He is Risen

The Summary (v. 22-24)

Attested by God through: (Attest: to bear witness to; certify; declare to be correct, true, or genuine)

Miracles - a term that describes the powerful, supernatural character

Miracles of Healing • Lepers cleansed: Matthew 8:1–4; Mark 1:41–45; Luke 5:12–14; 17:11–19 • Blind receive sight: Matthew 9:27–31; Mark 8:22–26; 10:46–52 Luke 18:35–43; John 9:1–38 • People are healed from a distance: Matthew 8:5–13; Luke 7:2–10; John 4:46–54 • Peter’s mother-in-law healed: Mark 1:29–31 • Paralyzed man healed: Matthew 9:1–8; Mark 2:1–12; Luke 5:17–26 • People touching Jesus’ clothing are healed: Matthew 9:20–23; 14:35–36; Mark 5:25–34; 6:53–56; Luke 8:43–48 • Various healings on the Sabbath: Mark 3:1–6; Luke 6:6–10; 13:10–17; 14:1–6; John 5:1–18 • Deaf and mute man healed: Mark 7:31–37 • Cut-off ear is repaired: Luke 22:47–53 • Demons cast out (and specific physical ailments accompanying the demons healed): Matthew 9:32–33; 17:14–18; Mark 9:14–29; Luke 9:37–42 • Demons cast out (no specific physical ailments mentioned): Matthew 8:28–34; 15:21–28; Mark 1:23–27; 5:1–20; 7:24–30; Luke 4:31–37; 8:26–39 • Multitudes healed: Matthew 9:35; 15:29–31; Mark 1:32–34; 3:9–12; Luke 6:17–19 • The dead raised to life: Matthew 9:18–26; Mark 5:21–43; Luke 8:40–56; John 11:1–45 Other Miracles • Multitudes fed (food multiplies): Matthew 14:13–21; 15:32–39; Mark 6:33–44; 8:1–10; Luke 9:12–17; John 6:1–14 • Walks on water: Matthew 14:22–33 (Peter too); Mark 6:45–52; John 6:15–21 • Calms a storm: Matthew 8:22–25; Mark 4:35–41; Luke 8:22–25 • Fills nets with fish: Luke 5:1–11; John 21:1–14 • Peter catches fish with money in its mouth (for the temple tax): Matthew 17:24–27 • Turns water to wine: John 2:1–11 • Cursed tree withers: Matthew 21:18–22; Mark 11:12–25

Wonders - describes the marveling that takes place in the mind of the one who witnesses a miracle

Signs (which God did through Him) - gives the intent of God’s miraculous works: to point to spiritual truth

Sometimes the people saw the miracle but they didn’t understand the sign. The feeding of the 5,000 is just one example. John 6 begins by saying that people were following Jesus because they saw the signs. One would think this is a good thing. Jesus goes on to feed the multitude, over 5,000 men plus women and children, with just five loaves and two fish. Then, He slipped away in the night. The next morning, the people went looking for Him. Jesus, however, is not impressed and confronts their selfish motives for seeking Him: “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill” (John 6:26). There is some irony here. They were seeking Jesus because they had a free meal as the result of a miracle. No doubt they thought that this was a pretty good arrangement. If Jesus would continue to feed them, all would be well. Jesus, however, says that they did not truly see the “sign.” They saw the miracle, yet they could not see past the loaves and fish. The “sign” Jesus performed signifies something greater. Although the multitudes saw and partook of the miracle, they missed the sign that was to point them to Jesus, the Bread of Life. Throughout the ministry of Jesus, many people saw His miracles as ends in themselves rather than pointing to something greater.

Did Jesus do these miracles or did God do them through Him?

Both- The Father, Son and Spirit are so in tune with each other that in a sense it is impossible to separate the actions of one from the others. John 14:10 “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.”

Practically speaking we do separate them as we must. We do not say that the Father died on the cross, but to totally separate Him from that event would not be correct either.

In your midst (you are eyewiteness of these things)

Delivered by God:

According to the determined purpose and knowledge of God

The point of this verse is clear: the Crucifixion was no accident. It was in God’s set purpose (boulē, “plan”) and was God’s determined will, not merely His inclination. It was a divine necessity.

Thus no human action could prevent it or cause it.

Lawless hands

Many translations use the term godless here and rightly so for to the Jew to be without the Law was to be a godless person.

