Calvary Road Baptist Church
“THE PENTECOSTAL PREACHING OF PETER”
Acts 2.22-41
My message will analyze Simon Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost. If you have never paid much attention to Peter’s sermon in Acts chapter 2, it might be a little different than you imagined.
There is so much hullabaloo among the Pentecostals and Charismatics concerning the Day of Pentecost and the baptism of the Holy Spirit that we are often led to believe that Peter must have preached about the Holy Spirit on that day.
As we study Acts 2.22-41 together, I want you to realize that Peter’s Pentecostal sermon did not address the Holy Spirit of God. I am unaware of any sermon preached during the first century preserved in God’s Word and has the precious Holy Spirit as its subject.
The subject of the book of Acts is not the Holy Spirit. The subject of the book of Acts is the continuation, by Jesus Christ, of the work He began to do while on this earth.
Also, Peter’s sermon did not dwell upon the Holy Spirit. At the beginning of his sermon, he made reference to the Third Person of the Trinity. The subject of Peter’s sermon is the Lord Jesus.
We will see this as we look at the two components of Peter’s Pentecostal sermon.
COMPONENT NUMBER ONE DEALS WITH PETER'S EXPLANATION OF THE FACTS ABOUT JESUS OF NAZARETH.
If you are at Acts 2.22-36, I invite you to stand with me for the reading of God’s Word:
22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.
30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Peter began very quickly by explaining some things about the humanity of Jesus in verse 22:
“Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by Him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know.”
When Peter addressed the multitudes gathered around him, he identified them as “men of Israel.” I believe Peter did this for two reasons: First, He was about to address them concerning matters that the Gentiles of his day would have no knowledge of, as we shall see as we progress. Second, He addressed the representatives of Israel, the nation to whom the Messiah was sent. To them, Peter said, “Hear these words.” By this time, he had finished telling them what the Source of the Pentecostal signs and miraculous tongues were. Those things were signs wrought by the Holy Spirit of God.
Peter then began to tell his audience that for a proper explanation of the why of Pentecost, Peter must direct their attention to the author of the Pentecostal phenomenon, the Lord Jesus Christ. That is a mostly forgotten or overlooked detail among most Charismatics and Pentecostals. The first things Peter said about the Lord Jesus pertained to His humanity, as I mentioned earlier. “Jesus of Nazareth” was perhaps the most common way of addressing or referring to the Lord Jesus in that day. In John 1.45, the disciple named Philip called Him “Jesus of Nazareth.”
Even the Roman governor Pilate knew Jesus as “the Nazarene.” When he wrote the list of crimes for which Jesus was to be put to death, which would be placed on the cross over His head, he had written, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews,” John 19.19. Even if they had never seen Him personally, almost every individual in Jerusalem had heard of the crucifixion of the Nazarene Who claimed to be the Messiah.
But Peter maintained that this Jesus of Nazareth was no ordinary man. He stated that this man was “approved of God” verse 22. Maybe he remembered the occasion on the Mount of Transfiguration where Almighty God said, concerning this man Jesus, “This is my beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased. Hear ye Him.”[1] He stated that the way this approval was shown was by miracles and wonders and signs. Miracles, to show the great power that was at our Lord’s disposal. Wonders, which indicated the kind of reaction among the people His miracles caused. And signs that had a cumulative effect on the hearts of those who saw Him work miracles.
They knew this was of God. There could be no doubt about His great miracle-working power, which God did by Him, for the miracles were done in their very midst as He walked through the streets of towns and villages. Nothing fancy. This man wore no puffy satin sleeves or ruffled lace. No staging is required, with professional aisle walkers claiming to be healed—no organ music playing in the background to set the mood. Jesus of Nazareth had the miraculous credentials to prove that He was the Son of God, as those men standing at Peter’s feet knew only too well. Sometimes, you know something but refuse to admit what the facts prove. Maybe those men just liked worshipping God in their old ways. But God wanted salvation to come into their lives, so He moved an old-fashioned Gospel preacher to let ‘er rip.
After telling the multitude of men what kind of man Jesus was, or rather, helping them to remember what kind of man He was among them, Peter then turned to His death. Everyone in Jerusalem that day had heard of the crucifixion of the Nazarene. Most men felt that He was crucified for the sin of blasphemy without believing it was anything but a plot cooked up to get rid of a good man. But Peter has just given an inspired character reference for Jesus. Such a man, approved by God, could never be guilty of the sin of blasphemy, making His crucifixion all the more wrong. In verse 23, Peter gave the real reason for the death of Christ on the cross at Calvary:
“Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.”
