someone, and even inviting him to look at you is no substitute for helping people in need. But when we acknowledge someone we are acknowledging one for whom Jesus died, and if she believes, one in whom Jesus lives. That’s a tiny part of the gospel message, but it is a powerful start. For Jesus’ redemption sets a high value on people (not gold or silver, but his holy precious blood). I’m wondering how I might express that the next time I see someone holding a WILL WORK FOR FOOD sign.

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Acts 3:1-10

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. ² And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. ³ Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. ⁴ And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” ⁵ And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. ⁶ But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” ⁷ And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. ⁸ And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. ⁹ And all the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰ and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

“Anyone want to see the Lord grow a leg?” I was sitting in a chair, in front of the classroom, my feet out in front of me, held by the professor in my Doctor of Ministry class. We were in southern California, at Fuller Theological Seminary. I couldn’t exempt myself from the invitation. My leg was about to be lengthened. “In the name of Jesus, I command this leg to grow,” he said. I felt a strange sensation in my right thigh and saw that leg move, growing about  ½ inch. I don’t really understand what happened. It really didn’t have the impact I had hoped for. I still had to have my hip replaced a few years later. But something did happen.

That’s not what happened when Peter and John encountered the crippled man at the temple that day 2000 years ago. The man was begging for money. His plight was so severe that he needed all the money he could get from begging. But Peter and John have something far better than the money that would get him through the day. He will receive the gift of healing. He will be given strong legs to walk – strong enough that he is walking and leaping as he praises God.

Peter and John bring the message of the kingdom and the evidence of the Kingdom to these people. For this miracle is not only for the lame man, it is for all to see what it looks like when Jesus reigns and rules in the world. It is a foretaste of the perfect and complete healing to come. It is evidence of the salvation that Jesus has won for us. For in the end we will be perfectly restored. There will be no more sin. No more sickness or disease of any kind will intrude. Jesus will be perfectly worshiped, honored, and praised. 

We get glimpses of this even today. A dear friend was facing a grave prognosis in her battle against cancer. Her church and friends were praying for her. When she went back to the doctor, the tumors had vanished. She credited God for that healing. But it may not always go this way. Another good friend is battling cancer. People across the country are praying for him. It appears that he may experience healing in the life of the world to come.

God will heal all who believe in him. He may do it miraculously – like he did with this lame man. He may do it medically: it is no less God’s doing whether it’s through means or immediately. Or he may heal us mercifully, taking us from this veil of tears to the glory of heaven. But in this case the healing was miraculous and the result is the same in any case of God’s intervening. People rejoice. God is praised. God’s gracious work in our lives is always a cause for praise and joy!

Please pray these psalms with me on this Lord’s Day

Psalm 25:4-7

Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
    teach me your paths.
⁵ Lead me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are the God of my salvation;
    for you I wait all the day long.

Psalm 55:1-3, 22

Give ear to my prayer, O God,
    and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!
² Attend to me, and answer me;
    I am restless in my complaint and I moan,
³ because of the noise of the enemy,
    because of the oppression of the wicked.
For they drop trouble upon me,
    and in anger they bear a grudge against me.
²² Cast your burden on the Lord,
    and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
    the righteous to be moved.

Psalm 85:10-13

Steadfast love and faithfulness meet;
    righteousness and peace kiss each other.
¹¹ Faithfulness springs up from the ground,
    and righteousness looks down from the sky.
¹² Yes, the Lord will give what is good,
    and our land will yield its increase.
¹³ Righteousness will go before him
    and make his footsteps a way.

Psalm 115:1-9, 18

Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory,
    for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!

² Why should the nations say,
    “Where is their God?”
³ Our God is in the heavens;
    he does all that he pleases.

⁴ Their idols are silver and gold,
    the work of human hands.
⁵ They have mouths, but do not speak;
    eyes, but do not see.
⁶ They have ears, but do not hear;
    noses, but do not smell.
⁷ They have hands, but do not feel;
    feet, but do not walk;
    and they do not make a sound in their throat.
⁸ Those who make them become like them;
    so do all who trust in them.

⁹ O Israel, trust in the Lord!
    He is their help and their shield.
¹⁸ But we will bless the Lord
    from this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the Lord!

Psalm 145:1-9

I will extol you, my God and King,
    and bless your name forever and ever.
² Every day I will bless you
    and praise your name forever and ever.
³ Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
    and his greatness is unsearchable.