Peter’s declaration articulates a major paradox of the Christian life: Jesus’s death occurred as a result of the plan and foreknowledge of God, but it was the free (and sinful) acts of human beings that executed that plan. The Bible often affirms the reality of both divine sovereignty and genuine human choice without explaining how the two can possibly work together without conflict.

Crucifixition

Death

Raised by God

The resurrection is the pinicle of redeemptive history.

The people of Israel rejected and crucified their Messiah, but God raised Him up.

They are guilty of opposing God’s plan.

Peter’s main point is Christ’s power over death

John 11:25 “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.”

Hebrews 2:14 “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,”

Thus because of God’s plan and power it was impossible for Jesus to stay dead.

The Prophecy

Purpose

To futher prove that it was always God’s plan for Jesus to die and rise again He quotes a Psalm of David.

Psalm 16:8-11

Presence of God- “I foresaw the Lord always before my face, For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken.”

Even though Psalm 16 was written by David its perspective is from the Messiah in the first person.

It describes Jesus’ trust in the Father even as the cross loomed before Him.

No matter what Satan or this world did God was always with Him.

Promise of God - “Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope.”

Because of the presence of God Jesus could rejoice in the promise of God.

What promise? A hope that His “flesh will rest” in.

His flesh meaning His physical body.

It expresses Messiah’s certainty that He could die and be buried but still have the confident hope that it would be raised to life again.

The promise that He would rise from the grave.

Christ was confident in God’s promise - “For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.”

Hades is the N.T. equivalent to the O.T. word “sheol”. It can sometimes refer to hell, but it also frequently refers to simply the grave or the realm of the dead generally. Thus this does not really prove as some have asserted that the spirit of Jesus went to hell during the time between His death and resurrection. The KJV uses the word hell which is an unfortunate translation.

Jesus said to the thief beside Him, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43); He did not say, “I will see you in hell.” Jesus’ body was in the tomb; His soul/spirit went to be with the blessed in sheol/hades. Unfortunately, in many versions of the Bible, translators are not consistent, or correct, in how they translate the Hebrew and Greek words for “sheol,” “hades,” and “hell.” Some have the viewpoint that Jesus went to “hell” or the suffering side of sheol/hades in order to further be punished for our sins. This idea is completely unbiblical. It was the death of Jesus on the cross that sufficiently provided for our redemption. It was His shed blood that effected our own cleansing from sin (1 John 1:7–9). As He hung there on the cross, He took the sin burden of the whole human race upon Himself. He became sin for us: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). This imputation of sin helps us understand Christ’s struggle in the garden of Gethsemane with the cup of sin which would be poured out upon Him on the cross. As Jesus neared death, He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). His suffering in our place was completed. I believe that the spirit of Jesus went to the same place that the souls of all departed saints go. I believe that He went to be in the presence of His Father.

Secondly, we can see Christ’s confidence that his body would not be in the grave for an extended period of time. God would not allow His body to see corruption.

Christ rejoiced in God’s promise - “You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.”

Jesus who is the resurrection and the life clearly knew the path back to life through the Father and the Spirit.

Christ rejoiced in the resurrection and He rejoiced in the presence of the Father.

The Commentary

David is Dead (v. 29)

Thus these verses that David himself wrote could not refer to himself.

Part of Peter’s point is that David knew that.

Jesus is Alive (v. 30-35)

David was a prophet that knew that God would raise up his descendant to sit on his throne.

He knew that this descendant would be the Christ.

It is Christ not David who will see the ultimate victory, whose enemies will be made His footstool.

Crowds were Convicted (v. 36-39)

Peter made it personal. This Jesus that you crucified is the Messiah.

Were the people that Peter was preaching to literally the ones who crucified Jesus? No, not really. Many of them may have been in the crowds (see v. 22, 23) but we do not even know that for sure. Who is responsible for Christ’s death?

First, there is no doubt the religious leaders of Israel were responsible for Jesus’ death.

The Romans were the ones who actually crucified Him.

The people of Israel were also complicit in the death of Jesus. They were the ones who shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” as He stood on trial before Pilate (Luke 23:21). They also cried for the thief Barabbas to be released instead of Jesus (Matthew 27:21).

God allowed Christ to be crucified. Does He bear any responsibility? (Reread v. 23)

Do we bear any responsibility? Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Whose wage or debt was Christ paying on the cross?

The good news is that while we are guilty our sins are paid for by a risen Savior. Therefore anyone who repents finds forgivness in Jesus Christ .