Had they heard his words correctly? Did he not say that the Nazarene was delivered for execution by God? The determinate counsel of God refers to the council chambers of God, whereby decisions were made and brought about from eternity past and caused to happen in the present affairs of men.
Foreknowledge refers to God’s infinitely detailed awareness of what will happen in the future. God’s foreknowledge of the future is perfect because He brings the future into the present. He brings all things to pass. In some mysterious and incomprehensible way, those men began to understand that the crucifixion and death of the Nazarene was God’s plan all along. But in the same breath, this Galilean fisherman, lifting up his voice to them, declared that even though it was a fulfillment of God’s plan, they had brought it to pass. Did not Peter say to the men of Israel, “Ye have taken?” Yes, he did.
The men of Israel came and took Jesus from the Garden of Gethsemane, did they not? Was it not they who tried Him on several occasions during the night, in violation of the Mosaic Law? Did they not cry out for the life of Barabbas, the murderer, to be spared instead of the Doer of good? But Peter was not saying that the Jews only were the Christ killers. He went on to say,
“and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.”
Wicked means one who is lawless. It refers to people who were not given the Law to live by. Wicked men refer to Gentiles. It was the Gentiles who crucified and slew the Son of God, specifically the Romans since the Jews had no power to execute anyone. Thus, both Jews and Gentiles stood guilty before God for this heinous crime against the Creator and Sustainer of all things. Imagine the thoughts that raced through the minds of those men that day so long ago. This fisherman stated that Jesus of Nazareth was a perfect man, approved by God. But He had been wrongly murdered. Now, this Galilean fisherman also said that it was God’s plan for Jesus to die but that they would all be held accountable for His death. And not only those Jewish men, but the Gentiles, also. As they pondered those undeniable certainties, Peter quickly passed on to the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.
They had heard of the resurrection on the third day. They knew that such a miracle had to be false. But, strangely, no one put up anything like a denial of the resurrection. And no one could produce His body. And now, this man courageously stands before them and declares with bold assurance the resurrection to be a reality:
“Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that He should be holden of it.”
Notice that Peter didn’t bother to recite evidence as to why Jesus must be risen from the dead. He stood there, fearless and bold, declaring that it couldn't be any other way. God hath raised this Jesus up. Nothing else is to be considered. Do you believe the Bible, men of Israel? Then listen to King David’s words, spoken a thousand years before, verses 25-31:
25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.
30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
David had not spoken of himself. Being a prophet as well as a king, he spoke of this same Jesus. Peter then drove home his message about Jesus, who King David had spoken of, but who they were collectively guilty of crucifying:
“This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we are all witnesses.”
They tried to deny Peter’s words in their minds. But when he began to recite God’s Word, and to show what God had said through their great King David, they began to understand what they had collectively done only fifty days before.
But Peter doesn’t slow down. He doesn’t want to make it easy for them. He knows that they must understand the great sinfulness of their sin. So, he explained to them the exaltation of Jesus. Verses 33-35:
33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
Again, it was not David who was to be exalted. It was to be this Jesus, who we all know was a descendant of David. It was this Jesus who gave the gift of the Holy Spirit. It was this Jesus who poured out the Spirit upon them, which is to say the 120. It was the outpouring of the Spirit by Him, by Jesus, that resulted in the signs which they saw and heard.
Yes, He is exalted. There is a man who sits on the throne of the universe. But not an ordinary man, the God-Man. And He will remain at the right hand of God, the place of prominence, glory, and power, until God beats the enemies of Christ into abject submission, and they become the footstool under His feet.[2]
The conclusion is inescapable. It is unavoidable. It is fact. Verse 36:
“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, who ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
Peter drew his message to a head with a devastatingly strong conclusion. I paraphrase him with these words: “I want all those present here to know that God has made the man you crucified to be both your Lord and your Messiah.”
HAVING FINISHED HIS EXPLANATION, PETER MADE A TRANSITION TO THE INVITATION COMPONENT OF HIS SERMON.
