A Study of Acts: Peter Sermonizes About Jesus
Acts 2:22-24 - The crowd hears of their complicity in the death of Jesus and of His Resurrection - the church is born on this day!
““Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.”
Acts 2:22-24 NASB1995
Peter’s recitation of verses from the second chapter of Joel was merely an introduction to the main topic of his sermon. He knew the audience would recognize the prophecy in Joel and the need to call on the name of the Lord to be saved. Now Peter boldly asks them to listen to his words. He knew that they would know about Jesus from seeing Him personally or hearing about the things that He did or even cheering on His crucifixion or watching it happen. By calling Him Jesus the Nazarene, Peter is rebuking them for how He was mocked and derided for being from a provincial Galilean town. The Messiah from prophecy would certainly not come from Nazareth, would He?
Peter goes on to say that Jesus was a man attested to them by God with miracles and wonders and signs that were performed . Let’s do a word study: “Attested” is from the Greek verb ἀποδείκνυμι or apodeíknymi, with the following Biblical usages; Strong’s G584 is used four times in the New Testament:
to point away from one's self, to point out, show forth, to expose to view, exhibit
to declare, to show, to prove what kind of person anyone is, to prove by arguments, demonstrate
God’s power was demonstrated or shown through His Son, as Peter’s audience should know. Peter is doing a marvelous job of introducing Christian apologetics in this sermon. He uses a scriptural prophecy, then objective evidence to reason with the crowd and he is just getting started. Here is what Gotquestions.org has to say about Christian apologetics:
The English word “apology” comes from a Greek word which basically means “to give a defense.” Christian apologetics, then, is the science of giving a defense of the Christian faith. There are many skeptics who doubt the existence of God and/or attack belief in the God of the Bible. There are many critics who attack the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible. There are many false teachers who promote false doctrines and deny the key truths of the Christian faith. The mission of Christian apologetics is to combat these movements and instead promote the Christian God and Christian truth.
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There are two primary methods of Christian apologetics. The first, commonly known as classical apologetics, involves sharing proofs and evidences that the Christian message is true. The second, commonly known as “presuppositional” apologetics, involves confronting the presuppositions (preconceived ideas, assumptions) behind anti-Christian positions. Proponents of the two methods of Christian apologetics often debate each other as to which method is most effective. It would seem to be far more productive to be using both methods, depending on the person and situation.
Christian apologetics is simply presenting a reasonable defense of the Christian faith and truth to those who disagree. Christian apologetics is a necessary aspect of the Christian life. We are all commanded to be ready and equipped to proclaim the gospel and defend our faith (Matthew 28:18-20; 1 Peter 3:15). That is the essence of Christian apologetics.
British scholar and writer C.S. Lewis was one of the most well-known Christian classical apologists who was not an ordained preacher. He was an atheist who was persuaded through arguments for the reality of Christ by friends that included author J.R.R. Tolkien (a devout Catholic). Lewis’s seminal work “Mere Christianity” is one that should be read even by the most mature and devout believer, because it lays out the case for Christ in a very logical and rationale way that can be used when the opportunity arises for defending the faith.
Peter probably shocks his audience with his next words, by saying that this Man (capitalized in the NASB1995 translation) was delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, for them (“you”) to nail to a cross by the hands of Godless men to be put to death. What I find fascinating about this direct confrontation and accusation is that the audience does not react with the violence we have become accustomed to; there are no attempts at stoning Peter or rushing towards him with a weapon or shouting at him. The Holy Spirit created strength in Peter and at the same time induces a listening calm in the audience (I have found no commentary that supports that theory but it seems likely). Those who condemned Him or were uncertain are now willing to receive the testimonies.
