Acts 3:11-26
Lesson 224
Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."
In this lesson:
Lesson 223 continues.
Hugs for Peter and John (3:11).
Peter's second sermon begins.
It ends with verse 4:2 (lesson 225).
The prophet Samuel icon.
Who was -
Pilate -
Pontius Pilate was the fifth Roman procurator (governor) of Judea and Samaria. He served from AD 26 to 36 and disliked his Judean assignment so far from home. Pilate, no fan of the Jews, was routinely charged with cruelty against them, accusations he usually deserved, and Jesus was well aware of Pilate's brutal reputation (Luke 13:1). The Jewish religious leaders returned Pilate's animosity and frequently complained about him to Rome. They accused him of corruption, cruelty, insensitivity to their customs and religion, and once of stealing money from the Temple to build an aqueduct. Pilate's headquarters was in Caesarea, but he was in Jerusalem with his wife Claudia to keep order as the Holy City filled with pilgrims over the Passover holiday. While he was in Jerusalem, the Jewish high council (Sanhedrin) brought Jesus to stand trial before him. The Sanhedrin lacked the authority to sentence a prisoner to death (John 18:31), so they pressured Pilate to crucify Jesus. A pure politician, Pilate was more interested in political expediency than justice. Already disciplined by Rome once, Pilate wasn't willing to release Jesus and risk more Jewish complaints. He repeatedly declared Jesus innocent (Luke 23:4; 23:14; 23:22; John 18:38) yet was prepared to order His execution (Matthew 27:24-26; Mark 15:15). In AD 36, Pilate finally lost favor with Rome after the Governor of Syria brought more charges of cruelty against him. He was exiled to Vienne in Gaul, where he committed suicide in AD 38.
Moses -
Moses was a prophet of Israel (Deuteronomy 34:10), the author of the first five books in the Old Testament (the Pentateuch), a Jewish leader and icon who, with God's help, led an estimated 3,000,000 Israelites out of Egyptian bondage to form the Jewish nation. The son of Amram and Jochebed (Exodus 6:20), Moses was born in 1571 BC when the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt (Exodus 1:13-14). Afraid that the growing population of Jewish slaves would one day turn against Egypt (Exodus 1:10), the Egyptian Pharaoh Rameses ordered midwives to kill all the male Jewish babies at birth (Exodus 1:15-16). When this didn't work (Exodus 1:17), Pharaoh ordered the male babies to be "cast into the river" (Exodus 1:22). To save the infant Moses' life, his mother hid him in a basket in the reeds on the banks of the Nile River (Exodus 2:3). Pharaoh's daughter found Moses (Exodus 2:5-6) and raised him as her own son. Growing up he received an education (Acts 7:22) and all the advantages given the son of a king. But at the age of forty, Moses killed an Egyptian he found mistreating a Hebrew (Exodus 2:11-12; Acts 7:23-24) and was forced to flee Egypt (Exodus 2:15). Moses fled to Midian near Sinai where he married and lived the simple life of a Shepard for forty years until God appeared to him in the form of a burning bush (Exodus 3:1-22; Acts 7:30-34). Following God's instructions, Moses returned to Egypt to liberate the Israelites. After God brought a series of ten miracles/plagues down on the Egyptians (Exodus 7:1-12:51), Pharaoh allowed the enslaved Israelites to leave Egypt a free people. For the next forty years, the Israelites wandered through the wilderness searching for the Promised Land (Canaan). Moses, "the mediator of the old covenant," received the Mosaic Law (the First Covenant, the Ten Commandments) from God on Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:1-35), prophesied the coming of the Messiah (John 5:46; Acts 7:37), was likened to Christ (Deuteronomy 18:15; Acts 7:37), and appeared with Jesus during the transfiguration (Matthew 17:3-5; Mark 9:2-4; Luke 9:29-30). Moses lived to be one hundred and twenty years old (forty years in the royal palace, forty years as a fugitive in Midian, and forty years in the wilderness), died on Mount Nebo in Moab (eight miles east of the mouth of the Jordan River) and was buried by God (Deuteronomy 34:5-7). In Jude 1:9, we see Satan arguing with Michael the Archangel over Moses' body. The story of Moses can be found in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
Samuel -
Hebrew for "asked of God," Samuel was a Levite and the son of Elkanah and Hannah who prayed for a son (1 Samuel 1:1-11). Samuel was the first prophet after Moses (I Samuel 3:20), a priest (1 Samuel 7:9), a lifetime Nazarite (1 Samuel 1:11), and the last of the judges that ruled Israel (1 Samuel 7:15-17). Samuel lived in the 11th century BC and urged Israel to pray, repent, forsake idolatry, and "serve the Lord with all your heart." When the Philistines attacked Israel, Samuel prayed for deliverance. God sent a tremendous thunderstorm which threw the Philistines into confusion and defeat. With the insistence of the people (1 Samuel 8:4-5), and guidance from God (1 Samuel 9:15-17), he ended the era of ruling judges by appointing Saul the king of Israel (1 Samuel 11:15). Saul helped make Israel a strong and prosperous monarchy but eventually lost favor with Samuel. You can read more about Samuel in 1 Samuel 1:20-28:25.
