The setting of Acts 2 is an amazing one. The conversations had to have been swirling around. Jews and other God-fearing people had gathered in Jerusalem for this festival of Pentecost to remember God’s provision of harvest, to worship him. They were gathering to worship and honor the God who had delivered them out of Egypt. Yet, at the same time, as much as they might have been talking about God’s grace to them they were no doubt talking just as much about this man who had sent ripples through the religious community over the last three years – Jesus of Nazareth.

Many had thought he was the Messiah, the promised descendant of David who would reign as their conquering king, but he had died. And he had died a hideous death, the death of a criminal, being hanged on a cross. It seemed to be a fitting end to one who would claim to be the Messiah and yet not overthrow Rome. He had died hanging on a tree, no doubt under the curse of God. In fact, he had cried out for all to hear him as he hanged there dying, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

However, it had been fifty days since the rumors began that this Jesus had been raised from the dead. Some believed that God had indeed brought him to life. Others thought such a thing foolish. And so the conversation was going on and the question was being asked, “What does the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob think of Jesus of Nazareth?” What does the God they have come to worship think of this one, Jesus, who had claimed to be God’s Son and had died a hideous death under God’s curse?

Then, something had happened. Something likes tongues of fire came upon Jesus’ followers who had gathered there, a swirling wind had blown through, and these men had began speaking of the mighty works of God in the languages of those who had gathered there so that each man heard in his own language. Thus, Peter stood to tell those confused over what was going on what had happened. He explained that this was the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy. God had poured out his Spirit on his people even as had been prophesied. He speaks of this in Acts 2:14-21. Then, starting at verse 22, he turns to the crucial topic, the one everyone had been consumed with over these last days, months, and even years: Jesus of Nazareth. And from verse 22 through verse 36 Peter shows them clearly what it is that God thinks of this Jesus and how he stands in God’s eyes.

And it is this that I want us to see this morning. After all, in some ways our setting today is not much different from Jerusalem in the first century. A number of people had gathered on that day, thinking they could worship God while despising this Jesus from Nazareth, and in our day too it is a praiseworthy thing to speak of God. Everyone from the media to people on the street feel freedom to speak of God, even acknowledging at times his power over us. But there is a stiff resistance and animosity that comes up when Jesus’ name is mentioned. So, what is it then, that Yahweh thinks of Jesus of Nazareth? It was their question and it may be the question many in our day are asking in some form or another as well. Therefore, let us now turn to these verses in Acts 2 to see what it is that Yahweh thinks of this Jesus and how he stands in his eyes.

Peter begins by pointing out that …

God attested to Jesus through his miracles (22)

Peter declares in verse 22, “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know … ”

Peter first forces them to look back over the past three years. God had shown that Jesus was indeed the promised one. He had attested to him by working mighty works and wonders and signs through him. And he didn’t do it in secret but in their very midst. There was no way they could deny it. All of Judea would have known of this. He had turned water into wine, multiplied bread and fish, healed countless people, walked on water, and even raised a man from the dead. God had been showing for three years that this is his Messiah. He was the one opening blind eyes, opening deaf ears, enabling the lame to work, and preaching the good news to the poor as Isaiah 35, among other Old Testament texts, had promised the Messiah would do. They had seen this. God had attested to his identity and standing before him for three years through these mighty works.

Yet you could imagine their thoughts. “Yes, Peter, you’re right. He seemed to be the conquering king, the promised Messiah. He seemed to be the one who would conquer Israel’s enemies and bring deliverance from Roman rule. After all, how could he lose? What if the Romans had decided to cut off Israel’s supply of food? He multiplies bread. What if they constructed insurmountable barriers? He walks on water. What if the Israelites were wounded in battle? He can heal anything. What if they are killed? He even raises the dead. If there ever was one who appeared to be an able Messiah, the King of Israel this was he.”

However, you can also predict their next thought – “But he died.” Messiahs don’t die. Yes, this Jesus looked promising, extremely promising, but he had gotten himself killed. I mean, even if you don’t think the Messiah would be absolutely perfect, he can’t mess up to the point of getting himself killed. Therefore, “Peter” they might say, “I see how you could tell us that God attested to him through these miracles, but God wouldn’t have let him mess up to the point of getting killed.”

So, Peter addresses Jesus’ death, but he does it in a way that they would not anticipate. He declares that …

God designed and foreordained the death of Jesus (23)

We read in verse 23, “This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.” Now, with this statement Peter is doing two things. First, he is showing them that Jesus’ death was no accident. It wasn’t as if he wanted to keep from dying. He was willing to die. And he was willing to die because this had been God’s plan from before the foundation of the world for his Messiah.

