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“You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness” (vv. 25–26).
For many centuries before Peter’s sermon in the temple courts, the Jews had been looking forward to the coming of the Messiah, the promised Son of David who would restore all things. In Acts 3:11–21, Peter refers to this hope, noting that in Jesus of Nazareth, the predictions of the Messiah’s suffering and glory are fulfilled and that He will bring about the renewal of creation at His return (e.g., see Isa. 52:13–53:12; 65:17–25). Jesus, moreover, is not merely the subject about whom the prophets spoke but is the Prophet par excellence, the embodiment of the prediction of a prophet like Moses who would come and be the Mediator of a new covenant. Thus, the responsibility to hear and obey Jesus is even greater than the responsibility to hear and obey the other prophets, with eternal destruction being the lot of those who reject Him (Acts 3:22–23; see Deut. 18:15–22).
Peter named Moses specifically in his sermon as a prophet who foresaw the days of Jesus, but he wanted his audience to know for certain that all the old covenant prophets announced Jesus’ person and work. In today’s passage, he names another prophet, Samuel, who predicted the coming of Jesus (Acts 3:24). Most likely, Peter names Samuel because of his role in anointing David, who the Jews knew was to be the forefather of the Messiah (1 Sam. 16). One of the messianic titles, after all, is “Son of David” (see Matt. 12:23). By mentioning Samuel, Peter alluded to the hope of the new Davidic ruler whom the Jews were expecting. Samuel proclaimed that God would raise up a man after His own heart to be prince over Israel (1 Sam. 13:14), and while this prophecy had an initial realization in David’s anointing, it received its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus, who never failed to be a man after God’s heart because, unlike David, He never sinned (1 Peter 2:22).
All the prophets spoke of Jesus long before He came, Peter said (Acts 3:24), and this laid on the Jews a special responsibility. They were, the Apostle notes, “the sons of the prophets and of the covenant” God made to bless the whole world through Abraham’s line (v. 25). In other words, because they were part of the covenant with Abraham and his descendants, they had no excuse not to receive Jesus, the hope of God’s covenant with Israel. In fact, God sent Jesus to the Jews first to turn them from their wickedness to saving faith (v. 26). All people need salvation, and the gospel is for the Jew first, then the gentile.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
God came to the Jews first with the gospel because He was honoring His covenant promises to the nation of Israel. Nevertheless, the gospel was never intended for the Jews only but was also meant for all the nations of the earth. We help take the gospel to all people by supporting the work of world missions and by sharing the gospel with others.