Scripture: Acts
2:14a, 22–36
Last week’s New Testament reading recorded the coming of the
Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and included the first half of Peter’s sermon that
day. This reading is the second half of the sermon in which Peter, filled
with the Holy Spirit, points to Jesus as God’s chosen savior who died but was also
raised, showing him to be both Lord and Christ. As we celebrate Trinity Sunday
we notice that the work of the Spirit connects us to Jesus’ salvation and
reconciles us to our Father in Heaven.
Teaching
This part of Peter’s sermon follows a progression working
through Jesus’ life and ministry (v. 22), his death (v. 23), his resurrection
(v. 24-32), and his exaltation (v. 33-36). He pulls no punches as he accuses
the crowd of crucifying and killing Jesus, which is correct for Jesus was
crucified because of their sin. Yet death could not hold Jesus as it did the
crowd’s great king, David, so Jesus was exalted above David as the savior of
all mankind.
John Stott comments on this reading, “Our biggest struggle
is how to be faithful to this apostolic gospel, while at the same time
presenting it in a way which resonates with modern men and women.” Peter gives
an excellent example of how to do this as he turns the focus off of himself,
the other apostles, and even the wonders of Pentecost, and focuses the crowd’s
attention on Jesus. This is what we, too, are called to do as Jesus’ witnesses
– point away from ourselves and direct people to Jesus.
Life
Sometimes as we speak of Jesus being crucified by the crowd,
modern people will protest that they had nothing to do with it. How could they
when this happened nearly two-thousand years ago? Yet the statement is true. We
killed Jesus, because he went to the cross for our sin and received the just
reward for our disobedience to God. This is what it means to believe that Jesus
died for me. He died because of me, on account of my sin, standing in my place,
and taking the brunt of what I deserved. We should meditate on this and ask the
Spirit to give us a full appreciation of Jesus’ sacrifice.
At the same time, we always remember that Jesus did not stay
dead. He rose and is ascended to heaven as our victorious Lord. Thus when we
are baptized into Christ, we are baptized into his death and into the hope of
his resurrection (Rom. 6). His victory is delivered to us to live in day by day
as the Spirit works in us. Each day we own Jesus’ death for our sins, we also
own Jesus’ resurrection as a free and gracious gift from God.
Prayer
Instruction,
Thanksgiving, Confession, Petition
O God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, you are at work in us
your creatures to make us holy through faith in Jesus, the crucified and risen
Lord. Thank you for giving us faith to receive Jesus’ salvation and the
forgiveness of all our sins. We overlook how you work in divine unity as you
make us your people, and too often we try to soften our responsibility for our
sin and Jesus’ death. Forgive us again, and work in us that we would walk each
day by faith joyfully sharing the hope we have because of all you have done. We
pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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