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INTRODUCTION

Ever since God's covenant with Abraham in which He promised to bless all nations through Abraham's seed (Genesis 12:1 & 7 Galatians 3:16), the Jewish people have longed for Messianic times. They believe that when the Messiah comes all wrongs will be made right and He will lead them to victory over their enemies and free them from the bondage of foreign occupation.

With this context in mind Peter's announcement that the last days, which was clearly a name for the Messianic age had already begun (vs. 16-21) was shocking to the everyday Jew. But this claim by Peter is how Peter introduces his sermon on the Day of Pentecost and the sermon theme is clearly centred upon Christ (Messiah), their Messiah had indeed come and his name is Jesus of Nazareth.

It is difficult for us in our modern world to understand just how disturbing Peter's claim was to the Jews. The Messiah was the central figure in Jewish thinking, so for Peter to proclaim boldly that Jesus is the Messiah would have both shocked and outraged his hearers. After all about six weeks previous they had crucified Jesus for claiming to be the Messiah. Now his followers were making the same claim and to the Jewish mindset there could be no greater expression of blasphemy. So for Peter in this sermon to proclaim that Jesus is Israel's Messiah was to raise the most dynamic powerful forceful issue possible.

But in doing so Peter shows a boldness and courage that he had lacked on previous occasions. Just further evidence of the powerful influence the Spirit has on the life of a Spirit filled believer.

Peter knew that his listeners would not accept his claims unless they are provided with compelling evidence so Peter seeks in this sermon to provide such evidence. Now having explained the miracle of Pentecost in his introduction he now launches into his message, which is Jesus of Nazareth is the divine Messiah.

Peter establishes Jesus' credentials by demonstrating how his life, death, resurrection and exaltation prove that He is the Messiah. So let us look at each one of these areas that Peter covers.

1. THE LIFE OF JESUS THE MESSIAH (v 22)

As Peter did at the beginning of his sermon he once again challenges his hearers to listen to him. Peter wants them to understand that in spite of their rejection of Jesus as the Messiah the salvation that he offers is still available to them. This Jesus did miracles among them, which they witnessed and yet in spite of their rejection this gospel of salvation is still being offered to them.

Peter calls Jesus, Jesus of Nazareth, which was the name in which he was commonly known during his earthly ministry. That name identified him with his hometown of Nazareth and that name reminds Peter's audience that Jesus the Son of God left heaven and entered our world to live in a humble village like Nazareth.

Peter further describes Jesus as a man accredited by God. The word "accredited" has various shades of meaning; it is used in 1 Corinthians 4:9 to speak of displaying something. In Acts 25:7 it conveys the idea of proof. All those meanings are applicable to Jesus, he was displayed as God in human flesh and that display took the form of miracles, wonders and signs, which was convincing proof that Jesus is God in human flesh. Now notice what Peter is saying. These miracles performed by Jesus provide overwhelming evidence that Jesus is who he claims to be, From the miracle of his virgin birth to the miracle of his resurrection and all the miracles in between proclaim to us loud and clear that Jesus is God. He is the one sent by God to be his Messiah and Saviour.

Nicodemus clearly understood the importance and significance of Jesus' miracles (John 3:2). It should not surprise us that the God who supernaturally created our universe should choose from time to time to supernaturally intervene in it through the performance of miracles. Yet it is the claim of miracles that many in our own time and culture object to in biblical Christianity.

It is for this reason that the miracles have been attacked down through the history of the church. Critics of Christianity know that if the miracles can be proven to be fake then Jesus must have been a fake as well. Remove the miracles from Christianity and in truth there is nothing left. These miracles are wonders and signs. The word for "wonders" describes the amazement that takes place in the mind of the one who witnesses the miracle. The word "signs" tells us the purpose of Jesus miracles; they were signs pointing us to spiritual truth.

It is interesting to note that throughout the book of Acts, wonders and signs always appear together telling us that mere amazement at the miracles of Jesus has no value unless that amazement leads us to place our trust in the God who is performing these miracles. Therefore the purpose of Jesus' miracles was to manifest God's power in order to get people's attention and point them to spiritual truth.

Notice that Jesus did not do his miracles on his own but God performed them through him. In order words the miracles show both his deity and his Father's approval of Him. Peter is driving home the point here that Jesus is the Messiah he is no impostor but that God is working through Him, empowering him in order to proclaim through his miracles that he is the Son of God and he is the promise Messiah who has now come.

