Peter’s Sermon Part 2: Worship our Risen Lord!
Acts 2:24-36
Introduction:
This week some of us came together to
watch live streaming of a debate between Bill Nye the Science Guy, and Ken Ham
of Answers in Genesis. One thing that became clear to me by the time
the debate was over, is that it was ultimately not a debate over the question
of origins or even if one or the other had a more viable explanation of the
evidence of where we come from, but it was a clash of world views. Bill Nye
called himself “a reasonable man” several times in the debate, and it seems to
me he was saying that “reason” demands that we look at the clues we see in the
natural world around us, and explain them without allowing for the
supernatural. In other words, we need to
be able to explain how we got here, without reference to God. The problem with that world view is that we
are rejecting, a priori, the
possibility that God exists, and that we are part of His creation. That is a
real problem! Dutch theologian Herman Bavinck wrote a systematic theology which
is called in its English translation Our
Reasonable Faith. Our faith is “reasonable,” it is based on history, real space-time
events, centered on Jesus, and His death and resurrection.
The Apostle
Paul began Romans, “Paul,
a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of
God, 2 which he promised
beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was
descended from David according to the flesh
4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according
to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our
Lord, 5 through whom we
have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for
the sake of his name among all the nations…” (Romans 1:1-5). The subject of Peter’s message in Acts 2 relates the same truth that
Jesus Christ is Lord, and his message is “Good News” because Jesus conquered
death. That is why we are here today. The resurrection is not just something
that we sing about and celebrate once a year at Easter…
The Big
Idea: The fact of the resurrection of
Jesus is both the foundation of our hope and the basis of our faith.
Context: The pouring out of the Spirit signaled the
fulfillment of prophecy and the dawn of a new age, and as such was an
opportunity to preach Jesus Christ as Lord. The works He had done were
compelling evidence that His claims were true (v.22). He healed the sick, fed
the hungry, gave sight to the blind, and raised the dead. These miracles,
wonders, and signs demonstrated who He is. But the evidence did not stop there!
I. Peter explained
that the resurrection according to prophecy proved His claims to be true (24-32). After affirming Jesus’ death by the hands of
godless men and according to the plan of God, Peter says, “God
raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him
to be held by it.”
This is a summary statement that will be
explained and expounded upon in the following verses. First of all, he states what
happened, that is, God raised Him up (v.24). The contrast is stark: You
put him to death, but God raised Him up. The sinful action of the people
in rejecting Jesus is contrasted with the overwhelming grace demonstrated in
the cross and resurrection. The resurrection is the greatest sign, the ultimate
proof that Jesus is who He claimed to be. It was not possible for this story to
unfold differently. Death “did not have the power to hold Him.” One writer
suggested that death could not hold him because of God’s power, plan, and
promise. He is God, all powerful, omnipotent, so death could not hold
Him. The Scriptures, such as Psalm 16, had prophesied of His victory over
death, they revealed beforehand God’s plan which did not allow for death
to hold Him. And later we learn, for example from I Corinthians 15, more about
God’s promise: Jesus was raised from the dead as the firstfruits of the future
resurrection harvest. Because he rose from the grave, we can know that those
who are His will rise also. His victory over death is a sure promise of
ultimate victory for all who trust in Him. Death could not hold Him! That is
good news. When Paul defined the gospel that he preached in the opening verses
of I Corinthians 15, one aspect of it was that He “…rose again the third day according to the Scriptures…” (I Corinthians
15:4).
Peter elucidates the truth that God raised Him up in fulfillment of
Scripture (v.25-32).
First of all he expounds on the
prophetic necessity of the resurrection (25-31). “For David said concerning Him…” This is one reason
that it was impossible for death to hold Him: the Scripture predicted His
resurrection. After the disciples confession of faith in Jesus as Messiah we
read in Matthew 16:20-21 “Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the
Christ. 21 From that time
Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and
suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be
killed, and on the third day be raised” (see also Luke 9:22; 13:32;
18:33; 24:7,21,46; John 2:19-21). God had a plan. It included the cross, and
the substitutionary sacrifice of the Son. But the outcome was never in doubt,
it was impossible for death to hold Him. He would be raised again the third
day. The resurrection of Jesus as the “first fruits” of the harvest was a
certainty. He points to Psalm 16 to illustrate this truth. David couldn’t have
only been speaking about himself, he eventually died and was buried! His bones
were still in the grave. The tomb of Jesus is empty.