⁴ One generation shall commend your works to another,
    and shall declare your mighty acts.
⁵ On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
    and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
⁶ They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
    and I will declare your greatness.
⁷ They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
    and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

⁸ The Lord is gracious and merciful,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
⁹ The Lord is good to all,
    and his mercy is over all that he has made.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016.
Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

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Acts 2:37-47

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” ³⁸ And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” ⁴⁰ And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” ⁴¹ So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

⁴² And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. ⁴³ And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. ⁴⁴ And all who believed were together and had all things in common. ⁴⁵ And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶ And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

I am decidedly not a surfer. I am not even a paddle boarder. I just don’t have the combination of core strength and balance needed to do that thing. I am not a wave rider. When I see surfers hanging ten, shooting the tube, or just riding the waves into the shore, I am amazed. How do they do that?!? That’s amazing!

But even the best surfer cannot make a wave. You might offer a different opinion. Wave pools create man-made waves. And those new surfing things on cruise ships: those are waves aren’t they? And what about the wake of a ship, or a cannon ball into a small pool. Waves! Yes. But the master of the waves is God himself.

I’m reminded Job’s reply to his friend, Artiber. He describes God as the one “who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea.” And God asks Job,

“Who kept the sea inside its boundaries
    as it burst from the womb,
⁹ and as I clothed it with clouds
    and wrapped it in thick darkness?
¹⁰ For I locked it behind barred gates,
    limiting its shores.
¹¹ I said, ‘This far and no farther will you come.
    Here your proud waves must stop!’”

Perhaps we can make a little wave. Maybe even a large one in a small body of water. But who alone can stop a wave? Only God can. Think of Jesus calming the storm. Think of the promise in Revelation of the new heaven and new earth, “the sea was no more.” (Revelation 21:1)

All this is to say that God alone causes the waves of the ocean to stop or go. He alone makes waves, or better yet tells them when they must stop. I think of this in relation to verse 47, “…the Lord added daily to those who were being saved.” God grows his church. He makes the wind of the Spirit blow. We can catch the wind of the Spirit (ride the waves) if we take seriously what he calls us to do.

The Christian church is growing dramatically in places like Ethiopia. According to one who has been there and seen how God is at work, that’s primarily because people have taken God’s word seriously and seen themselves as missionaries to their friends, families, neighbors and communities. Check out the post  by Rev. Dr. Scott Rische (of PLI-International) here.

God makes the waves. We need to learn to ride them! God grows the church. He uses people to make that happen. Wanna learn to surf? Or maybe even to paddle board?

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Acts 2:37-47

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” ³⁸ And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” ⁴⁰ And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” ⁴¹ So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

⁴² And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. ⁴³ And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. ⁴⁴ And all who believed were together and had all things in common. ⁴⁵ And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶ And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

You may or may not be aware that my main purpose for writing this blog is for my own devotional discipline. I write knowing others will read it. But I’ve never really tried to publicize it or expand my audience. Once in a while people will stumble on it and subscribe. But I don’t have that many subscribers. I’m happy if you are one of the few, and pray that you are edified by what I write. But I try intentionally to write for myself. If I touch a nerve or highlight a need, so much the better.

I typically use the Dietrich Bonhoeffer method of taking 10-15 verses and pondering, praying, and meditating over them for a week at a time. I disconnect this from my preaching preparations whenever I am preaching these days. And sometimes these writings do unfold because I know if I don’t post at least one or two of you will let me know, “You didn’t post today. Are you well?” [insert smile here] This discipline is only one part of a devotional life that had for many years been sporadic.

The early Christians give us a broader view of what it means to be devoted to Jesus, or as I like to say (quoting Luther), “to live under Christ in his kingdom and serve him.” Luke tell us that these new converts,

devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. ⁴³ And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. ⁴⁴ And all who believed were together and had all things in common. ⁴⁵ And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶ And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Being a devoted follower of Jesus is a full-life experience of reading and pondering God’s word, joining with others in food and fellowship, seeing (and looking for) God’s work in the world – sometimes miraculous, sharing in the needs of others, worship (“the prayers”), the Lord’s Supper (“breaking of bread”) living a compelling life, and seeing God’s kingdom grow. It’s not just one thing. Devotional faithfulness is a way of life.

Jesus embodied this perfectly. Giving attention to God’s word, praying regularly, offering us his body and blood in the Sacrament of the Altar, doing the work of God, healing, forgiving, and raising the dead. He gave all glory to God. And in doing so, he did it for us as well. He is not just an example of how to live, but an embodiment of a devoted life with God. And he is our righteousness.

I am thankful to God for those who read or listen to this blog. You are a part of the fellowship that strengthens me. I do this for myself, but hope you are blessed by it as well. I encourage you to look for God’s work in the world around you. I urge you to pray and worship, and will join you whenever I can. I pray that you have friends with whom you can gather for food and fellowship. I hope you read and meditate on God’s word. I rejoice in knowing that you join me in praising God for all his good gifts and blessings. That’s the kind of devotion we all need to model. And it is only a dim reflection of Jesus’ devotional life and a reflection of his salvation which is ours through faith.

