Acts 3:11-26
Peter Speaks to the Onlookers
11 While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. 12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. 14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.
17 “Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18 But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. 19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. 21 Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. 22 For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. 23 Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.’
24 “Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets who have spoken have foretold these days. 25 And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’ 26 When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”
2 Peter 1:12-21
Prophecy of Scripture
12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. 13 I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, 14 because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.
16 For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power,but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” 18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
19 We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
1 John 1:1-4
The Incarnation of the Word of Life
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our joy complete.
Believing in Jesus does take faith...But we know Jesus existed and had eyewitnesses to Him being here and teaching on earth...In fact, Peter and John and the other disciples were eyewitnesses and disciples of Jesus...And they also saw Him after His resurrection...Peter and John and others make it clear to us that Jesus walked the earth with them...Peter says this about Jesus, after healing a crippled man that the town knew, "You killed the Author of Life, but God raised Him from the dead...We are witnesses of this...By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong...It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through Him that has completely healed him, as you can all see."...
So Peter and John and the other disciples were witnesses of Jesus and the things He done, while He walked the earth...Peter wanted and tried to keep the news and the gospel of Jesus fresh and alive...As Peter later said in His second epistle to Christian followers, "So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have...I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me...And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things...For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty...He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is My Son, whom I LOVE; with Him I AM well pleased.”...We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with Him on the sacred mountain."...
John in his first epistle, writes "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of Life...The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us...We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us...And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ...We write this to make our joy complete."...
In the apostle's epistles, Jesus is alive and a Spiritual One who has resurrected...St. Peter and St. John let us know that they have seen Him with their own eyes...They have touched His hands...He, in fact, appeared however mysterious it was and is to us and to them also...They saw it, and they testified to the fact that Jesus existed and resurrected from the dead...They proclaim what they saw and they heard...They further proclaim that Jesus is the eternal life, which was with the Father and did appear to them...
St. Peter and St. John and the other disciples and their Teacher are now removed from us by two thousand years...We are the generation who must remind ourselves of these things, as we read their words...Let us also be reminded that we have four different gospels by four different authors, and all the epistles with authors of different personalities -that give us their impressions and what they saw and heard about Jesus...We are told of His resurrection from death, and that He is alive...Let us now keep His hopes and teachings alive...Let us believe that these things are firmly established in the truth we currently now have...