Peter continues to remind his audience that they could not claim to be ignorant concerning the miracles, for God did them in their midst (among you), and they knew that to be true (as you yourselves know), so their rejection of Jesus was not based on lack of information but on hatred of Christ and love for sin. They could not deny his miracles but they would not submit to him, or accept him as their Messiah (John 15:24-25). The evidence from Jesus life and works that he was the Messiah was conclusive and undeniable. Yet because people love sin more than anything else they continue to reject Jesus Christ. Is that you?

2. THE DEATH OF JESUS THE MESSIAH (v 23)

Peter use of the term "this man" brings out the stark contrast between his hearers' evaluation of Jesus and God's. The very One whom God honoured as Messiah they had rejected and crucified. Peter is answering an objection that could have been raised by his listeners. If Jesus is the Messiah why was he a victim? Why did he not use his power to avoid the cross?

Peter's response to this unspoken objection was that Jesus was no victim but that he was "handed over" by the "set purpose" and "foreknowledge" of God. The word translated "handed over" appears only here in the New Testament. It describes those who surrendered to their enemies or were betrayed. Therefore God gave his Son to be the Saviour of sinners and that entailed Him handing Jesus over to his enemies. By the set purposes and design of God Jesus was betrayed by Judas into the hands of Jewish leaders who handed him over to the Romans for execution. The word "set purpose" means "to mark out with a boundary" or "to determine." Jesus was marked out to be executed by his enemies because it was God's plan to do so in order to save sinners.

This plan was God's intention from eternity. It was not as if God knew what was going to happen and was resigned to that fact as the word foreknowledge might lead us to believe. The word "foreknowledge" means much more than knowing before hand but it involves being "fore loved" and being "fore ordained."

Any idea that God saw in advance that Jesus would be rejected and crucified and then worked out his eternal plan is an implicit denial that God is sovereign and omniscient and such a view must be rejected. Peter's point is that Jesus was handed over to death by God's eternal plan, therefore his death did not contradict his claim to be God in human flesh or his claim to be the Messiah.

He did not avoid the cross because it was God's set purpose that Jesus should die on behalf of sinners. However the fact that Jesus was handed over to death by God's set purposes does not release those who put Jesus to death of their guilt. Peter goes on to accuse them because they nailed Jesus to a cross and put him to death. They were the instigators of Jesus execution, which with the help of wicked men (the Romans) Jesus was put to death.

God used evil men to accomplish his purpose yet he never violated their will or removed their responsibility by doing so. Peter presents to us the wonder of the sovereignty of God alongside the responsibility of man. That apparent paradoxical truth is affirmed throughout the bible and is perfectly illustrated for us in Luke 22:22.

People are responsible not for God's plans and set purposes but for their own actions and their own sins. The heinous sin of rejecting Jesus Christ was the blackest moment in Israel's history. The betrayal was part of God's plan of redemption for sinners.

We are told in the Old Testament that God's promised one (Messiah) would have to die (Psalm 22 & Isaiah 53) according to God's set purposes therefore Jesus death did not deny that he was the Messiah but it was clear evidence that he was that Messiah. The problem was the people rejected Him because He was not the Messiah they wanted or expected. What about you are you going to continue to reject him because he is not the Saviour you want or expect? He will save you from your sin and not your problems. He will take you to heaven and not prosperity he will make you right with God but not necessarily your family.

You see if you want Jesus as your Saviour because of how He might improve your life here on earth then you are rejecting the real Saviour. Jesus wants to save you from sin and hell that is why he died. Will you trust him as Saviour and receive his forgiveness and salvation?

3. THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS THE MESSIAH (vs. 24-32)

Now Peter says a lot more about Jesus resurrection than he does about his death. As we have already noted the resurrection of Jesus Christ was not only the central theme of Apostolic preaching but also without question the climax of the redemptive story. The resurrection proves beyond doubt that Jesus is God in human flesh and that He is the promised Messiah.

Jesus resurrection is also a guarantee of our own resurrection and it is the crowning proof that God accepted the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on our behalf (Romans 4:25).

Now notice how Peter presents the resurrection he says that although the Jews rejected and crucified their Messiah, God raised him from the dead (v 24). Peter is forcefully driving home his point, they were guilty of opposing God even though they denied it, but God raised to life the one they opposed and killed. By raising Jesus from the dead, God was freeing him from the agony of death.

