How does Acts 3:22 connect to the prophecy in Deuteronomy 18:15? Setting the Stage Acts 3 records Peter’s sermon after the healing of the lame man. Speaking to a Jewish audience steeped in the Torah, Peter reaches back to Moses’ own words to prove that Jesus is the long-awaited Prophet. Moses’ Promise: Deuteronomy 18:15 “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to him.” Key elements: • Raised up by God • From “among your brothers” (Israel) • “Like me” — a prophet-leader in Moses’ mold • A divine command: “You must listen” Peter’s Citation: Acts 3:22 “For Moses said: ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to Him in everything He tells you.’ ” Peter quotes the verse almost word-for-word, adding “in everything He tells you,” echoing Deuteronomy 18:18-19. By doing so, he: • Directly links Jesus to Moses’ prediction. • Affirms Jesus’ authority to speak God’s words. • Calls his listeners to repent and obey Christ (Acts 3:19-23). Point-by-Point Parallels Between Moses and Jesus • Miraculous birth preservation – Moses: saved from Pharaoh’s edict (Exodus 2) – Jesus: protected from Herod (Matthew 2:13-15) • Deliverer of God’s people – Moses: from Egyptian bondage – Jesus: from sin’s bondage (Matthew 1:21; John 8:36) • Mediator of a covenant – Moses: Old Covenant at Sinai (Exodus 24) – Jesus: New Covenant in His blood (Luke 22:20; Hebrews 8:6) • Performer of signs and wonders – Moses: plagues, Red Sea, manna – Jesus: healings, nature miracles, resurrection • Face-to-face communion with God – Moses: Exodus 33:11 – Jesus: John 1:18; 5:19 • Authority confirmed from heaven – Moses: cloud and voice at Sinai (Exodus 19) – Jesus: cloud and voice at Transfiguration, “Listen to Him!” (Matthew 17:5—clearly echoing Deuteronomy 18) Other New Testament Echoes • John 1:45—Philip: “We have found the One Moses wrote about…” • John 6:14—crowd: “Surely this is the Prophet.” • Acts 7:37—Stephen cites the same prophecy. • Hebrews 3:3-6—Jesus counted worthy of more glory than Moses. Why the Connection Matters • Validation—The seamless fit between prophecy and fulfillment confirms Scripture’s reliability. • Authority—To reject Jesus is to disobey the God who commanded, “You must listen to Him” (Acts 3:23; Deuteronomy 18:19). • Urgency—Peter ties acknowledgment of Jesus to “times of refreshing” and ultimate restoration (Acts 3:19-21). • Assurance—Believers may rest in a Savior perfectly foreshadowed and perfectly supplied. Living the Lesson • Hear His voice through the written Word (John 10:27). • Obey promptly, as Israel was called to obey Moses. • Proclaim confidently that Jesus is the promised Prophet, Savior, and exalted Lord. |
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