Pilate -
Pontius Pilate was the fifth Roman procurator (governor) of Judea and Samaria. He served from AD 26 to 36 and disliked his Judean assignment so far from home. Pilate, no fan of the Jews, was routinely charged with cruelty against them, accusations he usually deserved, and Jesus was well aware of Pilate's brutal reputation (Luke 13:1). The Jewish religious leaders returned Pilate's animosity and frequently complained about him to Rome. They accused him of corruption, cruelty, insensitivity to their customs and religion, and once of stealing money from the Temple to build an aqueduct. Pilate's headquarters was in Caesarea, but he was in Jerusalem with his wife Claudia to keep order as the Holy City filled with pilgrims over the Passover holiday. While he was in Jerusalem, the Jewish high council (Sanhedrin) brought Jesus to stand trial before him. The Sanhedrin lacked the authority to sentence a prisoner to death (John 18:31), so they pressured Pilate to crucify Jesus. A pure politician, Pilate was more interested in political expediency than justice. Already disciplined by Rome once, Pilate wasn't willing to release Jesus and risk more Jewish complaints. He repeatedly declared Jesus innocent (Luke 23:4; 23:14; 23:22; John 18:38) yet was prepared to order His execution (Matthew 27:24-26; Mark 15:15). In AD 36, Pilate finally lost favor with Rome after the Governor of Syria brought more charges of cruelty against him. He was exiled to Vienne in Gaul, where he committed suicide in AD 38.
Moses -
Moses was a prophet of Israel (Deuteronomy 34:10), the author of the first five books in the Old Testament (the Pentateuch), a Jewish leader and icon who, with God's help, led an estimated 3,000,000 Israelites out of Egyptian bondage to form the Jewish nation. The son of Amram and Jochebed (Exodus 6:20), Moses was born in 1571 BC when the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt (Exodus 1:13-14). Afraid that the growing population of Jewish slaves would one day turn against Egypt (Exodus 1:10), the Egyptian Pharaoh Rameses ordered midwives to kill all the male Jewish babies at birth (Exodus 1:15-16). When this didn't work (Exodus 1:17), Pharaoh ordered the male babies to be "cast into the river" (Exodus 1:22). To save the infant Moses' life, his mother hid him in a basket in the reeds on the banks of the Nile River (Exodus 2:3). Pharaoh's daughter found Moses (Exodus 2:5-6) and raised him as her own son. Growing up he received an education (Acts 7:22) and all the advantages given the son of a king. But at the age of forty, Moses killed an Egyptian he found mistreating a Hebrew (Exodus 2:11-12; Acts 7:23-24) and was forced to flee Egypt (Exodus 2:15). Moses fled to Midian near Sinai where he married and lived the simple life of a Shepard for forty years until God appeared to him in the form of a burning bush (Exodus 3:1-22; Acts 7:30-34). Following God's instructions, Moses returned to Egypt to liberate the Israelites. After God brought a series of ten miracles/plagues down on the Egyptians (Exodus 7:1-12:51), Pharaoh allowed the enslaved Israelites to leave Egypt a free people. For the next forty years, the Israelites wandered through the wilderness searching for the Promised Land (Canaan). Moses, "the mediator of the old covenant," received the Mosaic Law (the First Covenant, the Ten Commandments) from God on Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:1-35), prophesied the coming of the Messiah (John 5:46; Acts 7:37), was likened to Christ (Deuteronomy 18:15; Acts 7:37), and appeared with Jesus during the transfiguration (Matthew 17:3-5; Mark 9:2-4; Luke 9:29-30). Moses lived to be one hundred and twenty years old (forty years in the royal palace, forty years as a fugitive in Midian, and forty years in the wilderness), died on Mount Nebo in Moab (eight miles east of the mouth of the Jordan River) and was buried by God (Deuteronomy 34:5-7). In Jude 1:9, we see Satan arguing with Michael the Archangel over Moses' body. The story of Moses can be found in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
Samuel -
Hebrew for "asked of God," Samuel was a Levite and the son of Elkanah and Hannah who prayed for a son (1 Samuel 1:1-11). Samuel was the first prophet after Moses (I Samuel 3:20), a priest (1 Samuel 7:9), a lifetime Nazarite (1 Samuel 1:11), and the last of the judges that ruled Israel (1 Samuel 7:15-17). Samuel lived in the 11th century BC and urged Israel to pray, repent, forsake idolatry, and "serve the Lord with all your heart." When the Philistines attacked Israel, Samuel prayed for deliverance. God sent a tremendous thunderstorm which threw the Philistines into confusion and defeat. With the insistence of the people (1 Samuel 8:4-5), and guidance from God (1 Samuel 9:15-17), he ended the era of ruling judges by appointing Saul the king of Israel (1 Samuel 11:15). Saul helped make Israel a strong and prosperous monarchy but eventually lost favor with Samuel. You can read more about Samuel in 1 Samuel 1:20-28:25.
Study Tip:
Applying biblical lessons to your life will make you a better person.
Applying biblical lessons to your life will make you a better person.
