Acts - 4

Acts – 4

Acts 2:14-36

Introduction

Have you ever seen a picture and thought, “What in the world is going on here? There has got to be more to this story. I need some context.” For example:

- Picture 1 – cop with cheetah – are you allowed to give a ticket to a cheetah without it eating your face?

- Picture 2 – bouncy house in cemetery – that is really an odd place to host a birthday party.

- Picture 3 – polar bear on train – first, that better be Russia, and second, is he traveling into the city for a quick lunch with friends or to do some shopping?

Sometimes you need some more context. You know there is more to the story. That is certainly the case for the crowd in Acts 2. They have gathered together, thousands of them, because miraculous things are occurring among Jesus’ disciples. There is the sound of a mighty rushing wind, tongues of fire are hovering over their heads, and these Galileans are speaking in languages they could not possibly know. What is going on? How is this possible?

The Holy Spirit has arrived. Jesus had promised that these disciples would be empowered by God and then would be His witnesses to the ends of the Earth. They are now endowed with this miraculous power to take the Gospel into the world and transcend all the barriers that could possibly stop its spread. The crowd has gathered and have no idea what do to with this event. Some are asking, “What does this mean?” Others are mocking, claiming that the disciples are drunk (after all, they are all babbling).

The whole purpose of these miracles was to verify the truth of what they are claiming, and to get the attention of the crowd. They have it. Now it is time to be the witness Jesus called them to be. Peter stands up and preaches to the crowd. In so doing, he provides the much-needed context for what is happening. He explains what is happening and leverages the opportunity to preach about the greatness and glory of Jesus Christ.

Acts 2:14-36 - 14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:

17 “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; 18 even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. 19 And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; 20 the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. 21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. 25 For David says concerning him,

“‘I saw 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; my flesh also will dwell in hope. 27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. 28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’

29 “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne,31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,

“‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, 35 until I make your enemies your footstool.”’

36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

This sermon is the sermon that launches the Church into existence. This sermon is the first Gospel sermon in history. This sermon sets the tone for the NT Church. This sermon’s content forms the foundation and direction of all NT theology. It is a model sermon. It is utterly biblical as he quotes/anchors in two separate passages from the Psalms, and in a prophecy from the OT prophet Joel. It is a Christ-exalting sermon. Of course, any sermon that anchors itself in the Bible is going to be Christ-exalting, because as Peter shows us here, the whole Bible is ultimately about Jesus.

Peter makes 3 clear points in this sermon, with undeniable implications/applications:

1. JESUS SAVES…CALL ON HIM (V. 14-21)

The first move Peter has to make is to speak to the crowd’s reactions. They want to know what is going on. And before he can show them, he has to settle their accusation…they aren’t drunk. They might seem to be babbling because they are speaking in other languages, but it’s not because they’ve been drinking. And he gives a simple reason for that…it’s only 9am, the third hour of the day!

From this place of addressing their concerns/accusations, he immediately pivots to provide that larger context, to help explain to them what is happening. And how he does it is brilliant. The crowd are all Jews living in and around Israel. They have all come into Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost. And if they aren’t natural Jews, they are proselytes, converts from paganism to Judaism. Meaning, these people know the OT Scriptures. And to explain what is happening, Peter directs them to their OT, and quotes from the prophet Joel.

Acts 2:16-18 - 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:

17 “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; 18 even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.

God has already promised that He will pour out His Spirit. Joel was a prophet about 800 years before Jesus was born. For 800 years, they have already known that when God pours out His Spirit on His people, it will be accompanied by miraculous events. People will prophesy, meaning they will speak what God reveals to them. There will be visions and dreams, meaning God is going to reveal Himself and His ways to the world through men and women by indwelling them with His Spirit.

And God is not one who plays favorites. There is no distinction between those who get the Spirit. Regardless of gender (sons and daughters), regardless of age (young men, old men), and regardless of social status (male and female servants), God is willing to grant His Spirit to any and to all who will place their trust in the Lord Jesus. That is what is happening here. Not drunkenness, but the miraculous work of God in sending His Holy Spirit into the world. But Peter continues with the quote from Joel…

Acts 2:19-21 - 19 And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; 20 the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. 21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

Joel introduces us to a biblical theme when he speaks about “the day of the Lord.” Throughout the OT, God had promised a day was coming when He would come to the Earth. The primary descriptor of that day is that it would be a day of judgment. In Jesus, God has come to the Earth. His arrival begins the final era of human history known as “the last days” in v. 17. And now the NT speaks of another day, the Day of Christ. The day that Jesus will arrive, for the second and final time, thus concluding human history and beginning eternity.

