Resurrection & Redemption
ACTS 2:22-24
- THE CONCEPT
1. The Concept of ‘To Awaken’
The Bible uses the idea of wakening up is different contexts: “if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus…” [Rom.8:11].
§ ἐγείραντος - “raised” [8:11], aorist active participle, basic mean ‘to arise’;
§ The word has a variety of meanings: ‘to cause to stand’; ‘to wake up’; ‘to arouse from sleep’; ‘to stir up’;
2. The Concept & Its Contexts
The variety of meanings can be seen from some examples of its usage:
§ With reference to sleep: “his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish” [Mat.8:25].
§ With reference to lying down: “he saw Peter’s wife’s mother laid and sick of a fever…she arose and ministered unto them” [Mat.8:15].
§ With respect to moving location: “Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt…” [Mat.2:13].
§ With respect to spiritual life: “God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham…” [Mat.3:9].
§ With respect to the dead: “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead…” [Mat.10:8].
§ With respect to the resurrection: “the third day he shall rise again…” [Mat.20:19].
Summary
- THE CONCEPT & THE DEATH OF JESUS
1. The Presence of Jesus
a. The Public Proclamation
Jesus was demonstrated to be the Christ of God: “Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you…” [2:22].
§ ἀποδεδειγμένον – “approved” [2:22], ‘from apó, an intensive, and deiknúmi, to show’; ‘demonstrate’; ‘attest’; ‘show to be true’;
§ ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ - “of God” [2:22],
i. The Means
The means used by God: “by miracles, and wonders, and signs…” [2:22].
§ δυνάμεσι - “miracles” [2:22], from δυνάμis, ‘ability to perform an action’; ‘mighty deed’; ‘a demonstration of the power of God’;
§ τέρασι – “wonders” [2:22], téras is derived from tēréō, ‘to keep, watch’, connoting that which due to its extraordinary character is apt to be observed and kept in the memory’; ‘their effect being to arouse astonishment’;
§ σημείοις – “signs” [2:22], ‘a sign by which something is designated, distinguished or known’; ‘their purpose being to embody or signify spiritual truth’;
§ ἐποίησεν – “did” [2:22], aorist active, ‘to perform an action’;
§ διʼ αὐτοῦ - “by him” [2:22], ‘by means of him’;
b. The Public Knowledge
Jesus was well known by them: “as you yourselves know” [2:22].
§ οἴδατε – “know” [2:22], perfect active, ‘to have seen and perceived and hence know’;
Application
2. The Human Freedom (Agency)
a. The Wickedness of Men
The action of the multitude: “you have taken and by wicked hands…” [2:23].
§ χειρὸς ἀνόμων - “wicked hands” [2:23], ‘without law’; ‘lawless’;
§ προσπήξαντες - “crucified” [2:23], aorist active participle, ‘to fasten to a cross’;
§ ἀνείλατε - “slain” [2:23], aorist indicative active,
b. The Awakening
The human “lawlessness”, as a result of which Jesus was put to death, was held in restraint by God until the “hour” [Luk.22:53] had arrived.
§ Judas: “The Satan entered into Judas surnamed Iscariot…” [Luk.22:3]; “After the sop Satan entered into Judas…” [Joh.13:27].
§ The people: “a multitude…came near…this is your hour, and the power of darkness” [Luk.22:53].
Application
3. The Divine Agency
a. The Purpose of God
The eternal purpose of God: “him, being delivered by the determinate counsel…” [2:23].
§ ἔκδοτον - “being delivered up” [2:23], adjective, from ekdídōmi, ‘to deliver up’; ‘to surrender to’;
§ ὡρισμένῃ - “determinate” [2:23], perfect passive participle, ‘to mark of by boundaries’; ‘to appoint, set’;
§ βουλῇ - “counsel” [2:23], denotes “deliberation” and “taking counsel” in all its stages and effects up to “resolve” and “decree.”
§ προγνώσει – “foreknowledge” [2:23], ‘to know beforehand’;
b. The Justice of God
i. The Sword
The presence of a sword: “awake, O sword…” [13:7].
§ חֶ֗רֶב - “sword” [13:7], ‘a metal weapon of war’;
§ An instrument of war: “they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword…” [Jos.6:21].
§ An instrument of God’s judgement: “I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh; and that with the blood of the slain and of the captives, from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy…” [Deu.32:42]; “And say to the land of Israel, Thus says the LORD; Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth my sword out of his sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked” [Eze.21:3]
ii. The Awakening
The call to action: “awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, says the Lord of hosts; smite the shepherd” [Zec.13:7].
§ עוּרִ֤י - “awake” [13:7], qal imperative, ‘to be alert’; ‘to be roused’; ‘to be in a state ready for action’;
iii. The Object
The object upon him the sword is to be unleashed: “against my shepherd…” [13:7].