But the invitation, to use that word for it, was not initiated by Peter. Because the evidence was so overwhelming, there was an appeal made to him by the Jewish men in his audience. Luke recorded their words in verse 37:
“Now when they heard this they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
Imagine standing there that morning, the realization running through your mind that Jesus Christ is the Son of God! And then you realize that He is the Messiah for Whom you and your people had waited for well over a thousand years. And, finally, you know that your sins sent Him to the cross. You feel so helpless. What can you do once all hope is lost? What can you do when you realize that the sins of your life were the instruments by which you crucified God’s beloved Son? What fearful things await you from the wrathful hand of God? Perplexed, confused, and utterly convinced of your guilt, you ask Peter, “What must we do?”
Peter’s answer is recorded in verses 38-40:
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
You must repent. Repentance is you turning from your rebellious ways unto Jesus Christ. It is repentance alone, which saves because only with repentance is genuine saving faith. The thief on the cross repented and was saved. Repent to be saved and baptized to show that you are saved. When you repent, Jesus will give you the gift of the Holy Ghost. It is a promise and an offer extended to all called into the arms of a loving Savior. What were the many other words Peter spoke in verse 40? I think that he told them to come to Christ. Don’t run from the One Whom you’ve offended. To Him. Run to Him, and He will save you. I think he pleaded with them about the consequences of rejecting Christ. The only alternative to heaven is an eternity in Hell. I think he told them that their whole nation was going to Hell. No matter that they offered sacrifices. If you do not personally receive Jesus Christ as Savior, you will go to Hell and then the lake of fire for all time. Finally, I think he told them not to delay. Don’t wait until tomorrow. You don’t know if there will be a tomorrow for you. You are being drawn to Christ today. That means today is your day to be saved.
After Peter’s answers, there were additions to the Church:
“Then they that gladly received his word were baptised; and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”
When the challenge was given, because no one was asked, but all were directed to repent, 3,000 gladly received Peter’s words. They knew they were headed for trouble because they were sinners by nature and were condemned by their own sin. They gladly responded to his directive when Peter told them that only repentance was needed. The second thing Peter wanted them to do was submit to baptism. In verse 38, Peter told the hearers, “Repent and be baptized for the remission of sins.” So much confusion results from misunderstanding this verse. The word “for” does not mean we are to be baptized to receive a remission of sins. It means to be baptized as a result of the remission of sins. You are saved, then baptized. If such were not the case, then neither the thief on the cross nor Father Abraham would be saved. Salvation is by faith. Baptism indicates in a person’s life that he is saved. And they that gladly received his word were baptized.
So, Peter’s sermon was totally centered on the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. He insisted to those men that they were responsible for the crucifixion of the Son of God.
Those men knew the facts that Peter presented were accurate. They knew that though they might not have even been in Jerusalem that day, they were responsible for the death of God’s beloved Son. They shuddered at the thought that they had attempted to destroy the Holy One of Israel. Being pricked in their heart, they repented. They received Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. They were saved.
Notice, once more, verse 23. Do you see the words “wicked hands?” That phrase refers to us, to Gentiles, to people who have not been given the Law of Moses. We are as responsible for sending Jesus to the cross as any Jew who was there.
Do you understand that 2,000 years ago there walked upon this earth the Perfect Son of God? Do you understand that your sin killed Him? When He became sin for me, He died for me. Do you realize that though dead, He was raised from the dead on the third day and now sits at the right hand of God? He will sit there until God conquers all His enemies, and everyone who is not His is His enemy.
Are you an enemy of God or a friend? A friend is someone who has been saved. An enemy is someone who has never received Jesus as personal Savior and doesn’t even know how to do that. To be saved, trust Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins.
One final observation for your consideration. Have you noticed that the Apostle Peter did not tell them how to be saved until they asked, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” “Then Peter said unto them, Repent.” Have we lost sight of the importance of not telling people how to be saved until there is some indication they are under conviction, concerned about their condition, disturbed about their fate, and sufficiently stirred to ask you, “What shall I do?”
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[1] Matthew 17.5
[2] Psalm 16.11; 110.1; Matthew 26.64; Mark 12.36; 14.62; 16.19; Luke 20.42; 22.69; John 3.13; 13.1; 14.2-4; Acts 1.9-11; 2.33, 34-35; 7.56; Romans 8.34; Ephesians 1.20; 6.9; Colossians 3.1; Second Thessalonians 1.7; Hebrews 1.3, 13; 8.1; 9.24; 10.12-13; 12.2; 1 Peter 3.22; Revelation 19.11
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