Date: 4-4-99

Easter #3

Text: Acts 2:22-41

What Must We Do?

Our lesson for this Easter Sunday begins in Acts 1:4-8 NASB. And gathering them together, (His disciples) He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, "Which," He said, "you heard of from Me; {5} for John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." {6} And so when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" {7} He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; {8} but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth. {9} And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. {10} And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was departing, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them; {11} and they also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven." {12} Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. {13} And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. {14} These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

(Acts 2:1-5 NASB) And when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. {2} And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent, rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. {3} And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. {4} AND THEY WERE ALL FILLED (controlled by or completed) WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT and began to speak with other tongues, (languages not previously known by the one speaking) as the Spirit was giving them utterance. {5} Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men, from every nation under heaven. . . . 2:7 And they were amazed and marveled, saying, "Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? {8} "And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? {9} "Parthians and Medes and Elamite, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, {10} Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, {11} Cretans and Arabs-- we hear them in our own tongues (languages) speaking of the mighty deeds of God."

On the day of Pentecost there were people from every nation under the sun in Jerusalem. They had come to worship God after their own fashion. Most practiced Judaism and knew nothing of Christ. If a crowd like this was to be addressed effectively there would have to be many translators brought in to communicate the intended message. This could have been an impossible task. But our God is an incredible problem solver. On this day God the Holy Spirit enabled a collection of un-educated men to speak languages which they had never spoken before. These were real languages spoken with real purpose. As chapter two and verse eleven tells us the apostles spoke of the mighty deeds of God. In other words, these men were preaching and teaching God’s truth in a half-dozen different languages. Specifically they were speaking of the death, burial, and resurrection, of Jesus.

As the record of this wonderful event unfolds Peter takes center stage. He begins preaching to the multitudes in chapter two verse fourteen. First he explains what the crowds are witnessing. He tells them that what they see and hear is the fulfillment of a prophecy found in the book of Joel. There the prophet told of a time when God would pour forth His spirit upon all men. (meaning all kinds of men as opposed to Jews only) Their sons and their daughters would prophesy. Their young men would see visions and their old men would dream dreams. He spoke of a time when there would be signs on the earth beneath and wonders in the sky above. The sun would be turned to darkness and the moon into blood. All of this would come to pass, said the prophet, before the great and glorious day of the Lord. The most important portion of Joel’s prophecy however is found in verse twenty-one of Acts chapter two. (Acts 2:21 NASB) 'AND IT SHALL BE, THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED.'

From this point onward God would be gracious not just to the Jew but to people from every nation under the sun. Any human who would call upon Christ for salvation would be saved.

Now that Peter has the attention of the great crowd before him he moves on to truths which will be a stumbling block for many and the means of salvation for many others. Follow with me as I read verse twenty-two of Acts chapter two.

(Acts 2:22-42 NASB) "Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God (put before you and proven authentic) with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know. . ."

There were thousands and thousands of Jews within ear shot of Peter’s sermon. No doubt many of them had been involved in the murder of Jesus Christ. You and I both know that vast majority of the Jews did not believe Jesus was the Messiah nor did they believe that God had performed signs, wonders, and miracles through Him. Peter knew this as well but it did not stop him from preaching the truth. He continues in verse twenty-three.

{23} this Man, (the man proven to be the Messiah by signs and miracles) delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you (the Jews) nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men (a reference to the Romans) and put Him to death. {24} "And God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power."

With these words Peter gets into elements of God’s truth that, even today, divide one man from another. He speaks of our sovereign God using the wicked to accomplish His holy purposes. We also see that in spite of the fact that sinners are tools in God’s hand for the accomplishment of His purposes they remain responsible for their actions. We also find verification that God did in fact raise Jesus from the dead. And lastly we have Peter’s word on what Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, actually accomplished. By Christ’s work on the cross He put an end to the agony of death.

Let’s look at these things individually. This man, the man Christ Jesus, was delivered to the cross by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God. The word predetermined speaks of marking off the boundaries of something so that it is restricted to a certain area or function. It describes the decision of an authority who has the power to order and govern the outcome of events. Such a person predetermines how something and if something begins. He then determines how that something will proceed and how it will end. I’ve used the word person but it obvious that I can only be speaking of God. Only He has the power to make his will come to pass without error. This is what the word predetermined means. So, when the text says that Jesus was delivered up by the predetermined plan of God it means that it had to be this way. It means that Jesus was not carried away against His or the Father’s will. On the contrary, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ were all predetermined events. God intended that his Son be nailed to a cross by the hands of godless, wicked men, for the salvation of His elect sheep. The saving of this great multitude of people by the death of Jesus Christ was designed by God to bring glory to God.