§ עַל - “against” [13:7], ‘above’; ‘upon’;
§ רֹעִי - “my shepherd” [13:7], ‘carer of sheep’; ‘to pasture, graze’; “And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd” [Eze.34:23]; “I am the good Shepherd…” [Joh.10:11].
§ גֶּ֣בֶר - “man” [13:7], ‘a mighty man’; “The LORD shall go forth as a mighty man…” [Isa.42:13];
§ עֲמִיתִ֔י - “fellow” [13:7], ‘my associate’; ‘one in close, united relation’;
§ הַ֤ךְ - “smite” [13:7], hiphil imperative, ‘strike’; ‘to make physical contact with a blow’;
Application
- THE CONCEPT & THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS
1. The Resurrection
a. The Action of God the Father
The action of God the Father: “whom God has raised up…” [2:24].
§ ὁ θεὸς - “God” [2:24],
§ ἀνέστησεν - “raised up” [2:24], aorist active, from aná, ‘again’, and hístēmi, ‘to stand’; ‘to stand again’; ‘to cause to stand up’; ‘to raise to life’;
b. The Victory over Death
i. Freedom
God sets the Son free: “having loosed the pains of death…” [2:24].
§ λύσας - “having loosed” [2:24], aorist active participle, ‘to untie’; ‘to release’; ‘to set free’;
ii. Birth Pangs >>> ‘Life from the Dead’
God sets the Son free from: “the pains of death” [2:24].
§ ὠδῖνας - “pains” [2:24], ‘pain of childbirth’; ‘birth pains’; “then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child…” [1The.5:3];
§ θανάτου - “death” [2:24], ‘the consequence of man’s sin’; ‘the penalty of God’s justice’: “wages of sin is death” [Rom.6:23].
iii. The Significance of the Resurrection
The resurrection of Jesus is seen as a ‘regeneration’, a ‘new birth’ out of death into life:
§ The idea of ‘loosing Jesus from the birth pangs of death; ‘one could perhaps see some appropriateness in the metaphor of “birth pangs,” since resurrection in a real sense is a new birth from death’;
§ The resurrection is nothing if not his deliverance from the power and curse of death which was in force until the moment of being raised: “knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dies no more; death has no more dominion over him” [Rom.6:9].
§ The resurrection is the salvation of Jesus as the last Adam; it and no other event in his experience is the point of his transition from wrath to grace.
§ As long as Christ remains dead, Satan and sin are triumphant or, more broadly, the dominion of the old aeon remains unbroken.
c. The Impossibility
i. Death
The impossibility: “because it was not possible…” [2:24].
§ ἦν - “was” [2:24], indicative imperfect active, ‘to be’;
§ οὐκ δυνατὸν - “not possible” [2:24], ‘to have power or ability’;
§ κρατεῖσθαι - “holden” [2:24], present passive infinitive, ‘to rule over’; ‘to control, keep’;
§ ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ - “upon him” [2:24],
ii. Corruption
He cannot see corruption: “he seeing this before spoke of the resurrection…” [2:31].
§ ἀναστάσεως - “resurrection” [2:31], ‘a rising up’; ‘a standing up’;
§ ἐγκατελείφθη - “not left” [2:31], aorist passive indicative, from en, ‘in’, and kataleípō, ‘to forsake, desert’; ‘to leave behind’; ‘to abandon’;
§ ᾅδην - “hell” [2:31], ‘abode of the dead’; ‘the grave;
§ ἡ σὰρξ αὐτοῦ - “flesh” [2:31], ‘corporeal mass’; ‘physical body’;
§ εἶδεν - “see” [2:31], aorist indicative active, ‘to understand’; ‘to attend to’;
§ διαφθοράν - “corruption” [2:31], ‘decay, decomposition’;
d. The Agency of the Holy Spirit
The agency of the Holy Spirit: “if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus dwell in you, he that raised up Jesus from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells in you” [Rom.8:11].
§ ἐγείραντος - “raised” [8:11], aorist active participle, ‘to waken’; ‘to cause to stand’; “Then Joseph being raised from sleep…” [Mat.1:24];
§ ζῳοποιήσει - “quicken” [8:11], future active indicative, from zōós, ‘alive’, and poiéō, ‘to make’; ‘to make alive’;
Application
Strictly speaking, not Christ’s death but his resurrection marks the completion of the once-for-all accomplishment of redemption.
§ The accomplishment of redemption is only first definitively realised in the application to Christ himself (by the Father through the Spirit) at the resurrection of the benefits purchased by his own obedience and death. (See Resurrection & Redemption by R B Gaffin)
2. The Reward
a. The Position
The exaltation of Christ: “this Jesus has God raised up…” [2:32].
