Some days ago we read that Peter and John cured a lame man so that he had been able to walk. By the way Peter and John were two of the closest friends of Jesus. For some years they travelled together with Him through the Jewish towns and places and thereby learnt a lot from Him.

This is what Peter said to the people in that place:

When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.

“Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. (Acts 3, 12 – 19 NIV)

Peter here tells in short what had happened in Jerusalem not long ago. Jesus whose birthday we will celebrate within short time had been arrested in Jerusalem, sentenced to death and assassinated although he had never ever in his life commited any evil deed. Thus Jesus died for all sins of all mankind of all ages. On the third day afterwards God rose Jesus from the dead. Jesus lives, he lives now and today, and he will live forever after. Can you imagine that?

What does Peter mean when he say that the people there and we also shall repent? What is repentance at all?