Zambia Hunt

In the final moments of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961 on November 23, 1996, an extraordinary display of courage and faith unfolded over the Indian Ocean. The flight had been hijacked and was running dangerously low on fuel near the Comoros Islands. As the pilot announced an imminent emergency landing, Andrew Meekens, an elder from the International Evangelical Church of Addis Ababa, rose from his seat to address the terrified passengers.

According to survivors’ accounts, Meekens spoke with remarkable composure, helping to calm the panicked atmosphere in the cabin. In what would prove to be his final moments, he chose to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with his fellow passengers, offering them an invitation to be forgiven of their sin, and embrace faith in Jesus. A flight attendant who survived the crash later reported that approximately twenty people responded to Meekens’ message, including another flight attendant who, like Meekens himself, did not survive when the aircraft crashed into the waters near the Comoros Islands.

The Weight of Personal Responsibility

Peter understood this urgency when he addressed the crowd in Jerusalem. He didn’t shy away from personal responsibility, using “you” repeatedly to drive home his point. “You delivered up God’s ambassador,” he declared, referencing Isaiah 53:11. “You denied Jesus before Pilate. You chose a murderer instead of the Holy One. You destroyed the Prince of life” (Acts 3:13-15).

These weren’t just historical accusations – they reflect universal human culpability. If we’re honest, we must admit: I would have likely called for His blood too. I have denied Him before others. I have chosen sin over holiness. My sins contributed to the death of the Life-giver.

As John MacArthur notes, “Peter boldly confronts his hearers with the enormity of their sin in executing their Messiah. All truly Biblical preaching must follow his example and render men guilty before God. That is the necessary foundation of the gospel message. Only those who see themselves as sinners will recognize their need for a Savior and comprehend the work of Jesus.”

The Call to True Change

The solution isn’t just feeling bad about our actions. Throughout Scripture, the consistent call is to repent – to feel sorry enough about sin to quit. We hear this call echoing through the ages:

Jeremiah challenged his people: “Will they fall and not rise? Will one turn away and not return?” (Jeremiah 8:4-5). Ezekiel proclaimed, “Repent, turn away from your idols” (Ezekiel 14:6). John the Baptist and Jesus himself both began their ministries with the call to “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:1-2, 4:17).

This repentance involves more than regret – it means to “convert,” literally “to flee to God.” In ancient Israel, someone who accidentally killed another could flee to a city of refuge for protection until the high priest’s death (Numbers 35:25). Similarly, we’re called to flee to Christ, our ultimate refuge.

The Promise of Freedom

Why should we take this step? Peter offers compelling reasons. First and foremost, “your sins will be blotted out” – completely erased (Acts 3:19). The director of a large mental institution in England once told John Stott, “I could send half my patients home tomorrow if they only could find forgiveness.”

This forgiveness is complete and comprehensive. As Scripture repeatedly affirms:

• “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12)
• “You have covered all their sin” (Psalm 85:2)
• “I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more” (Jeremiah 31:34)

Beyond forgiveness, Peter promises “times of refreshing” from the Lord (Acts 3:19). This applies both nationally (as the Jewish nation turns to God in the last days) and personally – when we’re spiritually dry, overwhelmed with duties, illness, or problems weighing on our minds, God offers sweet refreshment.

He also promises Christ’s return – both in the clouds (1 Thessalonians 4:16) and to earth (Revelation 19:11). This return brings both judgment to avoid (Acts 17:31, Psalm 96:13, Revelation 20:11-15) and blessings to embrace (Acts 3:25-26).

The Amazing Grace

Perhaps most remarkably, this message of hope came first to those who had rejected and killed Jesus. It’s as if God was saying, “I know what you’ve done, and I love you anyway! It’s precisely for people like you that I sent Jesus to die!”

Are you living with guilt today? Are you carrying the weight of past actions, present struggles, or hidden shame? The same invitation Peter extended that day remains open: repent and flee to Jesus. The promise of complete forgiveness – of sins truly blotted out and remembered no more – still stands.