The historical reality of the empty tomb
(v.32). Peter said, “This
Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.” Remember
this was only 50 days after the resurrection, only ten days after the ascension
of Jesus into heaven. He had appeared to them for a period of forty days by many
“infallible proofs.” The emphasis here is on eyewitness testimony to the fact
of the resurrection. As we see Acts unfolding we’ll see rising persecution
against the church, starting in Jerusalem, continuing to the end of the book
where we find Paul in a Roman prison. The disciples are threatened, arrested,
beaten, a couple of them are put to death (Stephen in Acts 7, James in Acts
12). But they will not, they cannot, stop preaching the highly offensive
message that Jesus was alive, that He had defeated death.
A famous quote, dated 107
A.D., just a few years after the death of the last of the apostles, comes from
Ignatius of Antioch. In chains, being carried to Rome for execution he wrote
the following:
“If you
come across someone that says Jesus Christ never lived, or that He was just an
idea or a concept or a myth—shut your ears to him. Jesus Christ was born into a
human family, a descendant of David. His mother was Mary. He was persecuted and
crucified under Pontius Pilate, a fact testified to us by some who are now in
heaven, and some who are alive on earth. How can this be a phantom or an
illusion or a myth? These are facts of history!
It is also a fact that He rose from
the dead—or rather that the Father raised Him up. And that is the most
important fact of all, because His promise is that the Father will also raise
us up if we believe in Him. So if Christ is not alive neither shall we be.
There is nothing left for us to hope for if He is just an idea or a fantasy.
In any case, if He only appeared to rise from the
dead—why should I be in chains for this “myth”? Why should I die to support an
illusion? I am prepared to die for Him the true and real Son of God, but no one
is prepared to die for a shadow.”
Dr. David Seamands, a 20th
century missionary and pioneer in the area of Christian counselling, spoke of a
Muslim who became a Christian in Africa: “Some of his friends asked him, ‘Why
did you become a Christian?’ He answered, ‘Well, It’s like this. Suppose you
were going down the road and suddenly the road forked in two directions and you
didn’t know which way to go, and there at the fork in the road were two men,
one dead and one alive. Which one would you ask for directions?’” The
testimony of eyewitnesses confirms that Jesus rose from the dead, exactly as He
said He would do. The opponents of Christianity could have immediately
undercut the preaching of the early church if they could have simply pointed to
the tomb of Jesus and presented his decaying corpse. They would have done that if they could, but
the could not, because the tomb was empty!
By the way, the resurrection of Jesus is
called by Paul “the first fruits” of the future resurrection of believers. Paul
discusses this in detail in I Corinthians 15. As surely as Jesus defeated death
and rose again, those who are in Christ will be raised as well. “I
am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I
hold the keys of death and Hades” (Revelation 1:18). This is the message of
Easter. Easter in February! Well, for the believer in Jesus, we should
celebrate the truth of the resurrection every day. This is the reason for our hope. If the Lord
tarries, one day sooner or later, we’re all going to die. In that day we’ll
lose everything we have on this earth, but we’ll keep everything that matters
most because death cannot separate us from the love of Christ. No enemy remains
that he has not already conquered.
The fact of the resurrection of Jesus is both the foundation of our hope
and the basis of our faith.
II. What was
happening before them was evidence of His Exaltation: The pouring out of the
Spirit by the exalted Son (33-35). “Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God,
and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has
poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not
ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, "' The Lord said to my Lord,
Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool…'”
(Acts 2:33-35).
John
the Baptist had predicted that one who came after him would baptize in the Holy
Spirit and in fire (Lk 3:16). Jesus told
His disciples in the upper room, “Nevertheless,
I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not
go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you…”
(John 16:7). As we saw in Peter’s citation in this passage, what
was happening was a fulfillment of the words of the prophet Joel, evidence that
Jesus was exalted to the Father’s right hand, and that He had sent the
Comforter, the Holy Spirit, exactly as He had promised to do.
The
language quoted here by Peter is a citation of Psalm 110:1, “The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand, until I make your
enemies your footstool." The imagery
there reflects Psalm 2:6-9,
"As for me, I have set my King on
Zion, my holy hill." 7 I
will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, "You are my Son; today I
have begotten you. 8 Ask of
me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your
possession. 9 You shall break
them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel."
We see the enthronement of the Son, the Messiah, at the Father’s right hand. We
read earlier from Romans, “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an
apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,
2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the
holy Scriptures, 3 concerning
his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the
Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection
from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,
5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to
bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the
nations…” (Romans 1:1-5).