You and I must understand that there has never been a time when there was any possibility that Jesus would not be crucified on a hill, outside of Jerusalem, on the very day, at the very hour, that He was crucified. The whole of Christ’s earthly existence, including His death by crucifixion, was predetermined by God.

The word foreknowledge means far more than knowing before hand what will happen. This is the way the word is most often explained. God does indeed now beforehand what will happen. But the thing most people miss is that He knows what will happen because He has pre-determined what will happen. God’s knowledge of events in time is based upon the fact that He ordered all things that will ever come to pass. So when we speak of God’s foreknowledge we’re simply speaking of what God knows because of what He has determined will happen. Peter tells us that God determined to deliver Jesus into the hands of godless men so that they would crucify Him and that is exactly what happened. On the divine side our Lord’s death was a sovereign act of God. But, . . on the human side, Christ’s death was an incredibly wicked, hell deserving, crime. God delivered Him up, says Peter, but you, addressing the murderous Jews, nailed Him to the cross by the hands of wicked men and you will pay the price for your sin. For God has said, "You shall not murder."

Here is the absolute sovereignty of God wherein He determines whatsoever comes to pass. But here also we find the responsibility of man to refrain from breaking God’s law which is sin. For God to put Christ to death for the sins of His lost Sheep was an act of mercy, justice, and righteousness. For the men by whose hands Christ was put to death it was an unspeakable sin. For God says, "You shall not murder." So we have before us the Sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. In the same moment God was redeeming His people while the Jews and the Romans were murdering an innocent man, the Son of the living God. We can only bow in awe before such mysteries.

Peter’s words struck a cord in the hearts of many who heard his sermon. As I said before there had to be a number of those who participated in the crucifixion in Peter’s audience. Had they down the right thing? Had they actually crucified and murdered their own Messiah? Many would remain convinced they had done nothing more than put to death a blasphemer. Many others, as we shall see, would be convicted of their sin and converted to faith in Christ.

Peter moves on to His central theme. He has declared the pre-determination of God to crucify Jesus by the hands of wicked men for the redemption of His people. He has declared the guilt of those by whose hands God slew the Spotless Lamb. Now he moves on to reveal that Jesus is no longer dead. Look with me at the words of verse twenty-four. {24} "And God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power." This resurrection is the reason for our celebration today. The resurrection is the climax of redemptive history. The resurrection proves beyond any doubt the deity of Jesus Christ. The resurrection establishes Christ’s messianic credentials. Christ’s resurrection also guarantees our own resurrection. (John 14:19 NASB) "After a little while the world will behold Me no more; but you will behold Me; because I live, you shall live also." (1 Corinthians 6:14 NASB) "Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power." Christ’s resurrection guarantees our own resurrection.

The resurrection is also the crown and proof that God accepted the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins. (Romans 4:25 NASB) "He who was delivered up because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification." One-man writes accurately when he says, "The greatest proof that Jesus is the Messiah is not His teaching, His miracles, or even His death, it is His resurrection." This is why the resurrection is the main theme of Peter’s sermon.

Peter makes a case for the resurrection of Jesus by quoting the words of King David originally found in Psalms 16:8-11. Look with me at verse twenty-five. {25} "For David says of Him, (Peter begins by saying that when David spoke these words He was speaking prophetically of Jesus.) "For David says of Him, 'I WAS ALWAYS BEHOLDING THE LORD IN MY PRESENCE; FOR HE IS AT MY RIGHT HAND, THAT I MAY NOT BE SHAKEN. {26} 'THEREFORE MY HEART WAS GLAD AND MY TONGUE EXULTED; MOREOVER MY FLESH ALSO WILL ABIDE IN HOPE; {27} BECAUSE THOU WILT NOT ABANDON MY SOUL TO HADES, NOR ALLOW THY HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY. {28} 'THOU HAST MADE KNOWN TO ME THE WAYS OF LIFE; THOU WILT MAKE ME FULL OF GLADNESS WITH THY PRESENCE.'

