Proofs Of The Resurrection Series

The 1st Sermon-Proofs of the Resurrection

Acts 2:25-36

Lessons From The Early Church

Ill-Four hundred years before the birth of Christ, Socrates, the renowned Greek Philosopher, drank the poison hemlock and lay down to die. “Shall we live again?” his friends asked. The dying philosopher could only reply, “I hope so, but no man can know.”

Ill-When that great Christian and scientist, Sir Michael Faraday, was dying, some journalists questioned him as to his speculations for a life after death. “Speculations!” said he, “I know nothing about speculations. I’m resting on certainties. “I know that my redeemer liveth,” and because He lives, I shall live also.”

Last week we began to look at this first sermon every preached by Peter which happened right after Pentecost.

Acts 2:25-36

1) Proof 1: The Prophecy of David-vs. 25-28

a) Once again Peter is going to go back to the OT

b) To share with this crowd about who Jesus really is

c) This time he goes to Psalm 16:8-11

d) Paul is also going to use this text in Acts 13:35

e) This was a Psalm written by David

f) To Jews David was the man

g) He had been a great king and

h) So Peter is going to use this text written by David to show them that even David knew that one day Christ would come and would conquer death and the grave

i) Many times the OT saints must have been puzzled over Psalm 16 and these verse here with a reference to death and the preservation from corruption in the grave.

j) Ill-As a young man, D. L. Moody was called upon suddenly to preach a funeral sermon. He hunted all through the Four Gospels trying to find one of Christ’s funeral sermons, but searched in vain. He found that Christ broke up every funeral He ever attended. Death could not exist where He was. When the dead heard His voice they sprang to life. Jesus said, I am the resurrection, and the life (

k) How could Messiah possibly die and how could he possibly escape the inevitable corruption of the grave if He did

l) But the recent resurrection of Christ fulfilled the prophecy to the letter.

m) It was probably a stunning blow to the now quickened consciences of this group

n) As Peter is sharing David’s prophecy we see the joy of David’s heart

o) Vs. 25-

p) There is nothing like a glimpse of heaven’s viewpoint to put a hallelujah in the heart

q) To know that in Christ God not only conquered sin and Satan but also death

r) David’s prophecy concerned Jesus’ conviction that He could be delivered from death

s) The word “leave”- a soul can be utterly forsaken and abandoned, doomed permanently in hell. But Christ was absolutely sure that His soul would not be left and abandoned in hell

t) At death Jesus committed His spirit to His Father in Heaven. His body touched now by loving hands was laid to rest in a borrowed tomb. His soul went down into hell

u) The word “hell”- Christ said emphatically that His soul would not be left in Hades, that is the realm of the dead. That He would arise and live forever

v) Jesus did not go there however as a victim of death but as a victor

w) Matt 12:40—“for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth”

x) And then on the third day as he had so repeatedly proclaimed, He came forth in triumph

y) He would declare

z) Rev 1:18—“and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.”

aa) The word “corruption”- means to decay. In no place does Christ promise a new body to the unbeliever to the unsaved or the lost.

bb) Gal. 6:8—“For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”

cc) Gen 3:19—“By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return”

dd) The title Jesus used of himself “God’s Holy One”- Jesus was holy, righteous and pure.

ee) He was without sin and totally devoted to God.

ff) He was perfectly acceptable to God.

gg) 2 Cor. 5:21—“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him”

hh) Heb 4:15—“For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin”