Acts 3:26 says that God raised up Jesus and sent him first to the Jewish people so they could receive blessing, and the blessing comes by turning them away from their wickedness. Peter speaks these words to a crowd in Solomon’s Portico in Jerusalem, right after he and John healed a man who had been lame from birth. Peter is addressing the men of Israel, the people who had watched the miracle and gathered around him in wonder.
God, having raised up his servant Jesus, sent him to you first to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your wickedness.”
Acts 3:26 (WEB)
What Acts 3:26 Means
The verse begins by saying that God “raised up his servant Jesus.” Peter is pointing to the resurrection and to God’s own action in vindicating Jesus after he was crucified. The word “servant” links Jesus to the suffering servant pictured in Isaiah and to Peter’s wider claim that the promises of God have now arrived in a person.
Next, Peter says God “sent him to you first.” The word “first” matters. It reflects the pattern of the early church, where the message of Jesus was offered to Israel before it spread to the Gentiles. God’s plan was not an afterthought; the blessing was given to the covenant people first, and through them to the world.
The verse then names the purpose of the sending: “to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your wickedness.” Blessing here is not mainly about comfort or prosperity. It is the restoration of a right relationship with God, and that restoration comes through repentance, a real turning away from sin. The verse does not promise that people will automatically be good or that every listener will respond. It describes what God intends to do through Jesus and invites people to take part in it.
The Context of Acts 3:26
The book of Acts was written by Luke, who also wrote the Gospel that bears his name. It records how the message of Jesus spread from Jerusalem to the wider Roman world. Luke writes to tell the story of the early church, and this speech shows how Peter understood the events of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection in light of Israel’s Scriptures.
The verses just before this one, Acts 3:23 to 3:25, quote Moses and the prophets, warning that anyone who will not listen to God’s prophet will be cut off from the people. Peter then reminds his hearers that they are “children of the prophets” and of the covenant God made with Abraham. That setting changes how Acts 3:26 reads: the blessing God offers through Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham, and turning from wickedness is how Israel steps into that promise.
Key Phrases in Acts 3:26
Romans 5:8
But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
(WEB)
This verse shows that God’s love was demonstrated while people were still sinners. It deepens Acts 3:26 by showing that the turning away from wickedness begins with God’s initiative, not with our ability to clean ourselves up first.
Acts 2:38
Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
(WEB)
In this verse Peter calls people to repentance and baptism in Jesus’ name for the forgiveness of sins. It shows the same message of turning from wickedness in action, applied to the crowd at Pentecost.
A Short Prayer From Acts 3:26
Lord, thank you for raising Jesus from the dead and for sending him to bless people like me. I confess that I have held onto habits and attitudes that pull me away from you. Turn my heart away from the wickedness I have tolerated, and give me the honesty to name it and the courage to let it go. Let your blessing shape the way I speak, work and treat the people around me today. Thank you for reaching for me first. Amen.
