WWUTT 2552 This Jesus Whom You Crucified (Acts 2:22-32)

Peter’s Pentecost Sermon and the Gospel Proclamation

Peter preached at Pentecost, among the Jews, about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. You saw and know these things, Peter says, and now you must know the gospel. And so must we, when we understand the text.

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Here's your teacher, Pastor Gabe.

Thank you, Becky. In our study of the book of Acts, we come back to chapter 2. We're in Peter's sermon at Pentecost, and I'm going to pick up where we left off yesterday. Let me start in verse 22 and read through verse 32.

Hear the word of the Lord. Men of Israel, listen to these words. Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst, just as you yourselves know.

Christ Delivered by God’s Predetermined Plan

This man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of lawless men and put him to death. But 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.

For David says of him, I saw the Lord continually before me, because he is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue exalted. Moreover, my flesh also will live in hope, because you will not forsake my soul to Hades, nor give your Holy One over to see corruption.

You have made known to me the ways of life. You will make me full of gladness with your presence. Men, brothers, 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.

David, the Christ, and the Resurrection from Corruption

And so, because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to set one of the fruit of his body on his throne, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was neither forsaken to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.

This Jesus God raised up again, to which we all are witnesses. Therefore, having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this, which you both see and hear.

For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, the Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies as a footstool for your feet. Therefore, let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus, whom you crucified.

Now, I really got into it there, so I just went to the end of the sermon. I skipped, I went past verse 32 and went all the way to verse 36 there. So we've got two more sections of this sermon to look at.

Yesterday, we read just the explanation. This was Peter explaining what it was the people were observing. Remember, the Holy Spirit has come upon the apostles, they've come into Jerusalem speaking in tongues, in different languages.

This is startling to the people. They recognize these men are just Galileans, so how is it that these uneducated men are able to speak all these different languages and we understand clearly what it is that they are saying?

They may not have understood what they were teaching by what they were saying, speaking in tongues, but they could understand the words. And so Peter explains to them what you're observing here. It's not madness.

It's not drunkenness, as some of them were trying to excuse it as, oh, these guys are just drunk. Peter says, no, this is a fulfillment of what was said in the prophet Joel in Joel chapter.

Two.

And then we looked at that passage yesterday. So this was an explanation of this Pentecost outpouring. That's what Peter is giving to the people in the section we read yesterday, verses 14 to 21. What we're looking at today in verses 22 to 32 is the proclamation.

So we've had the explanation. Here's what's happening. And here's why it's happening so that we may declare to you, here is the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus, life, death, and resurrection. That's all what's being spoken about here in verses 22 to 32.

Tomorrow we'll get to the declaration of Jesus exaltation as Lord and Christ, which I went ahead and read, but that's verses 33 to 36. So back to verse 22 here, as we read the proclamation of the gospel, the first proclamation after Jesus ascension into heaven.

And here is the gospel delivered to these people who are gathered in Jerusalem for the feast of weeks, specifically for Pentecost verse 22, men of Israel, listen to these words, Jesus, the Nazarene. So first of all, who's Peter preaching about?

They know who this is. The prophet who was called Jesus of Nazareth. If you'll remember back to Matthew 21 at the triumphal entry, when Jesus comes into Jerusalem to the shouts of the people saying, blessed is he who comes in the name of the.

Lord.

And they're laying down palm branches in their coats. There were some there who did not understand what was happening and what was going on. Who is this? Why all this commotion over this man? And the people who were with him said, this is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth.

So Jesus was known by that name. It was not a terribly uncommon name for people to be called Jesus at that time. You've probably heard that in Hebrew, it was a Yeshua or Joshua as we pronounce it in English.

In the Greek, it was Iesus. So there would have been other people that were named that name. But Jesus is of Nazareth. It was a small town, probably not a lot of people there by that name. Most people were known either by the town they came from or their lineage, who their father was.

So Jesus is being declared as the Nazarene. And Peter goes on to say, he was attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst. Just as you yourselves know, Peter says, you all have seen this.

If for whatever reason, there were people there who had not seen it. They knew someone who did. Jesus had been in this earthly ministry for three and a half years, which is not real long. I mean, you consider John MacArthur just passed away last year, and he had a 55 year pulpit ministry at Grace Community Church, one church for 55 years.

And Jesus was just around Judea and Galilee and even through Samaria for three and a half years or so. And yet during that period of time did so many amazing and miraculous things that as the Apostle John records, it's not even enough books, not even enough paper in the world for us to write down all the incredible things that he did in that period of time.

So the people knew who this was, or they knew somebody who was there. They knew someone who was healed. They knew someone who saw somebody being healed, or I was there when he fed the 5 ,000. I ate of the fish and the loaves.

You yourselves know this. God did these miracles and wonders through him. And that was undeniable. Remember that when Nicodemus came to Jesus in John chapter 3 and sat with him to talk with him, he said, we know you've got to be sent from God because no one can do the things that you do except that God is with him.

