After the fact

Albert Bogle April 07, 2026 0 1

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Acts 10: 34-43 (NIV-UK)

34 Then Peter began to speak: ‘I now realise how true it is that God does not show favouritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached – 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

39 ‘We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen – by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.’

Here in this story in the Book of Acts, Dr Luke tells how the Holy Spirit is at work in a hidden way in the lives of all kinds of people. We must also believe this hidden work continues into the present day.

Peter was on a journey, as was Cornelius and it is the story of the cross, resurrection and forgiveness of sins that brings about the birth of a new unexpected community of believers. Peter’s summary of the facts is concise and compelling. No doubt many listening flinched that day? He himself was shocked by the power of telling the story — the scandal of the cross — a potent symbol of shame and horror at the time becomes a symbol of glory and new revelation. Peter now understands that the Gospel is also a light to the Gentiles and only if they could see the glory of Israel.

Take time to reflect on the impact of this story breaking out of Judaism across all cultures, reaching into the Gentile’s world. Should we not become more aware of the hidden presence of Christ at work in our world today, drawing alongside the disappointed and the fearful, the seekers and the doubters. Should we not be ready as Peter was to answer the call and go and share the good news of the cross — inviting others, often the poor and abandoned, to stand at the foot of the cross and see themselves as beloved creatures, redeemed at a great cost.

Paul would later talk about God being in Christ Jesus reconciling the world to himself. We need to become aware of the spiritual hunger that is in the world and of the presence of the risen Christ preparing hearts to receive the message of the cross. It was for the world he died and for the world he lives to bring all things together in the one unity.

Prayer:

Lord,

Forgive my limited vision

Locked in time

Limiting myself to the material world

Drawing boundaries around

Who is in and who is out

Drawing boundaries round how you speak to your people today.

Drawing boundaries round how You think

Forgive our forgetfulness

The good news is for the whole world

Did not the angels sing about it to the shepherds?

Good news for all people — they sang

Open our eyes and our ears to the dreams and visions

We carelessly ignore

The ones inviting us into action

Give me the courage to act on a dream

Or a word

Or a thought

Give me the faith of Peter

To see new ways that the Gospel

Can connect with the ones beyond the boundaries

Help us enlarge our boundaries

To make room for all.