A distillation of the gospel Acts 2:22-41 WBC 28/4/2 am
Peter’s speech after coming of HS at Pentecost
- Pentecost passage saved for 19th May (come pm!)
Fascinatingly, Acts contains many ‘addresses’
- 20% is dedicated to addresses by Peter & Paul
- 25% if include Stephen
=> 1:1 “Jesus continued to do and teach”
This is great stuff! Peter thinking… speaking… on his feet after the Pentecost outpouring
- it’s the rough, basics of the gospel. A ‘distillation’ of it
- not lots of trappings
It’s about Jesus, basically.
- V22 “Men of Israel, listen to this : Jesus”
- it’s all about Him. “I’m gonna tell you all about the god news. The good news (‘gospel’) is JESUS”
Distilled into 4 areas. 2 key points in each area
The gospel events
V22-24 run through key gospel events, facts
1) v22. Jesus was a man
- truly a man. Human
- but not just a man. = one accredited by God to them by
- miracles (dynamite!)
- wonders (things that make you go ‘aaah!’)
- signs (things that point to greater spiritual truth)
(but they hadn’t noted, until then!)
2) v23 died
explained: wasn’t on a whim. The whim of Judas. Or even you people… but by
- God’s plan
- It is told that in the First World War there was a young French soldier who was seriously wounded. His arm was so badly smashed that it had to be amputated. He was a magnificent specimen of young manhood, and the surgeon was grieved that he must go through life maimed. So he waited beside his bedside to tell him the bad news when he recovered consciousness. When the lad’s eyes opened, the surgeon said to him: "I am sorry to tell you that you have lost your arm." "Sir," said the lad, "I did not lose it ; I gave it--for France." Jesus was not helplessly caught up in a mesh of circumstances from which he could not break free. Apart from any divine power he might have called in, it is quite clear that to the end he could have turned back and saved his life. He did not lose his life; he gave it. The Cross was not thrust upon him; he willingly accepted it--for us. -- William Barclay, Gospel of John .
- By God’s… Jesus’… set purpose and foreknowledge
- Your wickedness
both!
Died: on a cross
- interestingly enough: this is the only place of mention of the cross in Acts. Elsewhere it’s described as ‘the tree’ (3 times 5:30, 10:39, 13:29. Twice by Peter, once by Paul)
- of course, it was a cross that he died on… but here the talk… spiel… theology is so on the hoof… shooting from the hip… in its infancy… that there isn’t the artistic elaboration of using the word tree that in an even fuller sense conveys the curse that Jesus bore on our behalf
- Deut 21:23 “anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse”
3) v24- 32 he rose
2: 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death
- lit ‘from the birth pains of death’
- re- birth, new birth out of death into life
- because death simply couldn’t hold Him
3 Buddies were discussing death and one asked the group: What would you like people to say about you at your funeral?
… "He was a great humanitarian, who cared about his community."
… "He was a great husband and father, who was an example for many to follow."
… "Look, he’s moving!!"
- not sure Peter understood it all at this point. Not sure we do! But to Peter ‘death couldn’t hold Him because of who He is’
- and so this Psalm (16) must apply to Him, because it couldn’t apply to David. He died. His tomb was nearby!
4) v33 exalted
It didn’t end there. He was raised to God’s right hand
He is now seen as what/who He is! That’s why all this stuff’s happening!
These are the stages of the gospel events. Elsewhere it adds ‘He’s returning as judge’
- but… as you go through Acts- you find the gospel events distilled into its 2 most important components:
- - the cross and the resurrection.
- ’Everything antecedent in the incarnate life of our Lord moves towards the resurrection and everything subsequent rests upon it and is conditioned by it’ John Murray
The gospel witnesses
Again, 2 key areas of witness
They appeal to a twofold evidence to authenticate Jesus so that
Deut 19:5 “A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses”
The first is the scriptures- hence prolific quoting of OT (Ps 16, 110 Joel 2)
The second is themselves. Repeated again and again in Acts is “we are witnesses” (2:32, 3:15, 5:32, 10:39)
- (wow! The power of ‘your STORY’. Never underestimate it)
- “hey! This is not something we made up, or are proclaiming in a vacuum! It’s
- anchored in scripture and history
- testified to by 2 witnesses (well, >500!). Would stand up in any court”
JESUS DIED AND ROSE AGAIN!
