Devotion #3: We Reach Because He First Reached Us
“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know - this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.” Acts 2:22-24
The Apostle Peter begins his address with a powerful and authoritative declaration, one that is remarkable for a man who once denied Jesus and came from a humble background as a fisherman. “Men of Israel, hear these words,” he commands, boldly proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the very people who had crucified Him not long before. Sharing the Gospel can be daunting. We may feel unqualified or fearful, but Peter’s example shows that all it takes is boldness, direction, and the truth of Jesus Christ.
Peter directly confronts his audience, accusing them of delivering Jesus to the cross despite witnessing His perfection and God’s blessings upon Him. This is the difficult truth of the Gospel: we are all sinners. As 1 John 2:2 states, “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” Jesus took upon Himself the penalty of sin, offering a way for humanity to be reconciled to God through the cross.
Yet, the story does not end at the cross. Jesus did not remain in the grave. He was raised to life, conquering death itself. Sin could not hold Him, and this victory is the foundation of our faith. This is where the phrase, “We reach because He first reached us,” finds its significance. The mission of the Church is to go and reach the lost, not as a burden but as a privilege and responsibility for every believer. Every Christian remembers a time when they were lost in sin, yet Christ called them into the light.
Peter was not a trained public speaker. He did not have the full Scripture as we do today, and he faced great opposition in sharing the Gospel. Yet, he proclaimed the love of Christ anyway. When we consider the people in our own lives who need to hear the Gospel, the list may seem overwhelming. However, our calling is simple: go to them and say, “Hear these words.” Jesus was crucified for our sins, and He offers eternal life to all who confess and turn to Him as Lord. As Acts 2:24 proclaims, “God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.”
My prayer is that after reading this, you will feel the calling to go and reach the lost in your life. The Gospel is spread to one sinner at a time. Go reach because you were reached.