The following is an outline of the message available on Youtube.
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Acts 2:22-36 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with powerful works and wonders and signs, which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves know. 23 You have taken Him, who was handed over to you by the ordained counsel and foreknowledge of God, and by lawless hands have crucified and killed Him, 24 whom God raised up by loosening the pull of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. 25 For David says concerning Him: ‘I foresaw the Lord always before me, for He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. 26 Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover my flesh will dwell in hope. 27 For You will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. 28 You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy with Your presence.’ 29 “Brothers, I may speak confidently to you concerning the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 But being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of his seed according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, 31 he foresaw this and spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. 32 God raised up this Jesus, of which we all are witnesses. 33 Therefore being 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 now see and hear. 34 For David has not ascended to the heavens, yet he says: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, 35 Until I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’ 36 “Therefore, let all the house of Israel assuredly know that God has made this Jesus, whom you have crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
This opening passage from Acts is all about Jesus Christ. The Bible says about Jesus, Colossians 2:3 - in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Jesus is the great treasure-house where we find all the wisdom and knowledge that we need for life and relationship with God and everything God wants to do in us. It is found in Christ.
But, we need to know about Jesus. We need to know the facts and truths of what God’s word says about Him. When we do, we will possess the wisdom and knowledge that leads us to the life that God has for us.
Do you know today that God wants the best for you? Do you know today that God loves you? Do you know today that God wants you to bless you? He wants to pour out His goodness upon you.
3 John 1:2 - Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you (prosper) and that you may be in good health, even as your soul is well.
God said through the writer that He wants all things to go well with you (He wants all things to prosper in your life). Psalm 1:3 says that the person who delights him/herself in the words of God would prosper in everything he/she does. That instruction is there because God wants you to thrive. All things go well with you and that you may be in good health; God wants you in good health. He doesn’t want you sick. It doesn’t please Him. It is not His plan for you. He wants you in good health.
But it says, even as your soul prospers (that is the starting point) – your soul (internal part of who you are) prospers as you discover and receive by faith all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge and come to know Jesus (who holds all those things).
Now let us come back to Acts 2, and we read here the first message, spoken by Peter, under the new covenant. This is the setting out of which this message was given.
Fifty days before this, Jesus had gone to the cross, and about ten days before this moment, Jesus gave His last address to the disciples in which He said, wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit, and here we are. This is the day the church was birthed; the day of Pentecost when 120 people were in an upper room and the Bible gives us an account of what happened.
Acts 2:1-4 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. There appeared to them tongues as of fire, being distributed and resting on each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to speak.
So there were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues. We know there were various reactions. Some wondered what was going on, what does this mean? Some were in amazement; others mocked and said they were drunk.
And it is here that Peter stood up to preach the very first sermon. He starts by making some statements:
-They are not drunk.
-But this is what the prophet Joel said would happen.
-Then He gets to verse 22 - Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth.
This is where this message picks up, Jesus is theme that Peter begins to share on. The question I want to ask you today – what are you doing with Jesus?
Interestingly, on the day Jesus was crucified, another man was facing a life or death sentence. His name was Barabbas, a notorious prisoner. The custom of the day was to give a prisoner a pardon. So Pilate asked the crowd, who should I set free Barabbas or Jesus? The crowd yelled, release Barabbas! Matthew 27:22 - Pilate said to them, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called Christ?”
While Pilate was asking this because of the circumstance, he was in. The situation may be different, but the question is the same – What should I do with Jesus? What are you going to do with Jesus?
Think about that as you listen to Peter preached a message in which he declares 7 truths about Jesus.
1 - Vs 22 - Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with powerful works and wonders and signs, which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves know.
Jesus became a man. He became a man to accomplish the plan of God for all humanity. He became a man to show us what God the Father was like. Jesus said, If you see me, you have seen the Father. He became a man so that He could experience the tests and temptations that you and I face. Hebrews 4:15 - One who was in every sense tempted like we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 2:14; 5:1 – He took on a physical human body in order to that he might die in order to save us.
The Father sent Jesus, and Jesus left the glories of heaven and came to earth and humbled Himself by taking on a body of flesh. Yes, being fully God, but also being fully man in that He was completely limited in that body as you and I are – so that He could die and bring us salvation.
Peter also said that this was attested (demonstrated, or proven, or shown to be confirmed) by God – God gave evidence of this truth in Jesus (that He sent Him) through powerful works, wonders, and signs.
We know Jesus went about healing the sick. He gave sight to those who were blind; He opened deaf ears so they could hear. He healed the lame so they could walk and run. He fed 5000 with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. He raised people from the dead. He did all these things because He was a man of miracles – displaying the power of God as
1) proof of who He was and 2) the heart of God to heal those who are hurting.
I said He was a man of miracles, but the Bible says about Jesus – Hebrews 13:8 - Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever. He is for miracles today.
2 - Vs 23 - You have taken Him, who was handed over to you by the ordained counsel and foreknowledge of God, and by lawless hands have crucified and killed Him,
Many times people like to concern themselves with who crucified Jesus. They wonder is it the fault of the Jews or Romans Fault?
When it doesn’t matter, because did you hear what that verse said – it says that Jesus was handed over to those who killed Him by the deliberate plans and intended purpose of God.
