During Covid we must Exalt the Saviour

Acts 2 22-36 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: 23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. 25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: 26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: 27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. 29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. 30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; 31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. 32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. 33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. 34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool. 36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

WE FEEL a deep sense of precariousness in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.

We realise how fragile and vulnerable we are to outbreaks of infectious diseases.

It is as if we are suddenly blindsided and brought to a standstill by the pestilence.

Unsure of what will happen next, we often take a deep breath to calm our racing pulses.

The prognosis is for more people to be affected by the virus in the coming days.

The steep economic downturn and concomitant loss of jobs and incomes, economic distress, and lowered quality of life due to the pandemic deepens the all-round gloom.

Whether Covid-19 poses an existential threat to the human race or not, it has certainly become a serious global health crisis. It is spreading rapidly, assuming alarming proportions and causing much psychological anxiety.\

None of us were prepared for this outbreak.

Some are led to ask why a good and loving God allows pandemics such as this in our world.

In times such as this, it is normal and natural to ask where God is.

I’m reminder how Jesus cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Some conclude that struggles such as these are evidence for the non-existence of God.

In this sermon of Peter used the Joel text about the “Lord” to lead into the main theme of his message, namely,

Jesus Christ. Christ is the “Lord” of the Joel text Who does the saving.

• In order to exhault the Salvior we mustThe validation of Christ.

ACts 22:2 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know

Peter begins the message about Christ by speaking of the validity of Christ.

First, approved by God.

“Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God” (Acts 2:22).

Christ was not approved by many men, but He was approved by God (Matthew 3:17).

God’s approval is all that really matters.

Second, authenticated by miracles.

“By miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him” (Acts 2:22).

Christ did many marvelous works to prove His validity.

The amount of works is emphasized by the fact that “miracles and wonders and signs” are all in the plural.

Third, attested by many. “In the midst of you” (Acts 2:22).

Christ did His mighty works before multitudes.

Evidence of His validity abounded and it was very public.

In order to exhault the Salvior we must The crucifixion of Christ.

Acts 22:3 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

After speaking of the life of Christ, Peter speaks of Christ’s death which involved crucifixion.

First, the character of the crucified. “Him” (Acts 2:23).

The Person approved of God and Who had shown by mighty works His identity was the One crucified.

Second, the control of the crucifixion. “

Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23).

Peter lets his audience know that the crucifixion was not a case where God lost control.

Third, the corruption of the crucifiers. “By wicked hands have crucified and slain” (Acts 2:23).

Peter did not hesitate to indict his audience.

Some think that because God was in control, man is not to blame.

But this text teaches differently. God was in control, but men were responsible for their deeds.

• The resurrection of Christ. Peter’s sermon spent considerable time on the all-important resurrection of Christ (Acts 2:25–32). He especially spoke of the testimony of three witnesses of the resurrection. First, the testimony of David. Peter establishes the credibility of David as a witness by reminding the audience that David was a “patriarch” (Acts 2:29), a “prophet” (Acts 2:30), and was present, in that “his sepulcher is with us unto this day”(Acts 2:29). Second, the testimony of the disciples. “We all are witnesses” (Acts 2:32). The “We all” refers primarily to the disciples. This testimony is important for the disciples at first did not believe in the resurrection. Third, the testimony of the demonstration. “Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear” (Acts 2:33). This resurrection testimony is the demonstration of the Holy Spirit which the crowd has just seen.

Butler, John G. 2009. Analytical Bible Expositor: Acts. Clinton, IA: LBC Publications.