We live between the “Days of the Lord.” Jesus has already come, and He will return. This final epoch of history is an age of grace. That is what v. 21 is all about…everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. But it is also an age of judgment. The wonders in the heavens above and the signs on the Earth below listed in v. 19-20, blood, fire, smoke, darkness…those are all biblical signs of judgment. Even the context of the prophecy from Joel is about judgement. Israel was being judged by God for their sin and He has sent a plague of locusts that were devouring their crops. The message from Joel is that more judgment is coming, and it is far worse, but God will provide a way of salvation. So though we live in an age of grace where everyone who calls upon Jesus will be saved…it is also an age of judgment where those who do not call upon Jesus will not be saved.

God is not a universalist who will save everyone, because after all, most people are basically good and moral. No, the Bible presents the opposite! People are wretched and wicked, and rightly stand under God’s judgment for their sin. But God has provided a way to be saved. Only by calling upon the name of Jesus for salvation can anyone be saved. Your morality won’t save you. Your family heritage won’t save you. Your bible knowledge won’t save you. Your church attendance won’t save you. Only faith in Jesus Christ will save you.

John 3:16-18 - 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

2. JESUS LIVES…HOPE IN HIM (V. 22-32)

After establishing that Jesus saves and we must call on Him, he now goes on to explain why that is. V. 22-24 - 22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

Jesus is ‘attested to you by God,’ meaning He is proven, He is accredited, He is legit. By the miracles He performed, raising people from the dead, feeding thousands, calming the storm, casting out demons…those prove He is truly from God. He isn’t lying. This Jesus, who is confirmed beyond any doubt to be who He said He was, God in the flesh, went to the cross “according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God.”

The cross was not an afterthought. The cross was not God’s hopeful attempt to save people once He figured out that the OT way of doing it had failed. No, this was always God’s plan. From the foundation of the world, before He had even breathed creation into existence, God not only knew what would happen, He determined what would happen.

The Greek word for foreknowledge is pro-gnosis. Pro is the prefix for first, or before. Gnosis is the word for knowledge. So God has first knowledge, before knowledge. We have taken that word pro-gnosis and brought it into the English language…prognosis. When a doctor gives you a prognosis, what are they doing? They have already given you the diagnosis, the prognosis is telling you how this is going to go. God has eternal, ultimate prognosis. Before time began, God could say, “this is how it is all going to go.” Not just because He knows, but because He determined it. According to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God.

And after mentioning the cross briefly here, Peter moves to the heart of the Christian message…v. 24 – God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. The cross of Jesus is not the central message of Christianity. The Resurrection of Jesus is the central message of Christianity. Why? Because if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then He is not who He claimed to be. He is just another dead religious leader who offers no hope at all. Unless Jesus rises from the dead, He is not the one the Bible promised would come and bring life. As Peter shows next by quoting Psalm 16:8-11. The key verse is Acts 2:27 (Psalm 16:10) – For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption.

Who is David, the author of Psalm 16, talking about? He isn’t talking about himself, we know that, because, as Peter says, David died and his tomb is still right there in the city. No, this is referring to David’s greater Son, the one who would reign on David’s throne for all eternity. V. 30-32 - 30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne,31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.

Jesus can save because Jesus is the one who defeated death. Jesus can bring life to your dead soul because He has risen from the grave. Jesus promises eternal life to you because He lives eternally. This is the heartbeat of our faith…Jesus lives…hope in Him.

3. JESUS REIGNS…SURRENDER TO HIM (V. 33-36)

Peter now moves to the crescendo of the sermon. It is not enough to only talk about Jesus being able to save. It is not enough to only talk about Jesus’ resurrection. There is more to the story…much more. V. 33-35 - 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,

“‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, 35 until I make your enemies your footstool.”’

Jesus is not just risen, He is reigning. He has been exalted to the right hand of God. This is a reference to Jesus’ ascension in chapter 1. While it doesn’t seem like a particularly important event, as Jesus ascends out of their sight hidden by a cloud, it really is. The NT looks back on this event, only mentioned by Luke in Luke 24 and Acts 1, as the key event of finality on Jesus’ earthly mission. He didn’t just ascend…He was exalted.

1 Peter 3:22 speaks of Jesus as the one “22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.” Jesus didn’t just go to Heaven. Everything else is now below Him. The Apostle Paul writes that he wants us to know about all that Jesus had accomplished for us…Ephesians 1:19-22 - 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church…

Because Jesus is exalted, He is to be supremely adored, supremely worshiped, and supremely submitted to. Paul writes again that because of Jesus’ saving work…Philippians 2:9-11 - 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Peter proves all that here in Acts 2 by quoting Psalm 110:1 – The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’ That verse is the most quoted OT verse in the entire NT. Why? Because again this is not talking about David. The Lord (Yahweh) said to my lord, be exalted over all things in Heaven, as your enemies are under your conquering feet.

Because of who Jesus is, the crucified, risen, and exalted One over all creation, and because of what Jesus has done, His saving work on the cross and rising to defeat sin and death forever…there is only one conclusion, only one response…surrender to Him.

Jesus Saves…Call on Him. Jesus Lives…Hope in Him. Jesus Reigns…Surrender to Him.