That Times of Refreshing May Come

Acts 3: 11-21

Third Sunday of Easter

Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savoir Jesus Christ amen.  The sermon text for the third Sunday of Easter is our first reading Acts 3. Every organization or group that tries to get people to come to their events eventually learns this important lesson. No matter how slick your promotions, no matter how attractive the substance of your event, there’s one more line that’s still guaranteed to increase attendance to your event: Refreshments will be served.  Most of us here today are more likely to go to an event if we know that there will be refreshments served.  We are all refreshed by food or our favorite snacks.  Nice spring weather can also refresh us.  It is this time of the year that we crave warm weather and spending time outside.  We delight in sunny days and hearing the birds chirp in the morning.  Yes, nice warm spring weather can be quite refreshing. Going on vacation can also be refreshing.  When we are tired or worn down what we need is a vacation.  Indeed a little rest can give us refreshment. 

In our reading for today we see that Peter understood our need to be refreshed. “Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.”  In the verses right before our reading Luke tells us that Peter and John were going to the temple to preach the Gospel.  At the temple gate there was a man, crippled from birth, who was begging people for money.  Peter could not give the man money but instead he healed him in the name of Jesus Christ.  For the first time in the man’s life he could walk.  He walked and then jumped with great joy and he praised God.  The Lord had restored health to His body and to his soul.  The man was refreshed and renewed. 

When the people saw that Peter and John healed the man they gathered around the disciples.  Peter spoke to them about Christ.  He told them that God glorified Jesus and then he reminded the crowd that they were the ones who rejected Jesus by handing him over to Pilate.  He told them that Christ died at the hands of sinful people. But then he told them that God had raised Jesus from the dead.  It was in the name of Jesus Christ that the lame man was healed.  Peter explained to the people that Christ had fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies.  It is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that brings eternal salvation.  Peter said these words.  “Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord”. 

God understands our need for refreshment.  We often seek things to refresh us.  I mentioned some of them at the beginning of this sermon.  But the refreshment that Peter is talking about is far more significant because it is refreshment that comes from Jesus.  The things of this world cannot blot out our sin. The things of this world cannot make us right with God.  The things of this world cannot give us a sure and certain hope right now and for the future.  The things of this world cannot defeat death.  The things of this word cannot give the gift of everlasting life.  Only Jesus can give these things.  The Lord is one who blotted out your sin.  It is Jesus who has made you right with God. It is the Lord who gives to you a sure and certain hope right now and for the future because the promises of God can never be broken.  It is Jesus who has defeated death for you.  It is the Lord Jesus who gives to you the gift of everlasting life.  The refreshing that Peter is talking about in our text is far more significant than anything else because it comes from Jesus our Lord. 

Jesus refreshes us by blotting out our sins.  Without the shed blood of Jesus we would remain in our sin.    We would still be slaves to our own pride, greed, and selfishness.  Without the Lord we would live an aimless life without purpose or hope.  Without the Lord there would be no one to call upon in the time of trouble.  All that we would know is fear.  We would not have a clear conscience and our lives would be miserable.  We would live a life of justifying our sins and waiting to die.  We would be condemned sinners. 

That is why Peter calls all people to repent.  Indeed by the power of the Holy Spirit we turn away from sin and turn to the Lord and receive His grace.  God forgives you through His Son, Jesus Christ.  Because of God’s grace you have a clear conscience and the knowledge that you are loved by God.  It is the Lord that stirs your heart to repent, and it is the shed blood of Christ that blots out your sin.  It is the Lord who brings you the gift of salvation, a gift that you receive in faith. You can now enjoy the sweetness of God’s grace and live in peace with the Lord.  Now that is true refreshment.   

The lame man at the temple gate wanted a few gold coins.  The Lord gave him far more than that.  The Lord healed his body and soul.  After the man was healed, he praised God.  It is indeed the power of God that restores our health both body and soul.  After Peter spoke about being refreshed, he then spoke about being restored in the Lord.  Even when we suffer through sickness and age in this life, God’s Word directs us to the promise of our full restoration in Christ Jesus. That is what John is speaking about in our epistle reading.  “But we know that when He appears (Christ) we shall be like Him, because we shall see him as He is.”  John is telling us that we will be fully restored when Christ returns.  Both Peter and John are talking about our Lord’s visible return when He will usher in the new heavens and the new earth.  When Jesus returns, we will be part of the final resurrection.  At the final resurrection we will receive glorified bodies and live in the presence of God forever.  We will see God face to face as He is.  We will be fully restored.       

Jesus Christ is the One who gives us lasting refreshment.  He calls us to repentance, forgives our sins and gives us a clear conscience.  We know walk by faith living in God’s grace.  We also wait to be fully restored. We live in a certain hope that Jesus will visibly return.  We look to the time when we will see our Lord as He is, face to face.  The Lord is the one who restores our spirit through the Gospel and He is the one who will fully restore us in heaven.  We do receive refreshments in church.  We receive lasting refreshment from God.  Remember what Peter said in our text.  “Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.”  Amen.