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Acts 2:37-47

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” ³⁸ And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” ⁴⁰ And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” ⁴¹ So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

⁴² And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. ⁴³ And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. ⁴⁴ And all who believed were together and had all things in common. ⁴⁵ And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶ And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Our youngest son was born under some pretty stressful circumstances. Eight weeks premature after several weeks of distressing amniotic fluid leak. Although given an 8 on the Apgar scale (out of 10), the 3#, 12 1/2 oz. baby boy was taken to the NICU, and hooked to multiple tubes and wires. So tiny and vulnerable. When we learned that the doctor wanted to send him to the children’s hospital some 40 miles away, he seemed even smaller and more vulnerable. He would ride on a “mobile intensive care unit,” said the doctor. I knew it was a truck. So I asked, “Can I baptize him first?” We had actually had a styrofoam cup of water at the ready during his birth, so I knew I could. “Absolutely!” he replied. So Diane and I went to the NICU and I baptized Stephen, “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” It was just the two of us – the most emotional baptism I’ve ever performed.

But as soon as he was baptized I knew there were promises connected to him that before had not been. This being one of them:  “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”  (Acts 2:38-39) Some make much of the “Repent” part of that message. I lean on “the promise is for you and for your children…” part. And this is not a lone promise.

“Baptism also now saves you,” the same Peter writes years later (1 Peter 3:21).

Paul writes that God “saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.” (Titus 3:5)

Paul also speaks of Christ cleansing us, “by the washing of water with the word.” (Ephesians 5:26)

Galatians 3:27 says that, “all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”

There is great comfort and an urgent calling attached to being baptized. It’s clear that God’s gifts of life, love, and salvation are mediated in a miraculous way through baptism. We receive those gifts through faith – a work of the Holy Spirit who is also given us in baptism. Behind all those promises, furthermore, is a calling to live it out. Live as though you are redeemed. Baptism isn’t something that happened years or ever days or moments ago. Baptism is the entry point into the reign and rule of Jesus. We most fully express that truth in daily lives of faithfulness, obedience, repentance and faith. What a precious gift that is indeed!

On a personal note, today is the 48th anniversary of our wedding day. Diane and I were married on June 21, 1975 at the Lutheran Chapel of Hope next to the campus of SEMO University in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. I thank God for her daily!

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Acts 2:37-47

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” ³⁸ And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” ⁴⁰ And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” ⁴¹ So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

⁴² And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. ⁴³ And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. ⁴⁴ And all who believed were together and had all things in common. ⁴⁵ And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶ And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

“The promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself,” says Peter to the gathered people. That’s a broad sweep of God’s far-reaching love and precious promises. That is good news for us all, but it also presents a challenge. That was true for the early Christians. It is true, also, for us.

When Peter proclaimed the breadth of God’s love and his promises to everyone the Lord would call to himself, he likely had no idea of how those words would play out for him as the leader of the Apostles. There would come a time (recorded in Acts 15) when the spread of the gospel message would penetrate into the gentile world. And people very far from God would be brought to faith. They would have no Jewish background, nor even an appreciation for the rich Jewish heritage Peter and the others possessed. Some of the new converts may have been pagan in every sense of the word. They would be baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. But they would not bring an appreciation for Jewish traditions or practices.

Paul and Barnabas along with Titus would go to Jerusalem and lay before Peter and the other Apostles the case for accepting these new gentile believers into the fellowship of the church (cf. Galatians 2:1). Peter would preside, so to speak, over this discussion that would open the doors of the church to people like you and me. Even before that Peter encountered a vision at the house of Cornelius in which he was commanded by God to eat unclean food. He was told not to call anything unclean that God had declared clean. God’s declaration went far wider and broader than he had anticipated (Acts 10:1-11:18).

How does this apply today? Who might God call to himself that would challenge your spiritual and religious sensibilities? Is it an ethnic group? Is it someone who smells, thinks, acts, and talks differently? Or is it someone you’ve just written off? You’ve determined that John or Jane is just too far gone. Yet God calls them to himself. The abstract becomes real.

Here’s one more: Maybe you’re someone else’s Jane or John. You might be one who is thought to be too far gone, too different, too lost. In that case, rejoice and be glad. God’s grace, love and promises are for you – for all those God will call to himself. Joy or challenge? In either case it is a great blessing to be called to God and promised his gifts. His reach is far and wide. His grace and love deep. His mercy is everlasting.

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Acts 2:37-47

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” ³⁸ And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” ⁴⁰ And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” ⁴¹ So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

⁴² And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. ⁴³ And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. ⁴⁴ And all who believed were together and had all things in common. ⁴⁵ And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶ And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

The tentative report came in the mail. “Rule out cancer.” It shook our world. We went on vacation shortly thereafter with that hanging over our heads. Were we ever glad when we learned there was no cancer. But in that moment those words shook our world.

