17 “And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. 19 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, 20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21 whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.
These words were spoken by Peter and John as they gave a defense for preaching about and healing in Jesus' name. The people had witnessed a lame man being healed, which is the refreshing that he needed. But Peter and John wanted to make sure they pointed them to Jesus, the one foretold throughout history as they Great Refresher, Whom God had sent to be God on earth. For now He is in heaven, where we can call upon Him for refreshing, until someday He will come back and restore all things, giving a final refreshing. Times of refreshing look in all directions: back to what God has done and said for us and to us in the past; now to the present, at the ways we may need to be refreshed, and possibly repenting for getting off track; and finally to the future, where we are living life in light of that direction: when Christ restores all things, making all things new. At every point, Christ is there. May we be refreshed in Him today.
No comments:
Post a Comment