Peter and John had made their way to the temple in Jerusalem. As they headed through the gate called Beautiful, a crippled beggar asked the disciples for money. Peter responded, "Silver or gold, I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." Instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and walked. Everyone who witnessed this miracle was filled with wonder and amazement.

Seizing this opportunity, Peter began to preach a post-resurrection sermon to the onlookers there. Peter preached the law. Then Peter preached the gospel. This law and gospel applies to us too.

1. Peter preached the law

Often we are tempted to pull our punches when it comes to pointing out peoples' sins. We sometimes try to soften the blow or attempt to sympathize with those who have sinned or are still living in their sin. The trouble with pulling the punch of the law is that we can make people too comfortable with their sin. We can make the child who disrespects his parents more comfortable because they have difficult home life. We can try to put at ease the wife who leaves her husband because she has a thorny marriage. We can try to empathize with the lazy adult because they have been dealt a troubled hand in life. Pulling our punches does not help the sinner.

Peter did not pull any punches in his sermon. He looked squarely at those onlookers and point out their guilt. First he said that they were the ones who handed Jesus over killed. Despite political correctness, it was the Jewish people who arrested Jesus. They were the ones who put Jesus on trial and then condemned. They were the ones who handed Jesus over to Pontius Pilate on Good Friday. They were guilty of this sin and Peter did not pull any punches.

Peter continued by letting them know that they were also the ones who disowned the Holy and Righteous One. These people had cried out to the Roman Governor, "No not Jesus! Give us Barabbas!" They chose a murderer instead of Jesus. They were guilty of this sin and Peter did not pull any punches.

Peter was not done either. The final accusation had to sting the most. Peter said to the onlookers that day, "You killed the author of life." The Roman soldiers nailed the spikes into Jesus' hands and feet. The Roman soldiers lifted Jesus' cross into the air. But it was the sins of the people that put Jesus on the cross. The one sent to give life was put to death because of their guilt. Peter did not pull his punch. He preached the law with full force.

But before we become too smug because Peter let those people have it at the Temple, take notice that Peter's post-resurrection preaching is meant for our hearts also. And Peter does not pull any punches with us either.

Peter's words sting our hearts because we also handed Jesus over. Every time we break God's law, we join that angry mob that arrested Jesus. We are guilty and Peter does not pull any punches with us.

We also disowned the Holy and Righteous One. Every time that we choose sin we disown Jesus. We may not have yelled out, "Give us Barabbas!" But we have all chosen the thing lusts of the world and our sinful desires over Jesus. We have committed this sin and Peter does not pull any punches.

Peter is not done with us either. This one stings the most. We killed the Author of Life. Our iniquities placed Jesus on that cross on Good Friday. The Son of God had to suffer and die because of us. There are no exceptions here today. Every single one of us bears this guilt. We killed the Author of Life with our transgressions. We have sinned and Peter preaches the law to us, without pulling any punches.

Guilt is a terrible thing. It can make us sick to our stomachs. It can make us angry and vengeful. It can make us crawl in hole and avoid the world. Guilt can turn our lives upside down. The law is meant to make us feel guilty. It is meant to turn our lives upside down. The law has another goal though, to get us to repent of our sins and turn to God. That was the goal of Peter at the Temple. That is the goal of the law for us today. Repent of your sins. Turn from them.

And now hear the comfort of the gospel. Peter's post-resurrection preaching brought the relief of the gospel to the onlookers that day. It also brings that relief to us today. The law condemns. The gospel saves.

2. Peter preached the gospel

Peter preached the sweet gospel message that soothes souls - the onlookers' souls, your soul, and my soul. Peter stated clearly that Jesus was killed, but God raised him to life. The resurrection is the foundation of the gospel. If Christ had not been raised, the Apostle's preaching would have been futile. Jesus lives. The victory over sin, death, and devil has been won. In his sermons, Peter hung his hat on the resurrection.

Jesus lived a perfect life in our place. He sacrificed his life on the cross for us. He then rose from the dead on Easter Sunday. Jesus resurrection and glorious victory, the crux of Christianity, now soothes our guilt-ridden hearts.

As Christians we are called to repentance through the law. And when we repent, we are assured through the gospel that our sins are wiped out - completely. Imagine that all of your sins were written down in a book. Imagine if every crime against God was recorded for the Almighty to see. But the Jesus went through that record and erased all of those sins once and for all. So the Almighty Judge no longer sees any of them. Even more importantly, God no longer holds them against us. Jesus blotted them out from the record with his blood. We are forgiven through Jesus. We are guaranteed a place in heaven in Jesus' resurrection.

Peter, through the power of God, healed that crippled beggar. He was made him strong by the name of Jesus. Peter wanted to make it very clear that he was not responsible for that great miracle. God made the beggar sturdy on his feet. God made him strong.

Peter's preaching of the gospel also assures us that we are healed by God. We are made strong by faith. God continues to make us strong through Word and Sacrament in order that we might fight the temptations that come our way. And so when things in your marriage look bleak, take heart. God will strengthen you. When you find it difficult to hold your disrespectful tongue with your parents, be courageous. God will strengthen you. When the devil tempts you to be lazy with your gifts, take heart. God will give you the strength to overcome. Jesus won the battle and he makes it possible for you to do the same.

When Peter preached the gospel he promised times of refreshing to come. He explained that these times of refreshing would come when Jesus returned on Judgment Day. When the Savior returns, that will be the end. He will take all those who believe in him to heaven. That will be the ultimate refreshing, a place of peace and absolute joy.

Peter preached the gospel with its sweet comfort for those onlookers at the Temple. Peter's words also bring the joy of the gospel to our hearts. We no longer have to be traumatized with guilt. Repent and turn to God. You sins have been wiped out. Times of refreshing will come. Praise our Risen Savior! Amen.