Repent And Be Baptized

Resurrection Sunday/baptism...

Text: Acts 2:22-41

Subject: How does Peter explain the events of “the Jerusalem Pentecost”?

Complement: by authenticating Jesus of Nazareth & calling people to repentance.

Exe idea: Jesus of Nazareth is the one & only Saviour who calls us to repentance & baptism.

Preaching idea: Salvation is found in no one else... Repent and be baptized in Jesus’name!

Introduction – It's been 50 days now since Passover(!) and the roman crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth.

a. The “Phenomenon” of Pentecost causes quite a stir!

b. ? strong winds...dancing flames...a multitude of languages

c. It's a Jewish festival – with special effects! ... city is crowded1

d. What does it mean?

Peter – one of the 12 disciples of Jesus – stands up to explain

e. Peter of course is A Jew himself

f. is this connected to Jewish roots? Or not? (King David’s throne)

g. And... he has 3 years of first person experience with Jesus (he’s supremely qualified to speak... )

...Peter’s sermon connects the entire OT/Jewish story – Prophets...King David – To Jesus of Nazareth

2. Peter speaks first of Jesus identity: 22

a. Accredited by God through miracles

b. These miracles benefited you! (yes, you)

c. “as you yourselves know!”

3. Next, Peter speaks of Jesus’ Mission: 23

a. his death was by “God’s deliberate plan” – and wicked men “helped”: v. 23

b. why would God do this?

c. His only son...sacrificed?... crucified?

d. So then, Who killed Jesus?

e. Was he murdered?

f. Was he assassinated?

g. No ? God’s deliberate plan!

h. Put him to death by nailing him to the cross; v. 23

This begs the question, why was it God’s plan to kill his only son?

4. Next, Peter speaks of Jesus purpose - Why Jesus died.

a. 1 cor 15: 3 “Christ died for our sins...” 15:3

b. Sin is the easiest doctrine to prove!

c. Psalm 51:5 “surely I was sinful at birth; from the time my mother conceived me”

d. But “Sin” isn’t in modern vocabulary

e. “Good” is in vogue... human potential... deification of self is in vogue

f. Yet we continue to see “Crimes against humanity”.... genocide...

g. Jesus, when called “good teacher” replied, why are you calling me good ?– there is no one good but God!

h. Paul said, “all have sinned and fall short of God’s holiness” (Rom 3:23)

Can anyone honestly deny this???

Do you know yourself well enough to recognize your own greed, pride, lust, jealousy?... ulterior motives...compromise... dishonesty...selfishness... do you -like me – blame others for your shortcomings?

i. So we need to be rescued from our sins...

j. We cannot save ourselves!

k. We cannot educate ourselves out of sin.

Acts 4:12 says it well... “salvation is found in no one else, there is no other name under heaven whereby we must be saved.”

5. Why couldn’t God just forgive – without Jesus having to die?

a. Because Forgiveness is never free – not even in your life or mine.

b. Someone has to pay for the loss or the lie or the slander...

You crash your car... it has to be repaired... who pays? You? The insurance co? the other party?

c. Someone has to pay to repair the damage to the vehicle.

Actions have consequences.

d. Who pays for your crimes and demeanors?

e. Who pays for your lies... selfishness... exploitation of someone?

f. Who pays?

g. You? The victim?

h. Nobody?

i. That hardly seems realistic!

Sports with a referee... without “a sense of fair play” – goes against natural order of things

6. Sacrifice is one thing - and martyrdom is heroic/ inspiring – but it has no transference of character or standing to me or you.

So, if Jesus only died as a martyr... others have too.

a. All such martyrs are to be honored & remembered, and they often inch progress forward, but life goes on....

b. MLK jr. (assassinated...)

Q... But what if Jesus not only died... but came up out of the grave???

Wouldn’t that make him unique?

7. Peter now declares - But God raised him from the dead: v. 24 (David spoke about this )

a. Now think of the closeness of these events - A mere 50 days have passed .

b. God raised him from the dead = endorsement!

c. Freeing him from the agony of death – “effects of death”

d. It was impossible for death to keep it's hold on him” v. 24

Why?

Death has held everyone else in the grave – what’s different with Jesus?

In Jesus resurrection - Death was defeated!!!

Think about it.

We hate death – it's our enemy... it's what we fear the most... it hurts the most.

To lose a loved one... to receive a terminal diagnosis.