As Atul covered last week, when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the 120 disciples that were in the upper room, one of the tangible signs of the Spirit’s presence that day was that they began to declare the wonders of God in other tongues – in languages that they did not know. This caused a lot of amazement AND confusion. The people present were like, "What is happening?!" So Peter spoke up – to try to explain what they were witnessing and what it all meant.

He begins by telling them, "Listen guys, we’re not drunk, as some of you think – it’s only 9am. If it was 12pm, maybe. But what you are seeing and hearing is exactly what God said that he would do." And so he quotes from the Prophet Joel to show them how God said that he would pour out his Spirit on all people: men, women, young, old – and how they would be empowered from heaven to prophecy and have dreams and visions from God.

But Peter doesn’t stop there. He doesn’t just give them the explanation of WHAT they are seeing. No. He goes on to tell them WHY they are seeing what they are seeing. And that’s the section that we are going to cover today. Peter’s goal in this section is to let the people know that what they are seeing and hearing is because of Jesus – it’s because of who Jesus is, what he did, and what he wants to continue to do.

So let’s read our passage for today. This is the continuation of Peter’s message.

Acts 2:22-40

“Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. 25 David said about him:

“‘I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope, 27 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay. 28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’

29 “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. 33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,

“‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand 35 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’

36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”

In a few sentences, Peter, very quickly and masterfully, explains the gospel and some profound mysteries about Jesus. He starts by introducing Jesus as a man accredited by God. (v.22) When I see the word ‘accredited’ what immediately comes to mind is accreditation – which is what schools receive as proof that they are recognized, accepted, and approved to do the work that they are doing.

But Jesus didn’t receive a certificate as his validation. No his stamp of approval from God were the miracles, wonders, and signs that he performed. Acts 10:38 talks about how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

But here’s the thing, even though God was with him, and he was doing good, and he was good, verse 23 tells us that he was put to death by being nailed to a cross. Now this verse is fascinating. It weaves together two things that you would think could not possibly go together: evil human action… and God’s plan. How can Peter say that what they did to Jesus – by nailing him to a cross – was a part of God’s plan? Now he’s not saying that God caused or forced the evil human action – humans are still held liable and responsible for their action. But in essence, what Peter is saying to the crowd is, You are responsible for Jesus’ death. But don’t get it twisted, God wasn’t caught off guard – he handed him over to you. This was all a part of God’s plan.

Now, I don’t know if I can fully explain this mystery – of how these two things can coexist – but it is found throughout the Scriptures. And here’s what it tells me. I can live with unshakeable peace regardless of what I’m facing. Now I don’t always live that way – because I forget. But here’s why I say that. Jeremiah 29:11 promises: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” God has a plan – a good plan – for your life and my life; just as he had a plan for Jesus. And what Jesus’ life and death shows us, is that even when things seem out of control, we can trust that God is ultimately in control. And though it may not seem like it at times, you and I can have hope that his good plan will prevail.

Now, from verse 24 through 32, Peter shifts from talking about the death of Jesus, to talking about his resurrection. He begins to explain how not even death could hold Jesus back. But he rose again; he came back to life. (v.24) He mentions what King David had to say about Jesus. David doesn’t call Jesus by name; but he speaks of one who will not be abandoned to the realm of the dead and whose body will not see decay. (v.27) And Peter’s like, David could not have been talking about himself. That dude died, he was buried, and we can probably go walk and see his tomb. (v.29) (I think just like the line that they couldn’t be drunk at 9am, he’s trying to lighten the mood here and be logical.) And Peter makes the point that David must have been talking about Jesus – because God raised him to life and they were witnesses of it. (v.32)

But not only was Jesus raised back to life, but verse 33 says that he was “Exalted to the right hand of God” – meaning, he was raised to a whole ‘nother level. Now that’s always been true – Jesus has always been equal with God. But Peter is making the connection, that this person, Jesus, who lived and they heard of, who performed good deeds and miracles, who died, who rose again, that he is actually the Lord that David (v.34) and so many others wrote about – he is the second person of the Trinity; he is God.

And in verse 33 we also see him making the connection between where we started – with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit – and what that has to do with Jesus. He says that Jesus, being Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. (v.33) Peter’s like, This is all because of Jesus!

By the way, this verse shows how our life with Christ works. I love this passage; because it reminds me that I don’t receive anything from God because I deserve it. But it’s because of who Jesus is and what he has done and his position in heaven that ALL THINGS HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO HIM; and he then lavishly and graciously gives that to us.

