The Greatest Event Ever Part 1
Notes
Transcript
Background
Background
The followers of Jesus Christ were patiently obeying His final instructions given in ()
The promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit () arrived filling every follower of Christ 3
The filling enabled them to speak the wonderful works of God in a different language other than their own
This curious but miraculous event drew the attention of the community
Peter responds to the confusion of the crowd
He stands up
He raises his voice
He asks them to pay attention as he explains the reason for supernatural ability God gave to the followers of Jesus Christ
He declares the last days have begun
He refers to the scriptures in explaining the sending of the Holy Spirit
He closes with the promise of God given by Joel
And it shall come to pass
That whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Shall be saved.’
The greatest figure in human history is Jesus Christ
The greatest figure in human history is Jesus Christ
The need to make Jesus known
Because of humanity’s ignorance and skepticism
Why the need?
So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?”
Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.”
Acts 2:1
Because of who Jesus Christ is
‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams.
And on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
And they shall prophesy.
Acts 2:17-
He is the anticipated coming Messiah
The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.”
Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”
John 4:25-
Jesus is the Alpha and Omega of history
Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our Redemptive history
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Peter’s courage came by his faith in the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth
And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!”
Matthew 26:71
All of history is centered around Him
Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
All of history is centered around Him
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Peter stood up
Because most people do not know the real Jesus Christ
Then they said to Him, “Who are You?”
And Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning. I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him.”
John 8:
When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”
So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
And it happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
So they answered and said, “John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again.”
Luke 9:
So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”
And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
The people answered Him, “We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”
Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, “Truly this is the Prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.”
But some said, “Will the Christ come out of Galilee? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?” So there was a division among the people because of Him.
Matthew 16:13
John 7:
Jesus’ obscure birth made His identity hard to determine
We know by having the recorded Gospels that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. However, during His life on earth many were unaware of this truth
Herod looked for Him there but came up empty
So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:
‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”
And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”
Later the scriptures tell us the Jewish community had no clue or knowledge of His birth place
Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, “Truly this is the Prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.”
But some said, “Will the Christ come out of Galilee? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?” So there was a division among the people because of Him.
Be ready to be a voice for Jesus
Stand up to be seen
Raise up your voice to be heard
Seek their attention as you explain the Word of God
Be clear in making Jesus known
Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no form or comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
Isaiah
Notice Peter’s change
Peter raised his voice
Matthew 26:
And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!”
Peter’s reveals Jesus by His name, His hometown, and His humanity
His name
And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
His home town
We know by having the recorded Gospels that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. However, during His life on earth many were unaware of this truth
However, during His life on earth many were unaware of this truth
Herod looked for Him there but came up empty
So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:
‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”
Matthew 2:5-
And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”
Matthew
Later the scriptures tell us the Jewish community had no clue or knowledge of His birth place
Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, “Truly this is the Prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.”
But some said, “Will the Christ come out of Galilee? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?” So there was a division among the people because of Him.
John 7:
Because Jesus’ home town made Him an unlikely choice to change history
By most Jesus was as seen aa a Jew who had come from a poor family and grew up in a town with a poor reputation
When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?
Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”
Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”
So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”
Matthew 21:10-11
John 1:
However a few unlikely sources did understood His true identity
Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”
Mark 1:23-
Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Mark 10:
His humanity
Jesus re
And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali,
And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!
But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”
Matthew
When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”
“You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”
Then He came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.
So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!”
And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.
Luke 15:2
And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.”
So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no fault in this Man.”
So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous Man!”
The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this Man!”
Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, “Behold the Man!”
Peter spoke with certainty and confidence
Peter began to explain what was happening and asked the people to pay attention
God pointed (attest) them to Jesus
And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Matthew 3:
While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”
Matthew 17:
Father, glorify Your name.”
Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.”
Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.”
Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake.
John 12:28-
God worked miracles, wonders, and signs through Jesus to which the crowd witnessed and knew about
The Interpretation of the Acts of the Apostles Peter’s Pentecostal Sermon
Peter purposely uses three terms when referring to them, the three applying to each miracle, yet the three accentuating the great number of the miracles. They were δυνάμεις, τέρατα, σημεῖα, works of supernatural power, creating wonder and amazement but full of heavenly, divine significance as works of divine grace.
Miracles = power
Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, “What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.”
Luke
Wonders
Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.”
Signs
This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.
And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
John 20
The greatest achievement in human history was done by Jesus Christ on the cross
The greatest achievement in human history was done by Jesus Christ on the cross
This same Jesus of Nazareth - Him
Peter confronted them with their own blindness and hardness of heart
So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, “Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner.”
He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”
So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, “Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner.”
He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”
The man answered and said to them, “Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes! Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.”
Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind.
And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.
God’s responsibility for the cross
He planned the cross and the Son willing laid down His life on the cross
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”
John 10:17
Being delivered = delivered adj. — denoting the surrender of someone or something to another.
delivered adj. — denoting the surrender of someone or something to another.
delivered adj. — denoting the surrender of someone or something to another.
God surrendered His Son into the lawless hands of men
“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”
John 10:17-18
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
Philippians 2:
who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.
By the determined purpose of God = thought-out plan n. — a series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished; especially as the result of intent consideration.
Counsel
thought-out plan n. — a series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished; especially as the result of intent consideration.
Will
By the foreknowledge of God = forethought n. — planning or plotting in advance of acting.
forethought n. — planning or plotting in advance of acting.
The word can mean prognosis
The coming of Jesus Christ to die on a cross was perfectly planned out so as to fulfill the purpose of God
It wasn’t an accident or surprise
God’s omniscience knew beforehand all the events that would take place
Humanity’s responsibility for the cross
By lawless hands
Outside the law
By implication heathen, Gentile, or pagan
Wicked
Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. Pilate then went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”
They answered and said to him, “If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.”
Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.”
Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,” that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.
John 18:28-
Have crucified
The coming of Jesus Christ to die on a cross was perfectly planned out so as to fulfill the purpose of God
It wasn’t an accident or surprise
Jesus was crucified
The Jewish crowd called for His crucifixion
God’s omniscience knew beforehand all the events that would take place
The Romans granted their request
Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”
But 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!”
Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. Then they took Jesus and led Him away.
Jesus was crucified
John 19:14-
And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center.
John 19:
And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God.
1 Coritnh
And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
Put to death
Jesus did die on that cross
So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe.
John 19:30-
And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.
Matthew 27:50
And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last.
Mark 15:
Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time. So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.
Mark 15:44
And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” Having said this, He breathed His last.
Luke 23:46
The greatest event that happened in our own lives is connected to the greatest event ever
The Man who rose from the dead