Part of the Messiah’s task was to suffer and die. This was no accident. Jesus hadn’t messed up to the point of getting himself killed. This was his task, God’s will, God’s plan. That is, to die doesn’t disqualify him from being the Messiah; rather, it is a necessary task of the Messiah. This, in addition to his miracles, was God’s attestation to this Jesus as his Son, as his Messiah, as his Anointed King.

Then, Peter moves on to address their actions in Jesus’ death. He wants them to feel the responsibility and guilt for their actions. It’s as if Peter says, “Yes, Jesus did die. But let’s not forget how he died. You crucified him and killed him.” There’s no way they can avoid feeling (rightly) their responsibility for Jesus’ death.

God’s sovereignty never functions to eliminate or even minimize man’s responsibility. Thus, Peter shows them two things: 1) Jesus’ death was part of God’s definite plan, proving even further that he was God’s Messiah, and 2) they are guilty of crucifying and killing him. But Peter does not stop there. He wants them to see even more how God has proved that Jesus is the Messiah, thus he now declares to them in verses 24-32 that …

God raised Jesus from the dead as he had promised and prophesied (24-32)

Peter declares that God did not simply leave his Messiah dead, but rather, “God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it” (v. 24). At this point the Israelites could be thinking, “But it can’t be possible that God’s plan for the Messiah to die. After all, God’s promise to David was that his great Son would reign on the throne of a kingdom forever.”

You see, when God promised David that he would have a descendant on the throne before him forever, then that meant that David must have a son anointed king, who would have a son anointed king, who would have a son anointed king, and so on, world without end or David would have to have one son who would be able to live forever and be anointed king. And after not having a king on the throne for over 580 years, the Jews realized that option one was no longer a possibility. David had to have a son who lived forever. Thus, the Messiah can’t die.

Peter agrees in part. He’s already declared that Jesus had died, noting that this had been in God’s plan. But now he agrees with them that it was impossible for him to stay dead. It was not possible for the Messiah to die and that be the end of the story. He knows what God had promised in 2 Samuel 7. And he also points them to another text, Psalm 16, in which David prophesied about the Messiah living forever. He quotes from Psalm 16:8-11 in verses 25-28, saying, “For David says concerning him, ‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope, for you will not abandon my soul to Hades or lest your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’”

Now, yes, this text might have been read as David saying, “God, you will not allow me to be killed as Saul is chasing me, for you’ve anointed me as your king.” Peter knows that the text might have been understood that way. But, Peter shows them clearly, that’s not what the text says. The text says that God will not allow his Holy One to see corruption. Therefore, this cannot be talking about David, for, as Peter declares, “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day” (29).

That is, if you want to argue that David hasn’t seen corruption, then I can take you to his tomb right now. I can prove to you with a few with a little hard work of digging or moving stones that this text is not speaking about David.

Then what was David saying? Peter answers, “Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about he resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption” (30-31). David wrote this psalm confident in the promise of God that one of his descendants would live forever. Therefore, this psalm, Psalm 16, is a prophetic psalm, foretelling that the Christ, the Messiah, would not see corruption, but would live forever. And then, Peter centers them again on Jesus, saying in verse 32, “This Jesus God raised up, and of that we are all witnesses.”

This is now three for three. God showed that Jesus was his Messiah through the miracles, through his death, and through his resurrection. Jesus is indeed God’s Messiah. You want to know what Yahweh thinks of this Jesus of Nazareth or how Jesus stands with Yahweh? Jesus is nothing less than Yahweh’s Messiah, his Anointed and Promised One.

And yet God’s attesting and exalting didn’t stop there but …

God exalted his Son, anointing him as King (33-35)

Peter declares that God has not simply raised his Son, but has exalted him. He declares, “Being therefore exalted at he right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool’” (33-35).

The clear sign throughout Scripture that God had anointed one as his king was that he put his Spirit upon him. Once God’s anointing left Saul and went to David, the Spirit left Saul and the Spirit came upon David. This was the clear declaration that David was now Yahweh’s king, exalted before him. Well, Peter says the same is true of Jesus. After raising him, God has exalted him and given him his Spirit. Thus, if they think that God has taken his Spirit from this Jesus, they need to realize that Jesus of Nazareth is the very one who has poured out the Spirit today. He has the Spirit without measure. In fact, he is the one that David wrote of, the one David called Lord when he declared that God has declared to his Messiah that he will make his enemies a footstool for his feet. That is, God has exalted Jesus as King, and he is a King who will conquer his enemies. He is not a King who will let his enemies walk away. They will be crushed under his feet. And yet Peter reminds them of one more thing God has done with his Son through his resurrection.