Now Jesus didn't receive that as flattery. He jumps right into truly, truly, I say to you, unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. And then you have the dialogue that continues on there between Jesus and Nicodemus.

But it was observed. It was witnessed even by the Pharisees. We cannot deny the miraculous things he does. Now the Pharisees tried to play it off as, well, he does it by Beelzebul. It's like by Satan that he cast demons out and otherwise.

And then you remember Jesus' response to them. How can Satan cast out Satan? And so they tried to blow it off as something else, like a demonic work, which was really evil for them to ascribe these miraculous works to being of Satan.

Peter is saying, you saw what he did. This is the testimony of God through Jesus Christ with the miracles and wonders and signs that he performed. That's who we're talking about. And you already know the miraculous work of God that was in his life in the stuff that he did here over the last few years.

And so Peter goes on from there. This man did all these miraculous things. He was also delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God. You nailed to a cross by the hands of lawless men and put him to death.

Now again, we've looked at the explanation portion of what's happening here at Pentecost. And now we're at the proclamation and then the declaration. Both the proclamation section and the declaration section end with that state, or they begin and end with that statement.

So in the beginning of the proclamation, Jesus was delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, and you put him to death. The lawless men among you put him to death. And then verse 36, therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.

Now you've probably heard it said many times regarding the death of Jesus who put Jesus.

To death.

And many will argue that it was the Romans that put him to death or it was the Jews that put him to death. Still more will argue from Isaiah 53 that it was God who put him to death. The father did it for it was the will of the father to crush him.

It pleased God to crush him as said there in Isaiah 53. Some will say Jesus laid down his own life for as he says at the beginning of the gospel of John, I have the authority to lay down my life and to take it back up again.

But the answer to this is actually all of the above. Jesus was put to death by Romans and by the Jews had to have been or else what Peter is saying here is irrelevant. Peter is saying you put him to death.

He was put to death by lawless men. But he also says here that Jesus was delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God. This was God's plan. This was always his intention from the very beginning.

It's the very reason why Jesus came God in human flesh to die on the cross for our sins. Jesus himself saying I came to seek and save the lost or I came not to be served but to serve and to give my life as a ransom for many.

These were the things that Jesus came to do. So he laid down his life. The father gave the son to be an atoning sacrifice and he was put to death by the Jews and by the Romans. All of these things are true just because it was the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God does not mean the men who put him to death are innocent of what happened to Jesus.

Just like when Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery. Joseph said what you meant for evil God meant for good. That doesn't mean that they were somehow innocent of this wicked deed that they had done.

They still did evil. Even Joseph said you did evil what you meant for evil. God meant for good. This also means that God is sovereign. So he is using even the evil intentions of men's hearts to accomplish his ultimate purpose and nothing is being done outside of God's will or ordination.

The predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God that these things happen. God predetermined even the most wicked act that would happen in the history of mankind which would be the murder of the son of God.

These men were wicked in doing it. None of them though could stand there and point the finger at God and say well you did I did it because you made me do it. Now nobody can say that. They still have to answer for the evil that they did.

But God is still accomplishing his great purposes even through his son whom he predetermined would die on the cross as an atoning sacrifice for sins. You nailed him to the cross by the hands of lawless men and put him to death.

Verse 24. But God raised him up again putting an end to the agony of death since it was impossible for him to be held by its power. He's the God man. He's innocent. He was sinless. He could not be held by the power of death.

But God raised him up again in fulfillment of the scriptures. So then Peter goes on and he cites Psalm 16 specifically this is Psalm 16 8 through 11. I saw the Lord continually before me because he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken.

Now this is this is David of course speaking and as as Peter puts it this is David prophesying. So he's even prophesying of something that is to come. Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue exalted.

Moreover my flesh also will live in hope. David has a hopefulness about the fact that the Son of God is going to come and die and rise again from the dead. David's even looking forward to this. It is something that by the Holy Spirit of God he is prophesying and there's a hopeful expectation because he will rise from the dead.

My flesh also will live in hope. I will get to rise from the dead too just as he rises from the dead. This is David's proclamation of a future expectation a hopeful expectation. When I'm asked about the salvation of the Old Testament saints before Jesus came and died how were people saved before we had the declaration of the gospel like we have here at Pentecost.

How were they saved? Same way we're saved now by grace through faith by the grace of God through faith in God remember Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness and Paul cites Abraham as an example in Romans chapter 4 so that we can know we receive the same we believe God specifically in his son Jesus Christ and it's credited to us as well we are justified by faith.

So it was also the case in the Old Testament. But in the Old Testament they were looking forward to what God was going to do here in this age we're looking back at what God has done that's what we're doing here when we study the scriptures we are seeing what God has accomplished through his son Jesus Christ now being proclaimed by his apostles as they share the gospel here in Jerusalem.

So David was looking forward his flesh will live in hope likewise we looking back we have hope because our Savior died for us and rose again from the dead verse 27 because you will not forsake my soul to Hades nor give your Holy One over to see corruption.

