Scripture: Acts 2:22-39
Date: April 24, 2011
Speaker: Sean Higgins
Acts 2 may not be a traditional Easter passage, but it incorporates so much of the Easter story. The final part of Peter’s Pentecost sermon that Luke recorded highlighted the promise.
For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself. (v.39)
Peter was addressing the “men of Israel” (v.22), so when he said “this promise is for you,” the “you” are Israelites and “your children” are future generations of Israelites. Salvation is for the Jew first (cf. Romans 1:16), and the prophecy in Joel 2:28-32, quoted by Peter in verses 17-21, was also first for the Jews, “everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Thankfully for us, that’s not all that Peter said concerning the promise, the promise is also “for all who are far off, for everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” The “far off” ones, I believe, are not Jews far away from Jerusalem, but rather Gentiles to the end of the earth (cf. Acts 1:8), so “everyone” is anyone, not limited to any specific nation.
That’s great, but what “promise” is Peter talking about? Generally, he’s speaking about the promise of salvation, but there are a few specifics from Peter’s sermon that are helpful to see.
Forgiveness is the immediate mention after “Repent and be baptized.” There aren’t many specific sins that Peter addresses. Perhaps these men were feeling a general sort of conviction, and they probably were. But the specific confrontation Peter makes concerns their murder of Jesus.
Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. (vv.22-23)
Whatever other sins they had committed—and their lists were long, like ours—they betrayed and executed Jesus even though they saw “mighty works and wonders and signs” that demonstrated Jesus was the Christ.
Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified. (v.36)
John Calvin comments:
not that they crucified him with their own hands, but because the people, with one voice, desired to have him put to death. And although many of the hearers unto whom he speaketh did not consent unto that wicked and ungodly cruelty, yet doth he justly impute the same to the nation; because all of them had defiled themselves either with their silence, or else through their carelessness.
The promise of forgiveness included forgiveness even for the murder of their Messiah. Though we weren’t there on Good Friday, we are also complicit in the crucifixion.
All men need forgiveness because “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” and the promise offers it.
Along with forgiveness, Peter adds “and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (v.38). Peter was preaching on the very day the Holy Spirit came (vv.2-3). To some extent, his sermon was a defense to men who assumed the apostles were drunk (vv.14-15), and Peter explained that the apostles’ speaking in tongues was the beginning of fulfillment to God’s promise to “pour out my Spirit on all flesh” (v.17).
More than that, Peter said about Jesus,
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 (v.33)
Jesus’ resurrection inaugurated the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, not only for signs, but for salvation. Here is new covenant talk, where God promised to give His own Spirit to dwell in men.
I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. (Ezekiel 36:26-27)
The promise includes God’s own Spirit taking up dwelling in believers, and the indwelling Spirit is more closely related to Easter that we might think.
I realize Peter doesn’t say anything about resurrection in verse 38 or 39. But resurrection is part of the promise he’s speaking about. Note his repetition of the fact that God raised Jesus from the dead.
God raised him, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. (v.24)
This Jesus God raised up, and of that we are all witnesses (v.32)
Peter even claims that David wrote about the resurrection of Christ in Psalm 16.
he [David] foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that we was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. (v.31)
Peter’s point to the Jews is all about resurrection. It’s why he quotes Psalm 16. He’s talking about resurrection, one that everyone who believes shares in.
”It is the Spirit who gives life” (John 6:63).
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:11)
This resurrection includes full gladness in God’s presence too (v.28). We get called to God Himself (v.39). We get life! As was true of Christ, it is not possible for Christians to be held by death.
All men are dead and face eternal death without the promise.
When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.” (Acts 11:18)
The promise is for all who believe, and all who believe receive forgiveness, indwelling, and resurrection to eternal life.
There are many necessary responses to the resurrection of Jesus. Repent and believe in Him for eternal life is the first. Proclaim the gospel to all nations is also essential. And so is sitting down to lunch (or dinner) with your family and friends and being glad together. “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42). The early Christians “received their food with glad and generous hearts” (v.46), and this was only possible because Christ the Lord is risen, and we also live because He lives.
Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20–21, ESV)