Peter Explains God’s Plan!
Acts 2:14-41
14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 “‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21 And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.’[c]
22 “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men,[d] put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. 25 David said about him:
“‘I saw the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest in hope,
27 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
you will not let your holy one see decay.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.’[e]
29 “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. 33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,
“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand
35 until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet.”’[f]
36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
God is at work. This is obvious from the life of Jesus. And yet, the end of Jesus’ life is confusing.
- It is confusing that Messiah would be killed.
- It is confusing that anything could happen to Messiah that God could not manage to control.
- And if Jesus is Messiah and is both Crucified and Resurrected, why is He not around ministering to people now? Peter will deal with questions like these in His sermon at Pentecost. And Peter will back up all of his explanations from Scripture.
The first and most common point of confusion about Jesus as Messiah relates to the nature of His ministry. What is God’s will for Messiah?
- Messiah to be Crucified and Resurrected
- God’s deliberate plan 23
There are no mistakes here!
Your surprises are not God’s mistakes!!
The foundation of Messiah’s ministry is not that He would do miracles.
The foundation of Messiah’s ministry is not that He would defeat the Romans.
The foundation of Messiahs’ ministry is that He would come to die for sins! He is the true Passover Lamb! This is why communion is the universal Passover meal for all who believe in Jesus’ ministry.
- Scripture proves this is God’s plan
In these extensive Bible references Peter points out:
- The Holy Spirit is to be poured out broadly on all people.
They see this.
- God’s holy one will die, but will not be abandoned to decay.
This is a revelation concerning Resurrection. What else could it be? (They hear testimony that this is true of Jesus)
- This holy one will be a descendant of David. (There is confusion about this in some. See John 7:52 52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.”
- This holy one is to sit at the right hand of God while God conquers His enemies! (This explains the need for the Ascension and why Jesus is not present.) But, the Holy Spirit IS present!!
Peter’s grand pronouncement therefore:
- The Crucified Jesus is Lord and Messiah
This is what you can be sure of. Personal history, the testimony of others and Scripture prophecy all point to this truth. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Lord and Messiah of the people of God. He was Crucified to pay for the sins of people. But He was not left dead. His death was temporary, He has been raised to life! And now, having ascended to the right hand of God, He has sent the Holy Spirit to continue His ministry in His name through people.
And so we read Peter saying things like:
“Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”
3: 16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.
Acts 4:7-12
7 They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is
“‘the stone you builders rejected,
which has become the cornerstone.’
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
So, Peter preaches these reasons that it is and was God’s will for Messiah to be Crucified and Resurrected.
Well, if Jesus is Resurrected, why is He not here currently Where did He go and why did He not stay around?
Peter points out v.34-35 and 17-21
- Messiah to Ascend and Send the Holy Spirit
- This explains the presence of the Holy Spirit
The strange manifestation of the Holy Spirit is directly a fulfillment of the prophecy from Joel chapter 2. The Holy Spirit is poured out on all flesh. Instead of one prophet speaking, many people are speaking in the power of the Holy Spirit!
- This explains the absence of Jesus
Verses 34-35
Jesus is no longer with them. He was killed 50 days ago, Resurrected 47 days ago. He was in and out among many of them for a period of 37 days or so.
It is God’s plan that things would be this way. We see that with the feasts of Passover and Weeks. The plan is a long time coming, but now has been revealed!
- This should resolve your confusion
They did not know. They acted in ignorance. God was doing something that they did not understand. This is the same issue with the Apostle Paul.
For the people who understand that God is at work, they ask the big question:
“What should we do?”
- This is what You Should Do
- You should repent
Repent means turn. What are they turning from? They are turning from trusting in their own ability to keep the law, to behave well enough, to manage their own salvation. As Paul says in Galatians 2:
15 “We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles 16 know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.
21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”
Turn from your current understanding of who Jesus is, to a correct understanding. He is both Lord and Messiah! Lord and Savior. The Stone that the builders rejected has become the very first and most important part of your life.
- Be baptized in the name of Jesus
Disciples are to be baptized. What is baptism a sign of? It is a sign of new life. Jesus’ Resurrection is a guarantee of a new life for all who trust and follow Him.
To be baptized in the name of Jesus is to be committed to Jesus first. He is our source of forgiveness. He is our source of wisdom. He is our source of life.
12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Matthew 11: 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
- Receive the Holy Spirit
- The Holy Spirit is a gift of God’s grace to us.
- We are to walk after the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the spirit of truth.
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