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Prophet Like Moses - Acts 3
Prophet Like Moses - Acts 3
Moses, the great lawgiver, did speak concerning Jesus. Peter brings this up at the end of his 2nd sermon. The sermon itself is very similar to his first one. God in his great planning had promised the coming of the Messiah to save His people. God had ALSO foretold that the people would reject this Messiah and that the Messiah would suffer at their hands (3:18). Peter again is straightforward in fixing the guilt of such a deed directly upon the people. "Men of Israel"… you denied … you killed" (3:12, 14, 15). Peter again simply states concerning Him: "God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses" (vs. 15).
The fascinating thing is that these sermons mix guilt and despair with hope and joy. Yes, they killed the Son of God, but God was using this to bring about the forgiveness of the very ones who did it. Astounding. Peter instructs them to "repent… turn back, that your sins may be blotted out". You should observe the parallel here to Acts 2:38 – "repent and be baptized… for the remission of sins." The repenting and 'turning back' are related to the blotting out of sins even as 'repent and be baptized' were to the forgiveness of sins.
Peter then brings up the fact that Moses had foretold the coming of a great prophet. The quote is from Deut. 18:15. This prophet would be 'from among the brethren', that is, from Israel. (This rules out Mohammed and Joseph Smith, who have been put forth as the fulfillment of this prophecy). Jesus is the one whom God raised up – both in the sense of his coming and being raised from the dead. Jesus is not just a prophet, He is a prophet like Moses.
The Old Testament did note the difference between Moses who spoke 'face to face' with God and the prophets who were given the Word of God. Jesus is not only greater than the prophets; he is also greater than Moses. The first point is argued in Hebrews 1, and the second is argued in Hebrews 3. Moses was faithful IN God's house as a servant; Jesus is faithful OVER God's house as a Son (Heb. 3:5-6).
The Hebrew writer made application: "whose house we are IF we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope" (Heb. 3:6). Peter made this same argument here in Acts 3. God will bless those who listen (hear, obey, follow) to this Son of God, but God will destroy all those who don't listen. He that believes and is baptized will be saved, he that does not believe will be condemned (Mark 16:16).
As of old, God had through the mouth of his spokesmen, set before the people life and death, blessing and cursing. Today that choice is not the law of Moses, but the discipleship of Jesus. As Peter had heard upon the mount of transfiguration: "This is my beloved Son, Hear You HIM" (Matt. 17:5). Are we listening?
Hugh DeLong
