Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: (9) If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, (10) let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. (11) This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ (12) Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

The book, Acts of the Apostles, was written by Luke and stands as the one historical document chronicling the founding of Christ’s church and it’s early growth – a record of apostolic success through the power of the Holy Spirit. In chapter 4 of Acts we have just learned that God had used Peter and John to heal a 40 year old begger, lame from birth and well known to the people of Jerusalem. No one questioned that this man prior to his interaction with the apostles was lame and the spectacle of the healed man leaping about drew a crowd resulting in the arrest of Peter and John. The next day they were brought in front of the Sanhedrin basically to answer by what authority they had healed this man. The Sanhedrin was the senate and Supreme Court of Israel; they were the wealthiest, most intellectual, most powerful men in Israel and in our verses today we read that Peter, an untrained fisherman, ended up standing before them as judge, not victim.
At the arraignment Peter boldly, by the Spirit, put the Sanhedrin on trial; it was not a crime to do a good deed but rather the Sanhedrin had crucified Christ who had been raised from the dead and in whose name the lame man had been healed. It is important to realize here that neither on this occasion or on any recorded subsequent occasion did the Sanhedrin take any serious action to disprove the apostolic CENTRAL affirmation which is the resurrection from the dead of Christ Jesus. This doctrine of resurrection of the Christ did not lead people away from God but fulfilled what God through His prophets had predicted. The rulers of Israel had rejected their Messiah.
The healing action in question was done in the name of Jesus – in Jesus alone there is salvation. Salvation is never by Buddhists, nor Muslims; not in Catholics piling up good deeds; not by ceremonies or good works or anything done by man. Salvation through faith in Christ Jesus alone is what Jesus and the apostles proclaimed.

good works but salvation

“The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. (14) But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, (15) And killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. (16) And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. (17) Yet now brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. (18) But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. (19) Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

The Acts of the Apostles was written by Luke, physician, historian of the early church, writer of the gospel and frequent fellow traveler of the apostle Paul. In our verses today we study the second sermon of the apostle Peter, delivered just 50 days after the crucifixion of Christ Jesus at which time the disciples had fled in terror for their lives, and were leaderless and without understanding of what had just happened to Jesus. In this short interval Jesus had risen from the dead and appeared to them all – and to a man they believed. They were told by the Christ to remain in Jerusalem until the Spirit would be sent to them and this happened on Pentecost Sunday. On that day, with the arrival of the Spirit there was a huge noise and accompanying wind that drew a large audience to the place where the disciples were and Peter made his historic, second recorded address to the crowds – Peter preached the gospel which is Christ exalted. Peter tells his audience who the Christ is – the Servant sent by God as promised by God to Abraham, Moses and David – the fulfillment of the Old Testament messianic prophecies – the promised Savior of man and the Prince of life. Peter tells his Jewish audience that they killed Jesus even though He laid down His life willingly; that even though Pilate was clearly ready to release Him they were responsible for His death.

The cross is central to salvation and though it is foolishness to those who are perishing, it is the power of God to those being saved. The death of Jesus shows us we are not our own savior – that we are lost and alienated to God, unable to do anything to save ourselves: Christ saved us from our sin. Peter says further that Christ was raised from the dead and that “we are witnesses”. There was no body to refute this claim and more than 3000 people believed that day. The resurrection is the central fact of Christianity. Without Christ we are all guilty and under God’s wrath and judgment. Every sin we live in rather than in Christ will lead to death and eternal judgment. Our proper relationship to God is only by accepting Jesus, resulting in forgiveness of sin.

This apostolic sermon is how God chose to present His message of salvation; Jesus Christ incarnate, Christ crucified, Christ risen and Christ glorified. There were no abstract doctrines and no theological problems. Salvation full and complete is offered to the Jew and the Gentile – all who will turn in repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begat also loves him who is begotten of Him. (2) By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. (3) For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. (4) For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith. (5) Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Our verses today were written by the apostle John concerning authentic Christianity, the foundation for which depends on our regeneration/transformation. Spiritually natural man is dead in sin and only God, in Christ, can give us new life. Rebirth is not accomplished by man’s efforts and the initiative can only come from God – He is sovereign over our salvation. Being born again is not a matter of our choice but we choose Christ because God woke us. Faith is a result of new birth not the cause of it; chronologically faith occurs immediately after regeneration.

Faith has a clearly defined object – saving faith believes that the historical person Jesus is the Messiah who has saved people from their sins. Faith has a clearly observable result and love for God and His children is a vital sign of rebirth. It is evident in the overall direction of our lives. The commandments of God are not burdensome in our new nature because they are commands of God, not man, and designed for our good.

What John is saying here is the work of salvation must begin in God – that everyone who has believes has previously been reborn. John is talking about a logical order because man is dead in sin and cannot believe; only an operation of God will enable belief. No man/woman can call Jesus Lord except by the Spirit. Regeneration precedes faith. This should give the faithful better appreciation of what God has done to us personally.

Each year, during Holy Week, I reread the book ‘Who Moved the Stone’ which is an account of the historic facts of the resurrection of Christ Jesus. . The book begins with the events in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus was arrested and reminds us that scripture says his disciples “forsook Him and fled. But two of the disciples – John and Peter – apparently entered the city with the arresting party and we are told that Peter denies the Christ three times that terrible night. After this denial “Peter went out and wept bitterly” while John is placed at the cross that day; the point being the disciples had no understanding of what was happening and they were terrified, confused, grief stricken and leaderless at the arrest and death of Christ Jesus. Just seven weeks later – at the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) there is a profound conviction of the same people who had not understood the events of the crucifixion that Christ Jesus had risen from the grave – not just one believed but the entire party. This heterogenous group had been transformed to be the driving force that changed the world. Most of these first believers perished violently for their beliefs but not one doubted – all believed.

Today we will consider the various hypotheses put forward to refute the resurrection.
1. The disciples stole the body. These men were terrified and leaderless and in hiding. And if there had been such a conspiracy someone would have talked – they would have not all been willing to die for a lie.
2. Joseph of Arimethia secretly moved the body. Removal would have been a perfectly legitimate operation but the only time of secret removal would have been between the close of the Sabbath and dawn at which time they would have run into the women when they visited the tomb at daybreak. A removal of the body would have easily refuted the claim that Christ had risen but it never happened.
3. The authorities moved the body. Pilate clearly had no further interest in this matter. He allowed the priests to post a guard to make sure the body was not moved. All the authorities had to do was produce the body to end the claim of resurrection of Christ Jesus.
4. Jesus was not really dead when put in the tomb. This is refuted by the claim of the Roman soldier present at the crucifixion who told Pilate Jesus was dead.
5. The women went to the wrong tomb at daybreak that first day after the Sabbath. The gospels tell us that a man – in some gospels two men – announce that Jesus “is risen”. It was daybreak and hardly likely that the seal had been broken and the stone removed and men were there to announce that “he is risen” if it was the wrong tomb. It was too early for workers to be there at the wrong tomb and none were ever produced.

There were no statements by the priests and ruling Jews saying that the tomb was empty – the empty tomb was just outside of Jerusalem and could easily be viewed by anyone. There was no body produced that would refute the claim of the resurrection of Christ. There was a guard posted at the tomb in an eventuality that the body would be stolen but this story, financed by the priests, never got traction. The rapid growth of Christianity would not have been possible if the body were produced.
So finally, WHO MOVED THE STONE?