Maybe you’ve had such a moment. A medical test report. A cryptic memo from your boss. A phone call in the middle of the night. A sermon. A Bible verse brings you up short. You know you must do something. This is nothing to be ignored.

When Peter spoke on that first Pentecost, his message was direct and powerful. Truth reached deeply into the hearts of the people there. Grace invited them to repent and believe. The Holy Spirit brought grace and truth together to create repentance and faith.

It sounded like, “Brothers, what shall we do?” It looked like people who didn’t dismiss Peter’s sermon as just so much hot air. It was a moment that would shape their lives and eternity. Here was an echo of Jesus’ first sermon, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15). God had broken in now through the preaching of Peter.

We too easily dismiss even the true messages from God’s word. We’ve learned that we don’t need to take every word to heart. We can still get by. I fear we cheapen grace. Or we are too shrewd and dismiss God’s word as quaintly out of touch with modern life.

Thank God for the example of these earliest Christians. They thought God’s word neither quaint or forgettable. They were convinced that they needed to do something in response to this new awareness of their need. Thankfully God provides a way to deal with such moments when we become aware of our sin. Repent and believe. That’s a call for us daily, and the way of life for all believers. Will we dismiss this as quaintly irrelevant, nothing we really need to deal with, or something that will change our life now and forever?

Please pray these psalms with me on this Lord’s Day

Psalm 18:1-3

I love you, O Lord, my strength.
² The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
    my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
³ I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
    and I am saved from my enemies.

Psalm 48:9-14

We have thought on your steadfast love, O God,
    in the midst of your temple.
¹⁰ As your name, O God,
    so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with righteousness.
¹¹     Let Mount Zion be glad!
Let the daughters of Judah rejoice
    because of your judgments!

¹² Walk about Zion, go around her,
    number her towers,
¹³ consider well her ramparts,
    go through her citadels,
that you may tell the next generation
¹⁴     that this is God,
our God forever and ever.
    He will guide us forever.

Psalm 78:1-4

Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
    incline your ears to the words of my mouth!
² I will open my mouth in a parable;
    I will utter dark sayings from of old,
³ things that we have heard and known,
    that our fathers have told us.
⁴ We will not hide them from their children,
    but tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
    and the wonders that he has done.

Psalm 108:1-6

My heart is steadfast, O God!
    I will sing and make melody with all my being!^[a]
2 Awake, O harp and lyre!
    I will awake the dawn!
³ I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
    I will sing praises to you among the nations.
⁴ For your steadfast love is great above the heavens;
    your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

⁵ Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
    Let your glory be over all the earth!
⁶ That your beloved ones may be delivered,
    give salvation by your right hand and answer me!

Psalm 138:1-2

I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
    before the gods I sing your praise;
² I bow down toward your holy temple
    and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
    for you have exalted above all things
    your name and your word.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016.
Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

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Acts 2:22-36

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— ²³ this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. ²⁴ God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. ²⁵ For David says concerning him,

“‘I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
²⁶ therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
my flesh also will dwell in hope.
²⁷ For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One see corruption.
²⁸ You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’

²⁹ “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. ³⁰ Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, ³¹ he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. ³² This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. ³³ Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. ³⁴ For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,

“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
³⁵ until I make your enemies your footstool.”’

³⁶ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

All promises of God are fulfilled, ultimately, in Jesus Christ. He is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. He lived out God’s commandments perfectly. He did the things promised by the prophets. He fully embodied the identity spoken of in the Old Testament descriptions of the coming messiah. Jesus is the ultimate expression of God’s love and man’s obedience.

This is good news. For none of us fulfills God’s law. None of us is the perfect embodiment of man as God intended and demands. We don’t do all that God requires. We do the things God prohibits. So when we lean on the righteousness of Jesus, we have a Savior. We are surely comforted by this truth.

The ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises through Jesus will be experienced in the life of the world to come. In the meantime, however, there are blessings here and now to be enjoyed. Consider how David expressed his hope in the moments of his distress. Even though the ultimate deliverance would be on the Great Last Day, he still sought God’s help in the here and now. He even said, “I believe that I shall see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living (Psalm 27:13).

Peter is quoting David in regard to the manner in which Jesus fulfilled these words. Truly Jesus is the ultimate hope and fulfillment of God’s good will for all believers. But we who live in faith, can also reach out and touch the fringe of God’s promises and receive his blessings in the here and now.

Some people are so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good. We who hope for heaven must keep in mind that we live our lives this side of eternity and so do our neighbors who need our love and support. The real-life-today blessings of God are only an echo of the eternal blessings of God in Jesus. But they are a welcome echo to those who yearn for his blessings today.