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Today’s lesson scripture is from the Acts of the Apostles and it connects with this week’s lesson in a couple of ways that come to mind.  First, here’s today’s scripture:

17 ”And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers.
18 In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer.
19 Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out,
20 so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah appointed for you, that is, Jesus,
21 who must remain in heaven until the time of universal restoration that God announced long ago through his holy prophets.
22 Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you from your own people a prophet like me. You must listen to whatever he tells you.
23 And it will be that everyone who does not listen to that prophet will be utterly rooted out of the people.’
24 And all the prophets, as many as have spoken, from Samuel and those after him, also predicted these days.
25 You are the descendants of the prophets and of the covenant that God gave to your ancestors, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your descendants all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’  Acts 3:17-25 (NRSV)

First, Peter is making the point that Jesus fit the words of Moses, “a prophet like me”.  In other words, the radical message of Christ was the radical liberation message of Moses.

Second, we hear from Peter for the first time in verse 25 an intimation that the message – the “Good News” – is for all.   That message incorporates the Law – not as a burden for humanity, but as a blessing – a means to relationship with our Creator.

One more interesting side note (well, interesting to me, anyway).  The other class I’m teaching this coming Sunday isn’t using the Adult Bible Studies series.  Instead, this will be the second in a series of lessons in which we’re covering the Liturgy of the Hours.  The timing of the afternoon prayer in this tradition, “None”, was said to have it’s origin in the healing miracle performed by Peter immediately before today’s scripture lesson.  Can you name the traditions for the other original day-time prayers?