The Big Story: Peter's Vision at Joppa


What do you do when God does something completely unexpected and wonderful?  In the story of the apostle Peter's vision at Joppa, God did something like that.

The story starts at the beginning of Acts 10.  A God-fearing Roman Centurion living in Caesarea named Cornelius has a vision of a an angel.  The angel tells him to send to Joppa for a man called Peter, who's staying at the house of Simon the tanner.  Cornelius immediately dispatched two servants and one of his aides to go to Joppa.

The following day, around noon, the three men are nearing Joppa.  While people are preparing the big meal of the day, Peter goes up on the roof to pray.  Though he's hungry, he falls into a trance.  In the trance, he has a vision of a large sheet coming down from heaven.  In the sheet are all kinds of unclean animals, animals the Jewish law said Peter should never eat.  A voice called out, "Arise, Peter, kill and eat."

Peter recoiled at the command.  Observance of dietary laws was essential to Jewish identity.  Peter calls out, "Surely not, Lord.  I have never eaten anything impure or unclean!"

The voice responds, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean."  This happened three times, and the sheet went back to heaven.

Just as Peter is puzzling about this vision, the three men from Caesarea arrive at the house.  When they tell Peter his story, he welcomes them as his guests.

The next day, Peter and the men set out for Caesarea.  When they arrive at Cornelius' house, the centurion welcomes him and escorts him inside.  This was a huge deal, because Jews didn't enter the houses of Gentiles.  You never knew what kind of unclean things might be in there!  

Peter now understands the meaning of his vision.  He tells them that Jews just didn't go into Gentiles' houses.  But God had showed him that he couldn't consider any person unclean whom God declared clean.  When Peter asks Cornelius why he sent for him, Cornelius tells his story.

In vs 34-35, Peter makes the great statement, "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right." God loves all people equally!  This was a great breakthrough!

Peter began to preach the good news to the Gentile crowd.  Then something stunning happened!  The Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles.  They starting praising God and speaking in tongues! It was like a Gentile Pentecost!

This was the first time the Holy Spirit fell on Gentiles.  What was stunning about it was that they didn't become Jews first!  This meant God accepted them as they were!

This story teaches us that God accepts us as we are.  We don't have to "clean up our acts" to follow Christ.  We follow Christ and let him clean us up!  

It also teaches that God wants us to love people the way he loves them.  We can't show favorites either.  Like Peter, we need to go outside our comfort zones and engage people outside the church.  When we do that, we fulfill the mission God gave us!



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