Dwell in the Word: Acts 2:22-41

Think on these questions as you dwell in Acts 2:22-41:

1. How does Peter emphasize the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies in his sermon, specifically regarding the suffering and exaltation of Jesus? How does this understanding differ from the apostles' perspective before the resurrection and ascension of Jesus?

2. What significance does Peter attribute to Jesus being seated at the right hand of God, as indicated by his quotation of Psalm 110:1? How does this affirm Jesus as the prophesied Messiah and King, in contrast to the temporal limitations experienced by figures like David?

3. In Peter's message, what is the dual call to action he presents to the crowd? How does he link repentance and baptism to the forgiveness of sins and the receipt of the Holy Spirit? Additionally, what broader message does this convey about the inclusive nature of God's promise to all people, both near and far off?

Transcript:

 Now that right there is a sermon. What fantastic words from the Apostle Peter about who Jesus is and what he has done. Let's take a look at a few things here and look at the big picture of what is going on. Uh, we see verse 23. This, Jesus delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.

Notice what Peter is saying here. This was the definite plan in foreknowledge of God that this was the plan that the Messiah would suffer Go back to Isaiah 53 a very well-known passage It talks about the suffering of the one who is going to come right we know this This is not a surprise now We look throughout the gospels and the apostles don't seem to Think much of this idea of Jesus suffering before it happens, when he warns them that it is coming.

But now that they are on the other side of the story of redemption, now that they are on the other side of the resurrection and of the ascension, and now that they have the Holy Spirit, Peter gets it, right? This is the same Peter who told Jesus there was no way he was going to let him suffer. Uh, this is the Peter who, uh, cut the guard's ear off with a sword, right?

He wasn't going to let him suffer, but now he's saying this was a definite plan and foreknowledge of God that he was going to save his people. And so, what does Peter see is the significance of this event. There's a lot here But I want to focus on one thing in verse 34 and the early part of verse 35 here The Lord said to my Lord sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstools Now are your footstool now, this is the most quoted verse in the New Testament from the Old Testament It's Psalm 110 Verse 1.

And the idea here is that the Messiah that is prophesied in the Old Testament, and specifically here in Psalm 110, He is ascended. He is a king at the Father's right hand. And the point that Peter is making is that there's all these prophecies about David and about, um, and about these things of his descendants in the Old Testament, but, but Peter says David saw decay.

David died. His tomb is still with us, he says earlier in this passage. So, it must have been about the Messiah. It must have been about this one. And basically, Peter is saying, Look at this. Look at this story that was told in the Old Testament. Clearly what has happened to Jesus is what was to happen to the Messiah.

And so, this is the one who can save you. This is the story of your salvation. And so, we see in verse 37 that the Holy Spirit is at work in the crowd, right? Because it says they hear all this, and they realize who Jesus is and they're cut to the heart. And so, they want to know what do they do. And Peter gives them clear instructions.

Repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  That is an important thing. They are to turn away from their sin. And now, Peter is calling them to receive the covenant sign of the new covenant. This idea of baptism and being washed. And notice what it says here in verse 39.

For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off. Now, This is important. I bring this up quite often, don't I? Uh, when I'm preaching about this idea of us being a, uh, of God being a guide to us and to our children. The idea here is that this is the new covenant. That God is going to be the God of his people.

And this is going to continue, and he promises to be a God not only to you, but to your children. And notice what else it says. To those who are far off. Who are those that are far off? Well, it's you and I. You and I were far off. Historically, the promise of God came down to us. The promise was far off for us when Peter was speaking these words.

But the gospel went forth and we came to faith. And how else were you and I far off? We were far off ethnically. We were not, or we're not Hebrew people, most of us. I don't know if anyone listening to me today is of Hebrew lineage. But we were far off ethnically, but yet God brought us into the family of God.

Because of what Jesus has done, it doesn't matter who we are, uh, by our ethnicity, uh, as we looked at earlier this week on Monday, it doesn't matter if you are young or old, male or female, rich or poor, you have been brought near. Even if you were far off through what Christ has done. God has brought us near, and this promise is for us and for our children.

And so, we continue to tell the story. We continue to proclaim the gospel. And who is this for? More specifically, at the end of this verse, I left it off on purpose, it’s everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself. This isn't about you and I figuring out this amazing story of, of God on our own or you and I being smart and being able to say, hey, we figured out God and so now we have earned salvation on our own.

No, this is about the one whom the Lord our God calls to himself, even those who are far off.  Even those who are far off can still receive salvation. Why? Because it's God doing the work. The Lord calls them to himself. Even from a great distance, even across time, across generations, across ethnicities, God calls his people to himself.

What good news this is. And notice just how awesome this news was received because of the work of the Holy Spirit.  So those who received his word were baptized, and they were added that day about 3, 000 souls. The church is growing here in Acts, and that's important. We want to follow that as we go through the story of the early church here.

God is bringing people to faith, and the church is growing, all for the purpose that Christ might be glorified, and that the word may be spread out that more and more people would come to faith.