And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch. (13) Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. (14) And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, (15) so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. (16) Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

Acts was written by Luke, historian of the early church, writer of the gospel, physician and dear companion to the apostle Paul. Today’s verses tell us of the remarkable growth of the early church – signs and wonders performed by the apostles by the power of God. The apostles had been arrested and brought before the the Jewish “rulers, elders and scribes, as well as Annaias the high priest, Caiaphas, John and Alexander, and as many as were the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.” The apostles were commanded by them “not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.” Then they were let go. The response of the apostles was to not only preach Christ but to do so publicly on Solomon’s porch which was surrounding the temple area. Clearly the early church was a supremely effective church with the ministry of healing at the forefront of church work. The power of God was evident to win others for the Lord. Many believers were added and here Luke no longer give us numbers – evidently there were so many – and he writes that multitudes were drawn, men and women.

The many miracles of healing had an increasingly powerful impact – the purpose for God granting those miracles was to confirm the gospel message and to authenticate the apostles as God’s messengers in the early church. One of the interesting things in that time was the opposition by the Jewish leaders to Jesus; even though they became more jealous and antagonistic the Jews chose to react with moderation as their quandary was that the miracles could not be denied even by those not believing. The gospel of Christ was about to explode to all the known world.

The reverence for the apostles was evident by those placing the sick so that the shadow of Peter might fall on them. There is no mention that cures were a result of this but this is an apt reminder of “shadow ministries”. We do not know how we influence people put in our paths. In our upside down world the shadow is reality and “reality” is ephemeral. We never know who or how we influence or touch in our path. Everything we do matters. In joy, everything we do, we should do for the Lord.

Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. (35) But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. (36) The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ – He is Lord of all- (37) that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: (38) how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. (39) And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. (40) Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, (41) not to all the people but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. (42) And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. (43) To Him all the prophets witness that through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins”.

The Acts of the Apostles was written by Luke, writer of the gospel, historian, physician and often the companion of the apostle Paul. Our verses today are part of the story of Peter, a Jewish man and an apostle of Christ, called by a vision to visit Cornelius, a Roman centurion and a Gentile. Cornelius, a God fearing and righteous man also had a vision telling him to call for Peter to come and explain the gospel. Peter obeyed his vision; journeyed to Caesarea and entered the house of Cornelius – something Jewish custom and tradition strictly prohibited.

Our verses today are words Peter spoke to Cornelius and his household. While Peter was still speaking(!), the Holy Spirit came upon the attending Gentiles and Peter and the Jews accompanying him “were astonished that the gifts of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles”. (Acts 10: 44-46). Peter had no idea that God was at work among the Gentiles.

This was the foundation for Peter’s understanding that the gospel should now go forth to the Gentiles – it was completely against Jewish thought that God DID NOT show partiality toward the Jews. There was now to be no exclusion based on national identity. Since Abraham salvation had been from the Jews and through the Jews. This was a radical change as the Gentiles were included and all who believe in Christ receive God’s salvation. This was not a new plan of God but was foretold by the Old Testament prophets but just not understood. Now the Gentiles could be directly brought into a relationship with God apart from becoming Jews. Christ is Lord of all. This insight would change the history of the world.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, (6) who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, (7) but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. (8) And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (9) Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, (10) that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, (11) and that every tongue should confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The letter to the Philippians was written by the apostle Paul. Our verses today are critically Christological – fundamental to the gospel. Christ Jesus was and is absolute deity; He never ceased to be God in any sense but added a human nature, without sin, and wholly voluntarily took on a body subject to results of the fall; subject to weariness, aging and death. In observable ways He was human. He was in all ways tempted but was obedient unto death on the cross. The crucified, risen and ascended Christ is now at the place of supremacy over all creation.

Christ Jesus as true God and true man without sin became the perfect sacrifice for man’s redemption in Gods eternal plan; He became sin. Because of this, His separation in human form from God in our place, we are reconciled with God. His extreme agony was not the physical suffering from crucifixion but as the sin offering He was separated from God. On the cross He knew He was forsaken by God and He knew in the Garden of Gethsemane that He would be forsaken by God – He saw this abyss before Him and sweated blood.

The crucified, risen and ascended Christ is now at the place of supremacy over all creation. He stands alone. No other name can be compared to His and the time will come when He will be acknowledged as Lord. This does not mean that all will be saved but the guilty and the lost will acknowledge His power and sovereignty.

Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish that I may gain Christ (9) and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; (10)that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being confirmed to His death, (11) if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. (12) Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. (13)Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. (15) I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

The letter to the Philippians was written by the apostle Paul – he writes of joy from a Roman prison, saying that the believer in whatever earthly circumstances should manifest the joy in knowing the Lord. On the road to Damascus Paul personally experienced Jesus Christ and his life dramatically changed. Paul knew Christ; he knew he was in Christ’s hands and the goal of salvation was ever before him. He counted his past behaviors and sins, rewards and achievements not as loss or gain but as obstacles to salvation. He renounced all dependence on things of this world and declared them worthless and a hinderance to the goal of salvation in Christ.

Paul uses the analogy of a foot race pressing on toward the goal of salvation. He acknowledged his past sins but he was a new man in Christ – he did not live in the past but was straining toward what is ahead in dependence on Christ and the Spirit. Runners always run looking ahead with eyes on the goal. In the words of the current women’s Olympic bronze medalist, “Life has a funny way of giving you what you need before you think you’re ready for it.” In faith we will abandon all dependence on things past as worthless external advantage. We are, in Christ, exactly where we are meant to be and Paul urges his readers to be teachable – to have a humble heart. Paul knows Christ; he knows he is in Christ’s hands.

From the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous to inside the prison walls of Louisiana State Penitentiary, we are encouraged by those beautiful words of verse 13 of Philippians 3: “forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead…”. In Christ we have joy and a hope that is sure.