Jewish Mission and the Onset of Jewish Opposition - Peter's Second Sermon

God had ordained that the gospel of His Son should go out from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth, and this witness was to be accomplished largely through Jewish opposition. Toward that end, the Spirit healed the lame man within the temple grounds, insuring that Israel's religious leadership would take notice and overhear Peter's sermon. In this second message Peter reiterated the general themes of his Pentecost sermon, but the differing circumstance called for a different emphasis: Once again Peter called for repentance, but this time linked it directly with faith (that is, a return to God), even as faith had secured the healing of the lame man. Most importantly, Peter declared that this work of physical healing testified that the time of creational renewal and refreshing promised by the prophets had now arrived. The miraculous restoration of the lame man's body indicated that the age of spiritual restoration by the Spirit had come. Jesus the Christ had been raised and glorified and had poured forth His Spirit to begin the work of restoring the creation according to His Father's eternal purpose.