Jesus body did not remain in the tomb. It was risen and this is not a spiritual resurrection. It's not a figurative resurrection. It's not even that the body stayed in the tomb but Jesus just to send it up into heaven somewhere just like all of us are expecting to have happen.

Our bodies will die will go into the grave our souls will go be with God and there are some that will argue you can believe that the same thing happened with Jesus. No than the Bible lies. If Jesus body did not come out of the tomb then God is a liar and that would be that would be awful that's blasphemous to consider such a thing Jesus body actually came out of the tomb and that's what Peter is arguing here.

He's presenting convincing proofs even from the scriptures that it was foretold this would take place. His body would not be given over to see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life David proclaiming again through this hopeful expectation of Jesus who is to come you've made known to me the ways of life.

You will make me full of gladness with your presence that ties back into the presence of the Holy Spirit, which of course Peter is going to say in a moment. You can receive also if you believe in Jesus.

Us and so he goes on to say in verse 29 men brothers. 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. This is kind of a captain obvious statement and even right there in Jerusalem at the time they knew where David's tomb was it was a very sacred place.

I think there is a place there today where they assume they know where David's tomb is but wherever that location would have been and the body of David itself has since been lost to us and likely it was lost after the Jewish Roman War.

So after Rome came in destroyed Jerusalem and destroyed the temple in 8070 after that location of many of these things became very questionable. I think the look the exact location of Jesus tomb was even known about for a few hundred years after that, but then through other conflicts and wars that were going on there.

We don't know exactly which tomb was Jesus tomb. There's a couple of locations that claim to be the burial place of Jesus. Anyway, I think I talked about that when we were in Luke conversation for another time, but but this is Peter saying we know where David's body is.

So David who even foretold these things he died his body still with us to this day, but because he was a prophet and he knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to set one of the one of the fruit of his body on his throne.

This is referring back to the Davidic Covenant, which we read about in 2nd Samuel was that chapter 7 verse 31. He looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ that he was neither forsaken to Hades nor did his flesh see corruption.

Those things were fulfilled exactly what was said in Psalm 16 this very song that the people will sing and probably had been singing while they were there celebrating Pentecost. Well that song is about Jesus.

About this Jesus that we're talking to you about Jesus the Nazarene the miracles and things that he did. He did something even greater than that. He rose from the dead verse 32 this Jesus God raised up again to which we all are witnesses.

Now Peter may just be referring to the 12th himself and the other 11 Apostles. He may also be referring to the others who were in the upper room with him. Even though the Apostles are likely the ones the 12 Apostles are the ones who are speaking in tongues and David of course is or David Peter of course is leading this preaching the sermon the information that really is coming from the other Apostles as they're saying but Peter is proclaiming it and giving it explanation giving it light so that the people understand what it is that they're hearing.

Remember it was said earlier in Acts 2 they heard the Apostles proclaiming the mighty deeds of God. So Peter is saying those very things but but even directly telling them here's what this is about. It's about Christ and we've seen it and even the others who were there in the upper room have now come out and they are there their observers they're able to nod and say their amens along with what Peter is proclaiming this Jesus God raised up again to which we all are witnesses not just the 12 but hundreds of others had seen Jesus risen from the dead as Paul proclaims in 1st Corinthians chapter 15 and so of course where this is going is that you need to put your faith in Jesus as well you need to believe God that he sent his son and that he was put to death by the hands of lawless men according to the predestined plan of God this is this is like Peter saying just as Joseph said what you meant for evil God meant it for good and so when the people say what must we do then to be saved and Peter says repent and each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and my friends that is for all of us as well same proclamation for us that we would turn from our sin to the Lord Jesus Christ and lived and as an act of obedience that you would be baptized so that we are showing I've been baptized with Christ my sins are washed away and I've been risen to walk in newness of life and then we walk all our days proclaiming the death of Christ until he comes as as Paul talked about in 1st Corinthians 11.

And we continue with this hopeful expectation just as David had just as Peter is talking about we have this expectation of life after death which is given to us by the one who rose from the dead who conquered death on our behalf so that by faith in Jesus Christ we may live my friends.

I hope that gives you beautiful hope today. Heavenly Father I thank you for reminding us once again of this blessed sermon that was delivered at Pentecost and may it be hopeful for us we who are anticipating who are looking forward to that day when we will be with our glory our glorious Lord forever in glory and we will live with him in that eternal kingdom where there will be no more death no more pain no more grief no more sin all of these things will have passed away and we live in perfect paradise with our Savior forevermore come quickly Lord Jesus we pray in his name.

Amen. Pastor Gabe keeps a regular blog.

Sharing personal thoughts alerting readers to false teachers and offering commentary on the church and social issues. You can find a link to the blog through our website www .tt .com. Thank you for listening and join us again tomorrow as we continue our study in God's Word when we understand the text.