God has vindicated his Son, making him Lord and Christ (36)

Peter was not ignorant of the thoughts of the Jews on this day. He knew they thought Jesus was condemned by God. Yet he ends declaring, “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” (36).

God has vindicated his Son. On that Friday as Jesus died on that cross, suffocating in his own blood, hanging on a tree the Jews knew that this meant he was under God’s condemnation. They knew the law well enough to know that cursed is the man who is hanged on a tree. They knew he was cursed by God. They knew he was condemned by God. They didn’t know he was condemned and under a curse for them. They didn’t know that he was suffering not for his own sins (for he never sinned) but for theirs. But they were perceptive enough to know God’s last word on that Friday to Jesus was, “You are condemned.” He has died, clearly under God’s curse, before all present. The verdict of the Sanhedrin that Jesus had blasphemed God, was worthy of death, and would now receive his condemnation seemed to be upheld as he died on that cross.

But on that Sunday morning God overturned the verdict of the Sanhedrin. He declared loud and clear that condemnation was not his last word. He refused to let men think his Son continued under the curse of God. He raised him from the dead. He had raised him from the dead and declared loud and clear that he was and is both Lord and Christ. He is the Messiah. He is God’s Son. He is God, the Son.

And this is crucial for our salvation. So often we speak of the gospel as being the message that Christ has died for our sins so that we might be forgiven, so that we might have eternal life. But that is not the gospel. It is part of the gospel. The gospel is indeed the good news that Jesus died on the cross, paying the penalty for our sins in our place, but it is also that three days later God raised him from the dead. And we so often forget that or just tack it on as if it’s something we need to acknowledge but something that holds very little importance. And we read Paul’s words, even as we’ve heard today earlier in our service, that if Jesus is not raised then we are still in our sins and that all those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished, and we think he must be overstating it a bit. After all, wouldn’t it be best to say that if Jesus is not raised, then we will not be raised either but we will be forgiven of our sins, justified before God, lying in our graves? But that’s not what Paul says. Why then can Paul make such a bold statement?

It is because our salvation is wrapped up in being united with Christ. When we place our faith in Christ, what is true of Christ becomes true of us as well. Therefore, if he is not raised, then the last word from God toward him and the last word of God toward us, because of our union with Christ would be, “Condemned.” Jesus must be vindicated (or justified) if we hope to be justified. That’s why the resurrection is not a nice addition to the gospel message but a necessary element of the gospel message. If God does not declare his Son’s justification through the resurrection then we are not justified either. That’s why Paul makes such bold statements in 1 Corinthians 15, and it’s why Paul declares in Romans 4:25, “He was raised for our justification.”

Peter knew they thought Jesus had been left condemned under God’s curse, so he reminds them that God has vindicated his Son. Not only has he declared that he is no blasphemer worthy of death, but he has declared that he is both Lord and Christ. And then he reminds them again that the Jesus he’s talking about is the one they crucified.

Therefore, you can imagine being in the crowd that day, hearing how clearly Jesus is Yahweh’s Messiah, being reminded that you played a role in his death, being reminded that as Yahweh’s exalted King he will crush his enemies, and being reminded that God has declared him to be nothing less than the Lord.

What does God think of Jesus of Nazareth? The answer is clear. He is God’s Anointed, the one whose possession is the whole earth, the one who will rule over his enemies. And they had made themselves his enemies. That’s why they are pierced to the heart. That’s why they cry out in verse 37, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

And this is a good question for us as well. What shall we do in light of this text?

If you’re not a believer, then you need to do what Peter declares to the crowd in verse 38, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” You need to repent of your sins and place your faith in Christ. “But,” you ask, “How do I declare to everyone that I do indeed believe?” You make that profession public through baptism, showing that you have indeed been united with Jesus in his death, burial, and resurrection.

If you are a believer today then let me point us to a couple of things we need to do. First, let us proclaim this gospel message that we’ve heard Peter proclaim in this text. Let us make sure that we declare the death and resurrection of Christ, remembering that if he is not raised we are not justified. And let us proclaim to men the danger that awaits them if they do not repent and believe. Jesus has been anointed the King whose enemies he will be crushed under his feet as they will be in hell for eternity. Let us proclaim the whole gospel and plead with men to flee from the wrath to come.

And, finally, let us rejoice and thank God for what he’s done for us in Jesus Christ. If you are a believer today, then you are right with God, justified before him only because Christ died for you and has been raised from the dead and exalted to the right hand of the Father. If you are a believer today, then when he comes to judge his enemies, you can know that he has called us his friends. Let us therefore worship him, as his people, by coming to the table and proclaiming Christ and his work for us as our only hope. Amen.

HIS VINDICATION - OUR JUSTIFICATION