Acts 3:17-26: a reflection

17“Now, brothers, I know that you did this in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18But the things which God announced by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled. 19“Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, so that there may come times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord, 20and that he may send Christ Jesus, who was ordained for you before, 21whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God spoke long ago by the mouth of his holy prophets. 22For Moses indeed said to the fathers, ‘The Lord God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, like me. You shall listen to him in all things whatever he says to you. 23It will be that every soul that will not listen to that prophet will be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ 24Yes, and all the prophets from Samuel and those who followed after, as many as have spoken, also told of these days. 25You are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘All the families of the earth will be blessed through your offspring.’ 26God, having raised up his servant Jesus, sent him to you first to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your wickedness.”

Peter, preaching after a healing, calls his hearers to repentance, but notice how he frames it. Repent therefore, and turn again, he says, that your sins may be blotted out, and that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. Repentance here is not presented mainly as a grim duty or a way to dodge punishment. It is the doorway to something wonderful: sins wiped away, and times of refreshing from God's own presence.

Notice that second phrase, times of refreshing. We often think of repentance as something heavy, an unpleasant admission we would rather avoid. Peter presents it as the path to refreshment, to being renewed and restored in the presence of the Lord. Turning from sin is not merely turning away from something; it is turning toward the refreshing presence of God, like coming into cool shade and clear water after a long dry road. And Peter even calls the whole thing a blessing: God sent his servant Jesus to bless you by turning each of you from your wickedness. The turning itself is the blessing.

That reframes repentance entirely. It is not the price you grudgingly pay; it is the way into refreshment, forgiveness, and renewed nearness to God. If you have been avoiding repentance because it feels only heavy and negative, hear Peter's invitation: turn, and find your sins blotted out and times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. Repentance is the door into refreshment. Walk through it.

Lord, I often think of repentance as heavy and grim, something to avoid. Thank you that Peter presents it as the doorway to refreshment, to sins blotted out and renewed nearness to your presence. Help me see that turning from sin is turning toward you, and is itself a blessing. I turn to you; give me your times of refreshing.