Since the fall of man (and eternally before then, believing that God is eternal and omniscient) our redemption was predetermined and planned through the death and Resurrection of Jesus. This does not, by the way, justify Calvinist beliefs that some sinners have been pre-elected for salvation by God through limited atonement (I’m not going down this bunny trail right now - I have had some intriguing thoughts about Reformed beliefs through personal experiences and I do use a lot of reformed commentators in my devotionals). This foreordination also does not relief humans from their responsibility for the action and their free will (another mystery of God). I like what John MacArthur (yes, a Reformed believer) says about this contradictory state of affairs between those who acted and the predetermined plan of God (from Precept Austin):
God used evil men to accomplish His purpose, yet never violated their will or removed their culpability by doing so. Peter thus presents the total sovereignty of God alongside the complete responsibility of man. That apparently paradoxical truth is affirmed throughout Scripture and is illustrated in Luke 22:22. Speaking of His betrayer there, our Lord said, "The Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man through whom He is betrayed!" Men are responsible not for God's plans but for their own sins. The heinous sin of rejecting Jesus Christ was the blackest moment in Israel's history. Far from casting doubt on His messianic credentials, however, that betrayal was part of God's eternal plan. And though Peter does not develop the thought here, the Old Testament clearly teaches that Messiah had to die (cf. Ps. 22; Isa. 53). The death of Jesus Christ, no less than His life, confirmed that He was the Messiah. (MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Acts).
Peter now tells the crowd the utterly amazing truth of Jesus - God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it is impossible for Him to be held in its power. Peter certainly has their attention now! The Resurrection is the cornerstone of our faith. It is the universe-shattering truth that is fought against relentlessly by the enemy by whispering in your ear: “Do you really believe that Jesus rose from the dead? What does science say about such an impossibility? Use your head - death is the end.”
Well, that whispering (more like shouting) came into my ears for many years. I justified my stubborn stupidity by reading many materials from atheists and secular humanists to prop up my reasoning. I felt so proud that I had thrown off the shackles of that old-time superstitious religion. The noise of evil can indeed overpower the quiet voice of God, but God….is persistent! I like this commentary from John MacArthur (again found on Precept Austin):
Now the resurrection of Jesus Christ as well known to all of us is the cornerstone of Christianity. It is mentioned at least 104 times in the New Testament. It is, without question, the most profound and prominent point in biblical history and in all redemptive history. When the apostolic company, for example, after the apostasy and suicide of Judas, met together for the purpose of selecting one to complete their number again to twelve, in the process of their selection the statement was made that the reason for which one was to be chosen was that he might be a witness with us of the resurrection. That become the very chief thing, the great issue in the proclamation of Jesus Christ, that He was alive.
For that’s what sets Him apart from every other religious leader who ever existed. He came out of the grave alive. The crucifixion loses its meaning without the resurrection, as we well know. The resurrection becomes in Scripture the crowning proof, not only of Jesus’ deity, but the guarantee of our own resurrection. And if you remove the resurrection, then the death of Christ is the heroic death of a noble martyr or it’s the pathetic death of a deranged mad man or it’s the execution of a fraud and it can’t be anything more without the resurrection.
And so we would conclude then it’s not primarily His teaching, it’s not primarily His miracles, it’s not even primarily His dying that is the key- it is primarily His rising again. Unless Jesus Christ had risen there would be no church. At the death of Christ, the disciples were scattered like chaff in the breeze. They were regathered when He arose from the grave and the church was born. And this became the cornerstone of all great apostolic preaching. And it’s still the life blood of Christianity.
His teaching and miracles established His credentials, His dying on the Cross was the ultimate loving act required to take on our sin, but these by themselves would not be meaningful if He had never risen from the dead. The tomb is empty and Heaven can be full of grateful, saved people singing His praises forevermore!
My next devotional examines Acts 2:25-28 - Peter quotes from Psalm 16.
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - Today I pray the beautiful words of the hymn “Because He Lives” by Bill Gaither:
God sent His son, they called Him Jesus;
He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!
Chorus
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!
How sweet to hold a newborn baby,
And feel the pride and joy he gives;
But greater still the calm assurance:
This child can face uncertain days because He Lives!
Chorus
And then one day, I'll cross the river,
I'll fight life's final war with pain;
And then, as death gives way to victory,
I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives!
Chorus
AMEN!
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
The Blue Letter Bible was accessed on 7/29/2024 to review the lexicon for attested.
Gotquestions.org was accessed on 7/29/2024 to answer the question, “What is Christian Apologetics?”
Precept Austin was accessed on 7/29/2024 to review commentary for Acts 2:22-24