Teaching Text

Acts 2:14-41

In Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

“‘In the last days, God says,

I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy,

your young men will see visions,

your old men will dream dreams.

Even on my servants, both men and women,

I will pour out my Spirit in those days,

and they will prophesy.

I will show wonders in the heavens above

and signs on the earth below,

blood and fire and billows of smoke.

The sun will be turned to darkness

and the moon to blood

before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.

And everyone who calls

on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

“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. his 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. 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. David said about him:

“‘I saw the Lord always before me.

Because he is at my right hand,

I will not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;

my body also will rest in hope,

because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,

you will not let your holy one see decay.

You have made known to me the paths of life;

you will fill me with joy in your presence.’

“Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 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. 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. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. 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. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,

“‘The Lord said to my Lord:

“Sit at my right hand

until I make your enemies

a footstool for your feet.”’

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

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart 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. 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.”

With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Sermon Recap

This week, Pastor Jon Tyson continued our sermon series through the book of Acts, The Fifth Act, with a teaching through Peter’s bold sermon after Pentecost that launched the Early Church. Through this passage, Peter explains not only how belief in Jesus is possible, but what has been driving the Church forward for the past 2,000 years.

First, the Church is built on historical evidence of Christ's resurrection. Not only were there multiple eyewitnesses to the empty tomb, including women, but the evidence of Jesus' life is also seen in His disciples' transformation, in the rapid spread of Christianity, in the conversion of skeptics, and many more unexpected yet undeniable proofs. As mature adults, awakened to the events of history, we must grapple with the resurrection of Jesus as a true historical event and determine what that means for our world today.

Second, the person of Jesus is of utmost significance in the past, present, and future. By discussing passages from Joel 2, Psalm 16, and Psalm 110, Peter points to the centrality of Jesus as the Messiah throughout the Hebrew Scriptures and positions the Bible as a book of God's mercy, where Christ is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. Peter also proclaims Jesus is Lord, subverting the narratives of Roman rulers, and calling all people, not just Jews, to cease living under the delusion of their own authority and submit to the true authority of the Son of God.

Third, belief in Jesus is grounded in personal experience. Acts 2:37 says "When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart..." Jesus' love doesn't change our hearts by external coercion, but by internal resonance. This is evident in the life of Peter, who previously betrayed Jesus as He went to the cross and went on to become the leader of the Early Church, the disciples that originally abandoned Jesus in fear and were eventually almost all martyred for His name, and countless others throughout history. When we truly experience Jesus, our hearts are changed and we are radically transformed.

Jesus' impact on the world has led to cultural shifts that we still experience today: the restoration of human dignity, care for the sick, care for the poor, elevating the status of women, increasing the value of children, highlighting beauty in the arts, advancing the study of science and the value of education, increasing a vision for justice and law, instilling lifestyles of hospitality and community, and stirring up care for creation. Jesus' teachings have impacted the world as we know it for the better, and we are invited to accept His invitation to believe in Him and be transformed ourselves. When we respond to the call to repent of our sins and be baptized, we can then accept true forgiveness and be filled with the Holy Spirit and enjoy eternal intimacy with God.