The gospel promises
The gospel is not only good news about what Jesus DID
(died for our sins and rose again)
- but also what He offers as a result
when folks here realise that they have killed the author of life… that they have rejected God’s way… One… God Himself
- they are really chewed up. “cut to the heart”- and ask ‘what must we do?’
- peter replies with the gospel conditions (more in a second)… and then mentions the gospel promises
Jesus promises two things (!) to those who respond
- 1) forgiveness
- to wipe out the past. A completely clean slate
A group of Moravian missionaries once decided to take the message of God to the Eskimos. One of their struggles in teaching the Eskimos was that they could not find a word in the Eskimo language for forgiveness. Finally, they had to compound a phrase to use in the place of forgiveness. This compound phrase turned out to be issumagijoujungnainermik. It’s a formidable looking assembly of letters, but the expression has a beautiful connotation for those who understand that it means "not being able to think about it anymore." -- Dr. M. Norvel Young with Mary HoIIinsworth, Living Lights Shining Stars, Ten Secrets to Becoming the Light of the World (Howard Publishing Company, 1997).
- free from condemnation of sin… past
- free from power of sin… past
While taking a prisoner from a Guelph, Ontario, correctional centre to be arraigned on charges of attempted armed robbery, police constable John Bolton noticed a cross around the neck of the convict.
Knowing the man was not religious, he took a closer look. The prisoner attempted to conceal something protruding from the top of the cross.
When questioned, he said it was a good luck charm designed to look like a spoon for sniffing cocaine. But Constable Bolton was sure it looked like a handcuff key. By experimentation he found that the protuberance would open most handcuffs. The discovery led to the exposure of an attempt by prisoners in the correctional centre to make a number of these cross-keys. -- The Bible Illustrator
- 2) the gift of the Spirit
- to make us new people
- Real life event told by Fred of Kingsbridge: A local services man had gone to the local toilets as it was time to lock them up. As he was preparing to do so, in came two bikers fully clad in leathers, helmets etc. He waited for them to come out...waited and waited to the point of embarrassment. Eventually went inside to check the loos- they’d gone! The two people who had left in suits earlier were them... they had got changed!
In other words- the gospel promises what people are REALLY looking for (inside… not superficially): freedom from guilt, defilement, judgement, self-centredness. A new creation. Death to the old self
- and freedom to be the persons God made and meant us to be
A letter came from Health and Human Services to a resident of Greenville County, South Carolina: "Your food stamps will be stopped, effective march 1992, because we have received notice that you passed away. May God bless you. You may reapply if your circumstances change’.
and just in case the onlookers… people… thought (WE think!) it was only for
- the 12… 120… the elite (OT style- for a specific time or task)
… Peter makes it clear- this is for EVERYONE. Young and old. Jews and gentiles
- for all who respond to God’s call
The gospel conditions
But it’s conditional. Jesus does not impose His gifts on us unconditionally
2 (!) conditions
- repentance and faith
- shown in
- baptism
- becoming part of a new community
The gospel demands in us… from us… a radical turning
- from sin
- to Christ
- ’God is not looking for people who will nod the head, but people who will bow the knee’
- repentance is not feeling remorse, bad about yourself, or better than others:
- 3 men in a jungle when approached by a hungry lion. One runs away and lion faces other two. One spends time putting on gymshoes/trainers. ’you’ll never run faster than that lion, with or without sports shoes’ ’Oh I’m not trying to run faster than him I just want to run faster than you!’
- it’s about recognising that we have ALL missed the mark- and turning around from your way of living… and living God’s way
The gospel demands a radical
- obedience
- community ‘save yourself from this corrupt generation”
So: a synopsis. A fourfold message
- two events (Christ’s death and resurrection)
- attested to by 2 witnesses (the OT prophets, and the apostles)
- on the basis of which God makes 2 promises (of forgiveness and the Spirit)
- on two conditions (repentance and faith, shown in baptism)