Peter now explains that David could not have been speaking of himself. {29} "Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. (King David is still in his grave. His body has undergone decay, therefore, he could not have been speaking of himself.) {30} "And so, because he was a prophet, and knew that GOD HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SEAT one OF HIS DESCENDANTS UPON HIS THRONE, {31} he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, (the Messiah) that HE (Jesus) WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY. {32} "This Jesus, (about whom David spoke) God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. {33} "Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He (this crucified and risen Jesus, who you put to death by the hands of wicked men) has poured forth this which you both see and hear. (Unlearned men speaking in the languages of all the countries represented.) {34} "For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: 'THE LORD (God) SAID TO MY LORD, (Jesus) "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, (on the throne reserved for the descendent of David ) {35} UNTIL I MAKE THINE ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR THY FEET."' {36} "Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that GOD HAS MADE HIM BOTH LORD AND CHRIST (Messiah) this Jesus whom you crucified."

As I said earlier the response of the Jews in this crowd would be mixed. Some would be in enraged and continue to pursue the lives of the apostles. However, by the grace of God, many would be overcome by the great sin they had committed and would turn to God for forgiveness. The rest of Peters sermon has to do with those who were converted. Let’s continue to read. {37} Now when they heard this, THEY WERE PIERCED TO THE HEART, AND SAID TO PETER AND THE REST OF THE APOSTLES, "BRETHREN, WHAT SHALL WE DO?"

I have tried to imagine the guilt and remorse that one might feel having discovered that they had participated in the crucifixion of the very Messiah they had longed for all their lives. The words, "they were pierced to the heart," tell us that the pain must have been very intense and deep. Their eyes had been opened. They could see their great sin. They had not only murdered an innocent man, they had crucified Jesus Christ, the Lord, their own Messiah. Surely they would be damned to hell forever. There couldn’t possibly be forgiveness for such an awful sin. So they cried out in despair, "Brethren, what shall we do?" Beginning with verse thirty-eight of Acts chapter two Peter reveals that there is a remedy for the greatest of sinners, even the murderers of Jesus Christ.

"Brethren, what shall we do?" {38} And Peter said to them, "Repent, (Turn from your former ways, opinions, and beliefs, to trust in Jesus Christ the Lord.) and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for (or because of ) the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (The same Holy Spirit that has brought to pass all that you see and hear today.) {39} "For the promise (The promise referred to is the promise cited earlier from the book of Joel, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." Acts 2:21) is for you and your children, (Jews and their children) and for all who are far off, (Gentiles and their children) AS MANY AS THE LORD OUR GOD SHALL CALL TO HIMSELF." (Only those called by God will call upon the name of the Lord and be saved. The saved should then be baptized.) {40} And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation!" (How? By calling on the name of the Lord for salvation.") {41} So then, those WHO HAD RECEIVED HIS WORD were baptized; and there were added that day about three thousand souls."

On the day of Pentecost God called to Himself three thousand people from every nation under the sun. These believed the words preached by Peter and called out to Christ for salvation. Then they gave themselves to baptism bearing witness to their new found faith. How do we know they were saved? Because of the change that took place in their lives. Look with me at our last verse for the day.

{42} And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

This is what Christians do. They devote themselves to learning the scriptures. They love being with other Christians. They delight in celebrating the Lord’s Supper and they pray about everything. When a person is saved he is changed forever.

Notice the difference in these people between verse thirty-seven and verse forty-two. In one place Peter’s listeners are crying out in fear and despair because of their sin. In the next they are at peace, enjoying the fellowship of the brethren and worshiping God. What made the difference? Jesus did. Jesus saved these people from their sins. Though they had put Him to death yet He forgave them and saved them.

Without any abuse of truth it can be said that our sins put Christ to death. Our wickedness caused Him to be crucified. Yet, far from holding a grudge, He says, "Come unto Me and be saved." I counsel you to call on the name of the Lord and I promise that you will be saved from the wrath to come. This is what all sinners must do. If you chose any other course of action you will not be saved from the wrath of God that is even now on its way. If you will but trust Him, call on Him, petition Him, to save your never dying soul He will do it. He will extend to you an abundant salvation that will see you through eternity. Do not despair dear sinner for Jesus who died has risen to hear your cry for mercy. Call upon Him now and you will see that His promises are true.

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