Acts 3:11-26
Teaching Notes
As we make our way verse by verse through Acts 3:11–26, we witness a powerful moment where God’s grace is on full display through the healing of a man born lame. This man, once bound in physical and societal shackles, is now leaping and praising God in the temple courts, drawing a crowd in awe. Peter quickly deflects the attention from himself and John, declaring that it was not by their power or godliness that the man was healed, but through faith in the name of Jesus Christ—the one they had denied and crucified, but whom God raised from the dead.
This miracle becomes a divine opportunity to preach grace. Pastor Craig shares his own story of encountering God’s grace for the first time in the summer of 1999—a transformative season marked by surrender, boldness, and the calling into ministry. That summer, he shared Christ with a woman named Judy, recently released from prison. She had cried out to God for truth, and in His mercy, God sent someone to share the gospel with her. Judy’s story, like the lame man’s, is a picture of the grace of God—His undeserved favor poured out on those who cry out to Him.
Grace is not something we earn; it’s a gift. Ephesians 2:8–9 reminds us that salvation is by grace through faith, not by works. Our culture often rewards effort and performance, but grace flips that. The Old Covenant was performance-based, but the New Covenant is grounded in the finished work of Christ. His righteousness is credited to us—not because of what we’ve done, but because of who He is. Grace lifts the burden of striving and gives us power to live by the Spirit, not a license to sin, but a compelling invitation to live in gratitude and love.
Peter’s message also exposes the danger of dead religion. Many in the temple that day had grown cold, going through the motions with hearts far from God. They marveled at the miracle because they had lost touch with the living God. Peter calls them out—not to shame, but to awaken. He calls them to repentance—to change their minds about Jesus and receive the forgiveness that only He can offer.
The same call goes out today. No matter our past—whether we’ve been weighed down by religion, addiction, or sin—the offer of grace remains. Even those who crucified Christ were offered forgiveness. That’s how deep God’s grace runs. But a response is required. We can receive the gift through faith, or we can attempt to earn it on our own—an impossible task that only leads to destruction. The law was given to drive us to Christ, not to save us.
Peter concludes by pointing to Moses and the prophets, showing that Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan. Moses himself prophesied of Christ, and now, through Him, all nations can be blessed. God desires not empty ritual, but justice, righteousness, and relationship. The message is simple and urgent: turn, believe, and be refreshed.
We are reminded not to return to the yoke of slavery, but to stand firm in the freedom Christ has given us. Let us walk in His grace, grow deeper in our understanding of it, and be led by His Spirit to bear fruit in love. As Peter and John modeled, may we always give God the glory and remain vessels ready to share His life-changing grace with a world in need.