Revelation 13:8 – speaking of Jesus, says that He was the Lamb who was slain from the world's foundation.
-Jesus wasn’t accidentally killed.
-It wasn’t against His will, but it came about as a result of God’s determined counsel and foreknowledge.
It wasn’t an accident when they put him on the cross, put nails in hands, and lifted him up. Jesus even told His disciples, I must be lifted up (speaking of being crucified on the cross).
This whole series of events was fulfilling the will and plan of God because God loves you and wants to have a relationship with you.
John 1:29 – John looked at Jesus and said - the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
This was God’s plan to take all the sins of the human race and lay them on Jesus, the Lamb that was without blemish or spot (the sinless Lamb). So Jesus laid his life down for you and I.
Jesus said in John 10:18 - No one takes my life from Me, but I lay it down Myself. … I received this command from My Father.
Jesus gave his life for you and me to take our sins away.
3 – Vs 24 - whom God raised up by loosening the pull of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.
Matthew 28 – records that there was a massive earthquake and that an angel descended from heaven, the soldiers guarding the tomb shook with fear and probably fainted - as the Bible records, they became like dead men, and the angel rolled back the stone. Mary Magdalene and another Mary were present.
Do you know why the angel rolled back the stone? He didn’t roll back the stone to let Jesus out; Jesus was already gone. The angel rolled it back to show them that Jesus wasn’t there. The angel tells the two women, come and see where Jesus was laid and then he instructed them to tell the other disciples He has risen from the dead.
The Bible tells us because He has been raised, we shall be raised.
Because I live you shall live also – John 14:19
We have the hope of eternity. We have the hope of heaven. Death has lost its sting; Death has been swallowed up in victory. We know what comes after death. We know that it doesn’t end there. We shall live!
4 - Vs 25 - For David says concerning Him: ‘I foresaw the Lord always before me, for He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken.
Peter is saying the Bible (OT) told us all these would happen. The good news of salvation (the good news of Jesus) was the theme of much of the OT. Starting in Genesis 3:15, prophets, psalms, and all through the OT.
Examples:
-Isaiah – said a virgin shall conceive a son, the prince of peace, the almighty God.
-He would be born in Bethlehemb
-He will ride into Jerusalem on a Donkey.
-Jesus would be betrayed.
-He would sold out for 30 pieces of silver.
Isaiah 50:6 - I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who plucked out my beard; I did not cover my face from shame and spitting.
It also says that Jesus would be raised from the dead.
The Bible speaks of these things to show us that all of this was in the plan of God. That Jesus is the Saviour, we can trust.
5 – Vs 33a - Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God…
Where is Jesus now? He has been exalted above. Satan once offered Jesus the world if only He would bow down and worship Him.
Yet when Jesus was finished, He had victory over everything. He was far above all principalities, powers, mights, dominions, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
Jesus walked into the throne room of God and took a seat. Jesus was seated and Satan was defeated. Jesus sat at the right hand of God with Satan is under his feet.
He is exalted. He has finished the work of redemption/salvation. You don’t have to work to be saved. He did all the work for us. For it is by Grace that we are saved. Not by what you do. We can’t work our way to heaven. So many are trying to do this with religion. Many people are trying to be good enough, trying to follow a set of rules that they think will make God happy, but it is not what you can do that will save you but what Jesus has done for you.
Salvation is all because of what Jesus has done for us!
Ephesians 2:6 – God has raised us up and seated us together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus
6 – Vs 33b - and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured out this which you now see and hear.
This event is what led Peter to give this message. They were just out of the upper room. They had just received the promised Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues. People were amazed and thought they were drunk.
Vs 33 - Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus sat down, He received the promise of the Father that all humanity would have the opportunity to receive the Holy Spirit. This Jesus, who now sits at the right hand of God, is the one that poured out the Holy Spirit and Tongues, which you see and hear.
Some are ashamed tongues, some are afraid of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, and some preach against it. Do you know who did that to them, who poured it out on them? Jesus, the head of the church.
Who are these people speaking in tongues? They are God’s children.
Who filled them with the Holy Spirit and caused them to speak in tongues? It was Jesus.
John said in Matthew 3:11 - Jesus will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Jesus, the head of the church, is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit and fire.
This baptism is not some secondary doctrine. It is not some needless teaching found in scripture; it is not something we can set aside and suggest it is not essential. This is for us. You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.
That is what God wants to do.
7 – Vs 36 - let all the house of Israel assuredly know that God has made this Jesus, whom you have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Let all the house of Israel; we can say let all the world know that God has made this Jesus, whom we have talked about, who died, was buried and is risen, both Lord and Christ.
He is the Saviour of the World. He is the King of Kings. He is the Lord of Lords. He is the anointed one. He is the mighty God. He is the healer of our bodies. He is the one whom we can trust in for all treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
But the message didn’t stop there. The Bible records in Acts 2.
Vs 37 - When they heard this, they were stung in the heart and said to Peter and to the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
Hear the cry of people; what shall I do? What do I do with this Jesus? When you hear the truth, when you come to understand who Jesus is and what He has done for you, there must be a response.
Peter said, Vs 38-39 Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
Repent - Change your mind, turn away from sin, and have faith in Jesus. Turn to Jesus. What are you going to do with Jesus?
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