§ ἀνέστησεν - “raised up” [2:32], ‘to cause to stand up’; ‘to raise to life’;
§ μάρτυρες - “witnesses” [2:32], ‘testimony’; ‘a person who reports on the facts based on being and eye-witness’;
§ ὑψωθείς - “being exalted” [2:33], aorist passive participle, ‘to lift up, exalt, elevate’;
b. The Gift from the Father
The gift of the Holy Spirit: “having received of the Father…” [2:33].
§ λαβὼν - “having received” [2:33], aorist active participle, ‘to take hold of, seize’; ‘to acquire, receive’;
§ παρὰ τοῦ πατρός - “of the Father” [2:33], ‘from beside the Father’;
§ ἐπαγγελίαν - “promise” [2:33], ‘a legal term denoting a summons or promise to do or give something’;
§ τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου - “Holy Spirit” [2:33],
c. The Gift to the Church
Jesus is “awakened” from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit; on His exaltation to the right hand of the Father he “receives” [2:33] the gift of the Holy Spirit; Christ receives the gift of the Holy Spirit so that the life of his resurrection power may reside in the Church: “he has shed forth this…” [2:33].
§ ἐξέχεεν - “shed forth” [2:33], aorist indicative active, ‘cause to flow out’; ‘pour out’;
Application
The “awakening” of Christ by the Father through the power of the Holy Spirit; the “sending” of that same Holy Spirit into the Church on earth.
- THE CONCEPT & THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST
1. The Holy Spirit & Humankind
a. The Gospel Preached
The gospel is preached in the context of resurrection: “therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly…” [2:36].
§ Peter’s sermon: “Peter, standing up, lifted up his voice…be this known unto you, and hearken to my words…” [2:14].
§ Ἀκούσαντες - “heard” [2:37], aorist active participle, ‘to hear’; ‘to receive news’; ‘to reach the human self-consciousness with the need to respond’;
b. The Awakening
i. The Effect
The Holy Spirit is once again the agent of awakening: “when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart…” [2:37].
§ κατενύγησαν - “pricked” [2:37], aorist passive indicative, the simple νύσσω, ‘to stab’, gives to κατανύσσω the sense ‘to pierce through’, ‘to transfix’; ‘sharp pain associated with anxiety’;
§ καρδίαν - “heart” [2:37], ‘the inner self – mind, will, affections’;
§ the hearers were ‘convicted of sin’ and ‘conscience-stricken’;
ii. The Cry
The cry of the hearers: “what shall we do?” [2:37].
§ τί - “what” [2:37], interrogative, ‘what kind of thing’;
§ ποιήσωμεν - “do” [2:37], aorist active subjunctive, ‘to perform an action’; ‘to carry out’;
Application
2. The Resurrection Life
a. The New People
i. The Repentance
The call to repent: “repent, and be baptised everyone of you…” [2:38].
§ μετανοήσατε - “repent” [2:38], aorist active imperative, from metá, denoting ‘change of place or condition’, and noéō, ‘to exercise the mind, think, comprehend’; ‘to repent, change the mind, relent’;
§ Theologically, it involves regret or sorrow, accompanied by a true change of heart toward God.
ii. The New Relationship
The call to new relationship: “be baptised every one of you…” [2:38].
§ βαπτισθήτω - “be baptised” [2:38], aorist passive imperative, from βάπτω, ‘to dip in or under’; ‘to dip, immerse’; ‘to ceremonially cleanse to show purity and initiation to Christ through repentance’; ‘to dye’: “clothed with vesture dipped in blood” [Rev.19:13], bebamme,non, participle perfect passive of βάπτω;
§ ἐπὶ - “in” [2:38],
§ τῷ ὀνόματι - “name” [2:38], ‘reputation’; ‘authority’;
iii. The End of the Old
The end of the old aeon: “for the remission of sins…” [2:38].
§ εἰς - “for” [2:38], ‘motion towards a place’;
§ ἄφεσιν - “remission” [2:38], from aphíēmi, ‘to cause to stand away’, ‘to release one’s sins from the sinner’;
§ ἁμαρτιῶν - “sins” [2:38], ‘to miss the mark’; ‘wrongdoing and its associated guilt’;
b. The New Possession
The new possession: “you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” [2:38].
§ λήμψεσθε - “receive” [2:38], future middle indicative, ‘to take hold of’; ‘to seize’; ‘to acquire’;
§ δωρεὰν - “gift” [2:38], from dídōmi, ‘to give’; a free gift with emphasis on its gratuitous character’;
§ ἁγίου πνεύματος - “Holy Ghost” [2:38],
Application
The meaning and consequences of Good Friday and Easter Sunday:
§ The reward received by Lord Jesus: “having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost…” [2:33];
§ The gift for the church: “he has shed forth this, which you now see and hear” [2:33].