The Divine Plan of Salvation: Jesus Approved, Crucified, and Resurrected

1. Acts 2:22-24

2. The First Gospel Sermon • Acts 2:22-23 Peter continues: • 22 "Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. • 23 This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.

3. v22-24; JESUS approved by God killed by the Jews raised by the Father First Point Jesus was approved by God the Father

4. v22; This was demonstrated by the many miracles that God performed THROUGHJesus

5. v22; Not like the MANY Pretend or Counterfeit miracles that are often claimed today 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12;

6. v22; Second Point These miracles were worked in the very MIDST of the JEWS

7. Jesus of Nazareth had been preaching and healing more than three years in the Land of Israel. The Jews listening to Peter had heard about Jesus and knew He claimed to be their Messiah. • They had heard about His miracles and knew about His teachings. They knew from their history that all prophets were accredited by God by the miracles they performed. And Jesus had done more and greater miracles than all of them.

8. God’s Set Purpose and Foreknowledge • The death of Jesus on the cross as the world’s sacrifice for sin was planned and carried out by God using the hands of men to accomplish it. • God had known from the Creation what He would do and how He would do it. • Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 describe the kind of suffering and death Jesus would endure many centuries before these things occurred.

9. v23; Third Point This means that God had PLANNED ahead of time that JESUS would DIE for the SINS of the world

10. v23; Third Point Peter said that Jesus had been DELIVERED by the determined foreknowledge of God the Father

11. v23; Revelation 13:6 JESUS the LAMB slain from the FOUNDATION of the world

12. v23; Galatians 4:4; WHEN the FULLNESS of time had come Godsent forthHis Son

13. v23; Matthew 27:18; The JEWS delivered JESUS Because of ENVY GOD delivered JESUS Because of OUR SINS

14. v23; Romans 4:24; JESUSdelivered up for OUR OFFENCES Romans 8:32; GODdid notSPAREHis own SONbut delivered HIM up for US ALL

15. v23; PRIMARY REASON JESUS DIED NOTBecause of ENVY NOTBecauseHE was WEAK But because GOD Planned for JESUSto be theSACRIFICE FOR OUR SINS

16. v23; The FACT that God had PLANNED ahead of time that JESUS would DIE did NOT effect any persons FREEDOM OF CHOICE

17. v23; Consistent with God's dealing with man from the beginning, each of the participants in this stirring drama, includingJesus, freely chose the action they took.

18. v23; Joshua 24:15; CHOOSE this day WHOM YOU WILL SERVE LIVINGGODor false gods

19. v23; John 10:17-18; POWER to GIVEHisLIFE POWER to TAKE it again To DIE for sin – the Command of GOD JESUSmade a CHOICE

20. v23; John 10:17-18; JESUSmade a CHOICE To LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR “US”

21. v23; Fourth Point Peter placed responsibility for the crucifixion and death of Jesus on the Jews “YOU”

22. v23; Fourth Point “YOU” Have taken by the HANDS of Lawless men IMAGINE THE IMPACT After all that Peter has just said in v22-23;

23. v23; by the HANDS of Lawless men These words refer to the Roman officers and soldiers who carried out the actual crucifixion of Jesus.

24. v23; Lawless men The words can mean "men without law", which would refer to Gentiles, including Romans who did not have the law of Moses

25. v23; Lawless men When they brought Jesus before the Jewish council the charge wasblasphemy

26. v23; Lawless men The punishment for blasphemy by Jewish law should have been stoning, but the Jews submitted Him to death by crucifixion.

27. v23; WHY The law said, "CURSED BE EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE“.

28. v23; WHY Here we see the maliciousness,thehatredthat these Jewish leadershad for Jesus.

29. v24; Peter did not need to spend a great deal of time provingthecrucifixionanddeathofJesus. These were factsalready well-known andbelievedby all.

30. v24; PeterdidNEEDtospend SOME time proving the Resurrection of Christ so those with honest and good hearts would believe in it as a fact.

31. v24; Fifth Point PeterSPEAKSof the Resurrection of Christ

32. Acts 2:24-28 Peter continues: • 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. 25 David said about him: • "'I saw the Lord always before me. • Because he is at my right hand, • I will not be shaken.

33. v23; NOTICE the PROGRESSION in his ARGUMENTS v22 God showed His approval of Jesus by miracles that none could deny YET they pronounced the death sentence. v23 The Jews by lawless hands, had crucified and killed Jesus

34. v24; But God reversedthat unjustified sentence of death God again showed His divine approval of His beloved Son by raisingHimfrom the dead. In doing this God "loosed the pains of death".

35. v24; "loosed“ The opposite of being bound or tied up with a rope or cord. It means to untie, liberate or make free.

36. v24; "loosed“ Thus, in raising Jesus from the dead and the grave, God liberated or freed Jesus from the death which He experienced for every man (Hebrews 2:9).

37. 26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, • 27 because you will not abandon me to the grave,* nor will you let your Holy One see decay. • 28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.' *v 27: You will not abandon my soul in Hades (The correct translation).

38. v24; Sixth Point Peter said Jesus was raised from the dead Because it was NOTpossiblefor Him to be held captive by death after the three daysappointed by God (cf. Luke 24:46).

39. The Resurrection • These Jews all probably had heard about the claim of Jesus’ disciples that He had risen from the dead. • If they or their leaders could have produced the body of Jesus, they certainly would have to prove He had not risen from the dead. They knew the story of the Roman guards, the sealed tomb and could not prove Jesus was still dead.

40. Hades was the prison for all souls before Jesus died on the cross. Jesus went into Hades but its gates could not hold Him in. When He came forth from Hades and His undecayed body came out of the tomb He could never die again and He opened the gates of Hades for the saved of all ages now forgiven through the Perfect Sacrifice (Matthew 16:18). • When He ascended He led those who had been imprisoned in Hades to heaven with Him (Ephesians 4:8-10). Artist’s concept – Gates of Hades

41. His Body Did not Decay • When Jesus arose from the dead He came forth from the tomb with what appeared to be the same body He had before His death, but without the blood. The nail holes were still in His hands and feet. The spear gash was still in His side. • He ate and drank with His disciples, suddenly appeared in a locked room and had the same miraculous powers He had before.

42. v24; TheIMPORTANCE of the Resurrection of Christ

43. 1 Corinthians 15:17. TheIMPORTANCE of the Resurrection of Christ If Christ is NOT risen yourfaithisvain you are still in your sins

44. Romans 4 v 25; TheIMPORTANCE of the Resurrection of Christ given up for OUR offences andRAISED for our JUSTIFICATION

45. Romans 4 v 25; TO BE JUSTIFIED means to be made INNOCENT from GUILT to be FREED from GUILT

46. Romans 4 v 25; TO BE JUSTIFIED Jesus was raised to present Himself as a sacrifice on our behalf that we might have forgiveness of our sins

47. Romans 1v 4; TheIMPORTANCE of the Resurrection of Christ He was DECLARED to be the SON of GOD WITH POWER by His RESURRECTIONFROM THE DEAD

48. Acts 2:24-35; Because of theIMPORTANCEof the Resurrection of Christ Peter spends the next ELEVEN VERSES dealing with the subject of RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD

49. Summaryof 2:22-24, JESUS: Attested by God; Killed by Jews; Raised by the Father.