17 For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased” — 18 and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.
Here Peter gives validity to Jesus and what He taught them about His coming (v. 16), as he recalls when he (and James and John) saw Jesus transformed before them into a glorious state on a mountain (Matt. 17:5), and when God spoke to Him out of a cloud and said, “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased.”
16 For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.
Peter here is straight forward about some of the “things” he (and the other Apostles) had been teaching them (v. 12)—mainly about Jesus’ second coming. He wants them to know for sure that he and the other Apostles were not telling them made-up stories or myths (as some false teachers probably were accusing them of doing). So, Peter was confirming to them that they were physically with Jesus when He was telling them of how He would one day come to earth in great power to set up His kingdom.
22 who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.
Jesus Christ is now in heaven seated at the right hand of God, and all the angels and authorities are bowing down to Him. He triumphed over death and over all evil; He ascended into heaven, to a place of great honor; and we too who believe will have this great privilege and adventure.
24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
This is the mystery of the new life. Believing in Him we enter the miracle of the process of the new life. Since He died to pay for our sins, we in turn also died with Him and are freed from our sins. And because He was raised from the dead, having paid for our sins, we also, in Him, are raised with our sins paid for. Being cleansed of sin we live in righteousness.
Now putting it another way, we could say that through the wounds that He suffered on the cross, we are healed. We are spiritually healed from any ailment do to sin now, and we will be physically healed at our glorification (Rev. 21:4).
23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;
Jesus was abused with hateful language (especially at His trial and during His crucifixion). But He did not say anything back. Mathew records (in Matt. 27:12-14): “And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not answer. 13 Then Pilate said to Him, ‘Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?’ 14 And He did not answer him with regard to even a single charge, so the governor was quite amazed.”
The reason why he remained silent is because He knew it was His time to suffer, and He also knew that only His Father could deliver Him. So, He entrusted Himself (handed Himself over) to God whom He knew would judge Him righteously. His Father would let Him be crucified to pay for our sins, but in the end He would be resurrected and returned to heaven.
10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.
Speaking to both believing Jews and Gentiles, Peter reminds them that they were “called out of darkness.” And in that state they were not the people of God but were of the devil and of darkness. In fact, Peter writes that they were “not a people.” I suppose he meant that being always guided by their fleshly desires, they were more like animals than people. Hence, they also did not receive God’s mercy. But when they came to the light and believed they were privileged as Children of God to receive His mercy.
7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve,
“THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED,
THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone,”
8 and,
“A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE”;
for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.
The “precious value” is in Jesus our cornerstone. But those who disbelieve Him and reject Him, He will become for them the cornerstone that will cause them to stumble (see Ps. 118:22); He will be their judgment. This judgment on them is divinely appointed because of their disobedience and unbelief. Hence, just as believers are appointed for salvation (Rom. 8:29-30), all others who choose not to believe are appointed for doom—eternal judgment (Rom. 9:18).
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For this is contained in Scripture:
“BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER stone,
AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”
We as believers are living stones. He is the cornerstone (the foundation stone) and we are all the other building stones, which are being built up as a spiritual house (metaphorically). We are built up for a holy priesthood (v. 9)—each of us being priests of God, working in the service of God and having access to God. As priest we offer up our bodies as a living sacrifice for all the work He would have us do for Him (Rom. 12:1).
Verse 6 is a quote from Isaiah 28:16. It is a prophecy of the Messiah to come, and all who believe in Him will not be disappointed; that is, He will be all that He has been prophesied to be and all that we need Him to be.
4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God,
Peter encourages his readers to come to Him and abide in Him (Jn. 15:5) as our living foundation stone (1 Cor. 3:10-11), upon which we can be built up on. He has been rejected by men, but for you He will be precious as he is in His Fathers eyes.
On the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem; 6 and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent. 7 When they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people, 9 if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead — by this name this man stands here before you in good health. 11 “He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone. 12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
Immediately after Peter (with John) gave his message to the people (Acts 3:11-26), priests, the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees came and put Peter and John in jail for preaching about Jesus (mainly for proclaiming His resurrection; for the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection).
On the next day (v. 5), they questioned Peter and John as to what gave them the authority to speak about Jesus the way they did. Well, I imagine that Peter immediately recognized his open door to preach to them. And Peter was indeed filled with the Spirit and held nothing back, He proclaimed Jesus as the healer of the sick man and as the chief cornerstone which they rejected. Then, to put a cap on it, Peter told them that they could be saved by no other name except by Jesus Christ. Peter certainly was filled with the Holy Spirit—which became evident by his great boldness.
Stephen Nielsen 