Now, before we get to the close of Peter’s message, I want us to go back to verse 23. Besides the weaving together of human action and God’s plan, verse 23 brings up something else that’s very interesting. Question: Were the Jews that were present on that day really the ones responsible for Jesus' crucifixion? Well, as far as being directly responsible, probably not. Most of the people that were there at Pentecost, listening to Peter, were not in Jerusalem when Jesus was crucified. Remember, this is a crowd of Jews who were from other parts of the nation and world – it’s unlikely that they would have been there seven weeks prior.

So what is Peter getting at when he says, "You crucified him?" (He says it a second time in verse 36.) What Peter is trying to get the people – and us – to understand is that Jesus’ death on the cross is more personal to us than we think. He’s essentially saying, We’re not talking about a random religious leader that you did not know who died. No. We’re talking about someone who died because of you. To say it a bit more gently, We’re talking about someone who died for you. What Peter wants the people to see is that it was their sins, and his sins, and my sins, and your sins that put Jesus on the cross. It’s more personal than we think.

So let me ask, is the cross of Jesus personal to you? Here’s how you would know: when you look at it, when you think about it, you don’t just feel nothing – and you don’t even just feel bad about what you’ve done – but it hits at a whole different level. What I want to talk about here is the difference between guilt and conviction. We can feel guilty about a lot of things we do. Guilt is what you feel when you know or believe that you have broken the rules. BUT CONVICTION, conviction is what you feel when you know you have broken someone’s heart. When you realize you’ve done that, it hurts your heart.

The other day I was having a conversation with my son about some of the ways that he was treating his brother. Nothing serious, just kid things that we have corrected him on before – and plenty of times he has felt the guilt of our words and punishment. But this time… it hit different. When he realized that his behavior was hurting his brother and hurting their relationship, the tears began to well up in his eyes. That’s conviction. (Peter)

Today I’m not concerned about making you feel guilty – we get enough of that from ourselves, from others, and even from Satan (the accuser). But I do think it would be amazing if you felt conviction; because that’s from the Holy Spirit – that’s from God. Guilt can cause us to feel paralyzed; or just simply shameful and hopeless; but conviction leads us to repentance and restoration. That’s what we’re after.  2 Corinthians 7:10 says, Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. If you are feeling a sorrow that feels like death, it’s not from God. What his conviction should feel like is an invitation to step into life – because that’s what he’s offering.

After Peter finished his message, and maybe even during his message, it says that many of the people listening felt a sense of conviction. It says it this way in verse 37, When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart… That’s conviction. To be ‘cut to the heart’ literally means to be pierced or stabbed. They took the cross and death of Jesus personally. But let me tell you, conviction is not enough. Remember, conviction should always lead to a response – to action. And so the people who were ‘cut to the heart’ took it a step further …and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (v.38) There’s a number of ways that we can slice or understand this passage. It could be saying that if we do two things (repent and be baptized) we will receive two things (the forgiveness of our sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit). Other commentators like to say that baptism is the key action—that once you do that everything else follows (baptism, forgiveness, and the Spirit).

But what I like…

● Repent – as best as you know how and with God’s help, turn from you know to be wrong

● Be Baptized – be willing to identify with Christ

● Forgiveness – walk in freedom; not in shame and guilt

● Holy Spirit – live surrendered; give up the driver’s seat and take the passenger seat

I tell those who are interested in getting baptized, if these things are your heart’s desire – not that any of us will get them perfect – and you can say yes Jesus and these things then you are ready to be baptized.

Peter says that The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call. (v.39) And that Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. (v.41)

I wonder if today you have believed that the promise is for you and whether you are ready to accept the message of Jesus.

I’m going to step out in faith and boldly share a couple of responses the Lord put on my heart that some of you may need to take. I’m taking a risk with sharing these things; but faith requires risk. So I’m going to ask you to take a risk, too.

● Some of you need to repent today. You were cut to the heart and you need to renounce the life you have been living (for yourself) and choose/receive the life that Jesus has for you. If that’s you raise your hand.

● Some of you need to identify with Jesus. For some that may mean the step of baptism. For others it may just mean being more bold and vocal about your faith. Not in a weird way; but in a vulnerable way.

● Some of you need to accept the forgiveness Christ has made available to you. He who the Son sets free is free indeed!

● And lastly, some of you have a desire to be filled by the Holy Spirit. Raise your hand. We are going to pray for the Holy Spirit to come and fill this place and fill your lives.