Notice especially verse 4, He “…was
declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by
his resurrection from the dead…” The resurrection vindicated His claim to
be Messiah and Son of God. It didn’t make Him Messiah and Lord. But it revealed
the truth and vindicated His claims. The fact of the resurrection of Jesus is
both the foundation of our hope and the basis of our faith.
III. He
explained why it happened: to lift up the name of Jesus as Messiah and
Lord and to call people to faith
(36). “Let all the house
of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and
Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."
“Therefore…” The facts that are established by the
evidence: Jesus is the Messiah, He is the Lord. It seems this conclusion
reflects back on all that Peter has been affirming: the Miracles, the
Resurrection, the Pouring out of Spirit, all of these things come together and
present an overwhelming and convincing case: Jesus is the promised one, the
Messiah, the Lord God incarnate. The
Scriptures are clear, the Father’s plan was laid out, and Jesus fulfilled those
prophecies to the letter. The Messiah had to be raised, Jesus was raised,
therefore Jesus is Savior, Messiah, and Lord.
Implicit invitation: Repent and believe! The Greek language has a third person
imperative form which we see here: “Let
all the house of Israel know…”
Since Peter was speaking to the Jewish people present at the feast he
could have simply said, “[You guys] Believe in Him!” But he put it in more
formal language, “Let all the house of Israel know…” Then he goes even further with the adverb, seemingly
for emphasis he puts it as the very first word in the original, “Let all know… assuredly [or, “for certain].” Not only knowing the facts, but being assured,
certain, convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt. That
is Peter’s point: three strands of evidence leave no doubt, 1) the signs He
did, 2) the resurrection according to promise, and 3) the pouring out of the
Spirit as He said He would do, three compelling proofs that Jesus is Messiah
and Lord.
The evidence is clear and compelling, and the evidence
demands a verdict. Not a verdict with respect to Jesus, because He isn’t on
trial. He’s the judge! But rather a verdict with respect to the nation first of
all, and all of humanity ultimately: what will you do with Jesus?
Jesus had earlier said “My sheep
hear my voice and I know them and they follow me…” (John 10:27). Hearing
[with faith] and following, our response to Jesus, reveal something about the
hearers. The facts about Jesus have been clearly revealed by the Father.
·
First of all, He
is “Christ” i.e., “Messiah.” The fulfillment of Scripture proves His claims to
be true. The promised one, the long awaited deliverer anticipated in the
Scriptures had burst onto the stage of human history.
·
He is Messiah and
“Lord.” Not just “Boss,” but King Yahweh, Adonai Elohenu, the Great I AM.
One of the striking things we see in the New Testament is that
Scriptures that referred to Yahweh in the Hebrew text have routinely been
“translated” by the Greek word kurios,
“Lord,” in the Septuagint. When the New Testament writers use these verses they
have no problem in applying them to Jesus. He is GOD incarnate.
The
case has been clearly presented that Jesus is Lord, God incarnate, the Great I
AM, worthy of our worship, adoration, and obedience. It means I am not
autonomous, He is creator and redeemer. He makes the rules. He deserves our
worship, our adoration, our obedience.
What is God
saying to me in this passage?
The fact of the resurrection of Jesus is both the foundation of our hope and
the basis of our faith.
What would God have me to do in
response to this passage? If you
watched the debate between Ken Ham and Bill Nye you saw an enlightening illustration
of how two humans can interpret the same clues we see in the world around us
very differently, depending on where they start and the presuppositions they
hold. For the believer it is overwhelmingly true that “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows the work
of His hand…” (Ps 19). For the unbeliever who rejects God’s revelation, the
evidence before them is so clear that they are left without excuse (Rom
2). The song writer said, “Because He
lives, I can face tomorrow, because He lives, all fear is gone.” Can you sing
those words as your own? The resurrection leaves no doubt, He is the promised One
who was anticipated in the Scriptures, the Messiah. He is also “Lord,” which
means he deserves our worship and our obedience. All hail King Jesus, all hail Emmanuel. King of Kings, Lord of Lords.
Our
purpose at Boothbay Baptist Church is to know God and to make Him known. Our vision
statement says: We envision a community of
Christ followers rooted in the Word, treasuring God as supremely valuable, and
proclaiming the riches of His grace to the world. Is that your vision this
morning?
Is
He what you treasure above all? Are you ready to give a reason for the hope
that is in you? Think about that, AMEN.
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