Three Points about the Work of Jesus (Acts 2:22-36)

[Stephan Choe]

January 14th. 2023

Key verse 36:           "Let all the house of Israel know for sure that God made this Jesus, whom you crucified, Lord and Christ."

At Pentecost, the first disciples of Jesus received the Holy Spirit. This Holy Spirit worked in them two things:

First, the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and rejoiced greatly in the risen Lord Jesus.Second, in the power of the Holy Spirit, they led people to faith.

These are two important works of the Holy Spirit.

Thanks to the power of the Holy Spirit, the first Christians were able to spread the gospel throughout the world.

In this text, Peter tells us three things about Jesus Christ.

I will explain these three points:

The first point is: Jesus died for our sins on the cross (verses 22-23)

Peter says in verse 22:

"Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, identified by God among you by works and wonders and signs, which God has done through him in your midst, as you yourselves know."

Jesus did great things during his earthly ministry. For example, he fed 5,000 people with just five loaves and two fish. Or: He raised a dead man named Lazarus to life.

Why did Jesus do such miracles?

He did it, of course, because he felt sorry for the hungry or for the dying people.

Above all, he did it so that people would believe in him as the Son of God and through faith have eternal life (John 6:47).

That is why he made himself known again and again as God's son and Christ. He did this out of love for all people.

After giving bread to 5000 people, Jesus did not satisfy their hunger for bread at the next meeting. Rather, he encouraged them to repent and believe in him.

But they would neither repent nor believe in him. Rather, they changed their attitude towards Jesus and criticized him as a false Christ.

They later handed him over to the Romans with the false charges.

So he had to be crucified and die.

That's why Peter says to the crowd in verse 23:

"This man, who was given up by the counsel and providence of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of the Gentiles."

John the Baptist introduced the main work of Jesus to the crowd like this:

“Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sins of men” (John 1:29).

Also, the prophet Isaiah had already about 700 BC. the coming of Christ proclaimed:

“Surely he bore our sickness and took upon himself our pains. But we thought him to be afflicted and smitten and martyred by God. But he was wounded for our iniquities and bruised for our sins. The chastisement is upon him that we may have peace, and by his wounds are healed” (Isaiah 53:4-5).

As the prophet Isaiah prophesied, people killed Jesus. That means: Our sin is directly or indirectly responsible for the death of Christ.

But Jesus died in our place for our sins so that we could have our sins forgiven.

We are responsible for the death of Jesus Christ. The merciful God made Jesus' death a sacrificial death for all people who recognize their sins and believe in his sacrificial death. God redeemed us from all guilt and punishment through the sacrificial death of Jesus!

So: Our sin killed Jesus, but God threw all our guilt on Jesus and forgave us our sins.

What a great grace of God for us!

This is unbelievable, but true.

The second point of Peter's sermon is: God raised Jesus Christ (24-32)

Let's look at verse 24:

"God raised him up and took away the pangs of death, for it was impossible for death to hold him."

Peter is now preaching about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

If Jesus had only been a sinful man, he could not be resurrected and his body would have to rot in the grave.

But he is without sin, and he is God's son.

Therefore God did not let him rot in the grave, but dissolved him from the pangs of death and raised him up.

For it was impossible for the Son of God to be held by death.

Jesus is God's son.

Therefore death cannot rule over him. Rather, Jesus triumphed over death and rose from the dead.

That is why Jesus said in John 14:6:

“I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me.”

Jesus is the resurrection and the life. He can give resurrection and eternal life to all who repent and believe in Him.

Jesus says to you, to me and to my sleeping wife:

"I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live when he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (John 11:25,26).

Peter in verses 25-28 quotes the words of David who prophesied the resurrection of Christ in Psalm 16:8-11:

"For David says of him: 'I always have the Lord before my eyes, for he is at my right hand, that I should not falter. Therefore, my heart rejoices, and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope. For you will not leave me to die, nor will you allow your saint to see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life; you will fill me with joy before your face."

Peter then tells the assembled people:

“Dear brothers, let me speak boldly to you about the patriarch David. He died and was buried, and his grave is with us to this day. Now being a prophet, knowing that God had promised him with an oath that a descendant of his should sit on his throne, he foresaw it and said of the resurrection of Christ: 'He is not left to die, and his body has not seen the decay. God raised this Jesus; of which we are all witnesses.<<“

Peter clearly states that by raising Jesus from the dead, God fulfilled David's prophecy. David eagerly awaited the resurrection of Christ. The promise of Jesus' resurrection gave David a living hope of his own resurrection. And the faithful God did not leave Jesus to die, but raised him from the dead.

Peter and other disciples are witnesses of this resurrection.

Jesus' resurrection gives us a living hope of our resurrection.

The third point of Peter's sermon is: God made Jesus Lord and Christ and gives forgiveness of sins and eternal life to all who believe in him (33-36)

What happened to the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ?

Peter says to the people:

"Being exalted by the right hand of God and having received this Holy Spirit from the Father, he poured it out, as you see and hear here" (33).

God raised Jesus from the dead and exalted him to the right hand of God. Jesus became ruler over all living and dead.

He received the Holy Spirit from the Father and gave the Holy Spirit to all people who believe in him.

That is why Peter says,

“For David was not ascended into heaven; but he says himself: >>The Lord said to my Lord: Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thy enemies thy footstool<<” (34-35).

Peter explains to everyone that God raised Jesus from the dead, whom they had killed, and placed him at his right hand.Also, everyone should know that God sent the promised Holy Spirit to those who believe in Jesus.

Peter then said to the people:

"Let all Israel therefore know for sure that God made this Jesus, whom you crucified, Lord and Christ" (36).

We condemned Jesus Christ to death by our sin.

But God raised him from the dead and made him Lord and Christ.

All who believe in him as our Lord and Christ will receive forgiveness of sins and the Holy Spirit and be saved.

That is why everyone who does not yet believe in Jesus Christ should do repent for their sin and believe that Jesus Christ died for their sin and then rose from the dead and ascended to heaven.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ and his ascension are the acts of God for our salvation. Praise God for the revival of Christ and his ascension!