In Acts, Peter has just explained that the Holy Spirit is behind this fantastic display of foreign languages (Acts 2:14-21). He goes on to tell the people just how active God was in the life and ministry of Jesus (Acts 2:22-24). He even goes so far as to accuse his listeners of crucifying Him!
At this point, Pete makes the point that Jesus is the fulfillment of the long awaited Messiah. And he does so by looking at the life of King David.
First, he quotes Psalm 16:8-11. He reassures us that David himself composed this psalm. The king wrote, “For You will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let Your Holy One see corruption” (Ps 16:10; Acts 2:27).
Preacher Peter exposits and explains what David has written. King David is dead (v29). And he had been dead for almost 1,000 years. As a matter of fact, they could still visit his tomb that very day.
So there’s a problem here. What David wrote in Psalm 16 could not be about David. He was a great king, but let’s face facts, he died.
Pete reassures us that David was not only a king but a prophet as well (v30). This explains the strong prophetic nature of the songs and poems he composed, especially those concerning the coming Messiah.
Peter will quote three of them in this small stretch of his sermon (Ps 16; 132; 110).
He goes on to remind his listeners of the phenomenal promise God made to King David, “Knowing that God had sworn an oath to him that he would set One of his descendants on his throne” (v30).
Theologians call this the Davidic Covenant. God promised David that someone in his direct lineage would be the King forever. It’s found in 2 Samuel 7:11-16.
There God tells David that he would indeed die and “lie down with your fathers” (2Sam 7:12). Almighty God promises to “raise up your Offspring after you...and I will establish His kingdom forever” (2Sam 7:12-13).
There is a very curious reference in the midst of this amazing covenant. “I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son” (2Sam 7:14). Clearly a hint at incredible Father/Son relationship between the heavenly Father and Jesus Messiah.
The result is God’s oath to David that “your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before Me. Your throne shall be established forever” (2Sam 7:16).
This is what I’ve heard Pete Brisco of Bent Tree talk about. The Old Testament is the New Testament contained. The New Testament is the Old Testament explained.
In other words, the OT contains the message of God’s incredible grace and the coming of Jesus. It just isn’t fully laid out. The NT explains the main message of the OT (Jesus!) as well as many of the tricky and ticklish passages.
Contained. Explained. I think that is a GREAT way of thinking about the Bible. That is what is going on as Peter preaches. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Pete explains and interprets the life of David.
Peter goes on to make the amazing claim that David actually “foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was not abandoned to Hades, no did His flesh see corruption” (v31).
This goes so much farther than a promise from God. Simon states that the king actually had some sort of vision of this long awaited Son of David rising from the grave. This, says Pete, is the entire basis for what the king wrote in Psalm 16 and the only explanation.
Rocky brings it home at this point. David saw and wrote about the Messiah. This Messiah is indeed the very same Jesus whom “God raised up, and of that we are all witnesses” (v32).
But God didn’t stop there, He exalted His Son and gave Him the ultimate honor of being seated “at the right hand of God” (v33). This is Jesus’ place of divine privilege all through Scripture (Lk 22:69; Eph 1:20; Col 3:1 are just three examples).
The first thing He did once He sat at His Dad’s right hand was to receive the Holy Spirit and pour it out on His followers. Luke has penned several wonderful passages involving the Trinity. This is yet one more.
Once again, Peter explains to his audience that this incredible explosion of languages is the result of the work of God’s Spirit.
Reminding his listeners that it wasn’t David who had ascended but Jesus, he then cites Psalm 110:1 (v34-35). This is the very same psalm Jesus quoted to confound the Pharisees (Lk 20:41-44).
Peter simply says that King David could not have written about himself since he did not rise from the grave and head to heaven on a cloud. He had to be talking about Jesus Messiah.
Then Peter lands the plane. Here’s the Big Point. He wants every Jew to understand what he is about to say.
Here’s The Fact that changes EVERYTHING! “God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” (v36).
God’s ultimate active work is in anointing Jesus to His divine role. He is first Lord. This simply means that Jesus is God. He is fully divine and sovereignly in control.
He is also Christ. This is the Greek word (Christos) which means “anointed one” and is equivalent to the Hebrew Messiah. Peter connects these two very important ideas.
Jesus is God. Jesus is Messiah. He is BOTH.
But he doesn’t stop there. Once again, Pete makes sure his listeners understand that they have divine blood on their hands. “This Jesus whom you crucified” (emphasis added).
God had made Jesus both Lord and Christ. The Jews rejected and crucified their divine Messiah. Certainly not the most seeker sensitive message ever preached.
But then again, the philosophy of many churches is to provide “a safe place to hear a dangerous message.”
A safe and accessible place was provided by the Holy Spirit through the gift of many languages. Peter then preached a VERY dangerous message.
©2011
Jay Jennings
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