The word translated "agony" literally means "birth pangs" so just like a woman in labour whose pain will not last forever so the pain of death for Jesus was temporary and resulted in something glorious, the resurrection. Jesus was raised to life because it was impossible for him to be held by death.

Death the great enemy of mankind was powerless to hold Jesus because He being God was more powerful than death and the devil. Death was powerless because Jesus predicted and promised that He would rise from the dead (John 2:18-22 & Luke 24:46) because he is the conqueror of death. Death could not hold Jesus because it was God's purpose that his people should be with Jesus for all eternity. Therefore Jesus had to defeat death so that all who are united to Christ through faith would not be defeated by it. Because Jesus lives, His people live forever.

But there is another reason given here for Jesus resurrection. Death could not keep a hold of Jesus because the Scripture had to be fulfilled (vs. 25-28). Peter quotes from Psalm 16:8-11 and although it was written by David it is clearly a Messianic passage. It describes the Messiah's confident trust in God as he looked to the cross and verse 25 is the key to that trust. Jesus kept his focus on God no matter what trials came his way.

He knew that because God was at his right hand he would not be shaken. The right hand is a symbol of protection and because of the Messiah's confidence in God's protection he was able to be glad and rejoice (v 26). Even the prospect of death could not dampen Christ's joy as the writer to the Hebrews puts it in Hebrews 12:2.

Jesus was able to rejoice because he knew that he would not be abandoned to the grave, his body would not be left to decay (v 27), and it would be resurrected. But this is not true of David who wrote that Psalm. He died and was buried (v 29) in fact his tomb provided them with evidence that he was not talking about himself in that Psalm. But David as a prophet knew that God would seat one of his descendants upon his throne (v 30) because David knew God promised that in 2 Samuel 7:11-16. So David looks ahead knowing what God has promised and sees the resurrection of the Christ (Messiah), which he speaks about in this Psalm. Do you understand what Luke is doing here?

He is taking a well-known Psalm and is saying that even in the Old Testament David could see the resurrection of the Messiah. Therefore and here is Peter's conclusion (v 32) God has raised Jesus from the dead and we are witnesses of that fact. That is why death could not keep hold of Jesus that is why the resurrection is clear and conclusive proof that Jesus is the Messiah.

That is why none of us have any excuse for our failure to repent of our sins and turn to this Saviour. His resurrection proves that his death is sufficient to pay for our sins and is acceptable to God. There is no other way to be forgiven or justified before God. Jesus has done all that needs to be done therefore turn to him and be saved.

4. THE EXALTATION OF THE MESSIAH (vs. 33-36)

Now not only did Jesus rise from the dead but also he was also exalted to the right hand of God the place of honour and glory. Having been exalted Jesus has now poured out His Spirit, which is what they have all witnessed on this day of Pentecost. David then affirms his argument by quoting from Psalm 110 to show that this exalted Jesus is indeed the promised Messiah (v 34).

For that Psalm could not be referring to David as many of the Jews believed since it was not David that was seen ascending into heaven. Yet David says (quote v 34). Placing one's enemies under one's feet was a figure of speech denoting their abject submission. David was not exalted to God's right hand but Jesus was and the proof of that truth was the outpouring of the Spirit that the crowd had just witnessed on this Day of Pentecost.

Therefore in conclusion Peter has provided overwhelming evidence from Jesus' life death, resurrection and exaltation that He is indeed the long awaited Messiah. Peter now concludes his sermon with a powerful application (v 36). The word translated "assured" speaks of that which is known without a doubt, that which is certain.

This same Jesus whom God displayed as the Messiah through his life, death resurrection and ascension was the very same Jesus that they had crucified. The verdict was clear, the Jewish people were on the wrong side, and they were guilty of opposing God and rejecting their Messiah. Now they must respond by repenting (v 38). But we will come to that next time. But how are we going to respond today? Which side are we on? Do we need to repent and be baptised?

Are you opposing this Jesus and refusing to believe in spite of all the clear evidence that has been presented to you? If so then you need the Holy Spirit to convict, convince and convert you. I can't do it and no other Christian or church can do it but the Holy Spirit can. He did it with 3000 people on the day of Pentecost.

Therefore Christian let us pray that the Spirit who convinced these 3000 on the Day of Pentecost will continue to convince men and women and boys and girls within our own locality of the truth of Jesus life, death, resurrection and exaltation. Let us pray that we will see many in the Yorkshire Dales coming to repent and believe for the forgiveness of their sins.

Amen