Who Killed Jesus
Teach Us They Way • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 3 viewsCan you imagine what it would feel like to find out that your actions caused the death of someone else? It’s a hopeless situation because there is nothing you can do to fix it. The best you can hope for is forgiveness and restoration in the relationship. This is exactly what happened on the day of Pentecost as the Jewish people realized they had killed the very Messiah they had been waiting for. What they didn’t yet understand is that what they had meant for evil, God had meant for good. For through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, salvation could now be offered through His grace.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
On April 10, 2016 a mother and her three kids were coming back from a housewarming party about 8:00pm. A trash compactor had fallen off of a truck and mom didn’t see it in time and crashed into it. She got her kids out moved them to the side of the road called the police and was calling a tow truck when a drunk driver hit another call stopped at the scene and ran over two of the boys and killed them. The boys were 6 and 4 years old.
Can you imagine being the drunk driver knowing that your acts have taken innocent lives and the ripple effect of your actions would be felt for generations?
The hardest step in recovery is step 4: Creating an inventory of all the people you have hurt with your actions and those that have hurt you. And then Making a mends.
There’s no way to fix it or make it right. The best you can hope for is forgiveness and grace (and you don’t always get it.)
What if I were to tell you that your actions caused an innocent man to die? Would it cut you to the heart? Would you make excuses or own up to what you’ve done.
Today, we are going to get into the content of Peter’s first Spirit-filled message.
The audience has been assembled of Jews from every nation.
The power of the Holy Spirit has rested upon them.
The audience is captivated by the signs and wonders of God.
What is God going to say? What is the message he will bring.
It’s no wonder that the first Spirit-filled message from Peter is all about the finished work of King Jesus.
13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
The Rejection of God’s Plan (vs. 22-23)
The Rejection of God’s Plan (vs. 22-23)
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.
You would think that God would start with a story about his love and grace, or maybe the redemptive story of the children of Israel. But, no, he starts with reality and reality can be hard to hear sometimes.
The Spirit was not condemning the audience but exposing their condemnation.
The Spirit was not condemning the audience but exposing their condemnation.
When someone is in recovery, the worst thing you can say to them is, “It’s not your fault.” We are all in recovery of some sort and the first step to any recovery is admitting you have a problem.
If you don’t understand your condemnation you will never understand your reconciliation.
If you don’t understand your condemnation you will never understand your reconciliation.
Let me give you a lesson in apologies. Saying “I’m Sorry.” can be very shallow.
Instead try this: “I’m sorry for xyz..... I know that my actions have hurt you and these are the steps that I will take not to do that again. Will you accept my apology and hold me accountable in this area.”
They Rejected the Messiah.
They Rejected the Messiah.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
They Rejected the Miracles.
They Rejected the Miracles.
11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.
They Rejected the King.
They Rejected the King.
23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
They accused him of blasphemy
They accused him of blasphemy
6 When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.” 7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.”
They chose to follow another king.
They chose to follow another king.
14 Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” 15 They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” 16 So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus,
They crucified him at the hands of the Romans.
They crucified him at the hands of the Romans.
Transition:
Once you understand your condemnation you are ready to receive your reconciliation with God. God has a way of taking what we meant for evil and making it good.
They are guilty of crucifying their King, but God is greater.
The Revelation of David’s Prophecy (vs. 25-26)
The Revelation of David’s Prophecy (vs. 25-26)
God’s resurrection power.
God’s resurrection power.
24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.
God is the source and giver of all life.
God is the source and giver of all life.
The Holy Spirit is the life source within us.
The Holy Spirit is the life source within us.
Life is to be with God.
Death is to be without God.
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
David’s resurrection prophecy.
David’s resurrection prophecy.
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.’
David was not speaking about himself.
David was not speaking about himself.
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.
David spoke of the resurrected King.
David spoke of the resurrected King.
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.
Jesus paid the penalty for our sins on the cross not in the grave.
Jesus paid the penalty for our sins on the cross not in the grave.
By his stripes we are healed.
By his death our debt of sin is paid. “It is finished”
Jesus didn’t see corruption in the grave but conquered the grave.
Jesus didn’t see corruption in the grave but conquered the grave.
He preached to the condemned spirits in prison.
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20 because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water.
He set the righteous captives free.
8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” 9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)
Jesus is the resurrected King.
Jesus is the resurrected King.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
The People’s resurrection proof.
The People’s resurrection proof.
32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.
The empty grave is a reminder of the resurrection.
The empty grave is a reminder of the resurrection.
The eye witnesses is proof of the resurrection.
The eye witnesses is proof of the resurrection.
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.
The Repentance of a People (vs. 37-41)
The Repentance of a People (vs. 37-41)
37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
The Word of God cuts to the heart.
The Word of God cuts to the heart.
12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
When the truth is revealed you must receive it or reject it, but it doesn’t change the truth.
When the truth is revealed you must receive it or reject it, but it doesn’t change the truth.
The Word brings hope and joy to those who receive it and condemnation to those who reject it. The choice is yours.
The Word brings hope and joy to those who receive it and condemnation to those who reject it. The choice is yours.
The way of repentance is clear.
The way of repentance is clear.
Acts 2:37 (ESV)
37 ...“Brothers, what shall we do?”
38 And Peter said to them, “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 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”
Repent: Turn from your wicked ways and turn back to God.
Repent: Turn from your wicked ways and turn back to God.
Worship God alone. Have no others gods before him.
If your not willing to repent your not ready to worship God alone.
Baptism: Make a public profession as a follower of Christ.
Baptism: Make a public profession as a follower of Christ.
Baptism is your confession that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Baptism is the illustration of your death and resurrection with Christ.
Receive: The free gift of God’s Spirit in you. (eph 1:11-13)
Receive: The free gift of God’s Spirit in you. (eph 1:11-13)
God predestined the plan through which all can be saved.
God’s will is that none should perish but all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
God seals all those that receive Jesus with the promised Holy Spirit.
The Calling of the Lord is for everyone.
The Calling of the Lord is for everyone.
39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”
When the Lord call you should answer.
When the Lord call you should answer.
Save yourself by choosing to receive the message of Jesus.
Save yourself by choosing to receive the message of Jesus.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
God has given you grace through the sacrifice of his Son.
Through faith you receive this work and are saved.