Third Sunday of Easter

 Sermon Text: Acts 4:8-12

 Other Readings: 2 Corinthians 2:12-3:6 and Luke 24:36-49


 

  1. Peter stands before the Sanhedrin, the religious court of the Jews, to defend his healing of a crippled beggar. What does it mean that the man was healed “by the name of Jesus Christ”?
     
  2. How did this trial before the Sanhedrin help fulfill what Jesus said in Luke 24:47,48 (our gospel reading)?
     
  3. In verse 11, Peter here quotes Psalm 118:22. What does it mean that Jesus is the cornerstone?
     
  4. Agree or disagree? Explain your answer using God’s Word. Because Jesus is the only cornerstone, the members of a congregation must completely agree on everything the congregation decides to do.

 

  1. Peter did not heal the crippled beggar. God healed him. Moreover, to heal by the name of Jesus does not mean that his name is some sort of magical incantation. It just means that Jesus was the one who healed him. Such a miracle shows God’s incredible mercy along with the authority that Peter and John had to be preaching what they were preaching.
     
  2. The cornerstone is the most important stone of a building because it sets the angles and foundation for the rest of the building. If it is unlevel or askew, the building’s integrity is compromised. Since Jesus is perfect, he is the most important “building block” of our personal salvation and the building of the holy Christian church. (Note: some translations use the word “capstone,” referring to an arch’s architecture. Either way, the point is the same.)
     
  3. God controlled events after the healing that allowed Peter to preach to the onlookers at the temple (Acts 3:11ff.) and to the Sanhedrin, both of which were in Jerusalem.
     
  4. Disagree. Brothers and sisters in Christ might have valid disagreements on “external” matters of a congregation, such as service times or hymn choices. But they can do so in love and respect because they are united in doctrine and practice that lines up with Jesus Christ’s works and words. In Jesus and his ministry, we must have complete agreement.