Now comes the important gospel message.
Acts 2:22 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:
A powerful sermon begins with, listen to my words as he spoke with authority.
Jesus of Nazareth, even the devils knew that name;
Mark 1:23 And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,
Mark 1:24 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.
Mark 1:25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.
Mark 1:26 And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.
a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs;
Yes even his enemies knew he was from God;
Jhn 11:47 Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.
Jhn 11:48 If we let him thus alone, all [men] will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.
They were concerned for their own positions, seeking job security, so from envy they killed Jesus. When Jesus becomes king on earth all nations will bow to him. God worked mighty works through him.
Phil 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Phil 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
Jesus speaks
Luk 11:20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.
The testimony of the healed blind man
John 9:31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshiper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.
John 9:32 Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.
John 9:33 If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.
Acts 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
Peter doesn't hold back, he speaks the truth with new Holy Ghost boldness.
Even though God sent him knowing that he was to die for sins, and Jesus also knowing this was his cup given him by his father, yet he obeyed;
Mat 26:39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
Still, those who murdered Jesus must bear the responsibility for their actions.
"ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain (Jesus):"
Mat 27:25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.
Mat 27:26 Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
Mat 12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
Mat 12:37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
Peter was not out to tickle the ears of the people, or to make them laugh, he speaks the truth to them
Acts 2:24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
Quoting from Psalms 16, In the term "pains of death", the word pains is actually the word for "birth pains"; in this sense, the tomb was a womb for Jesus! The grave can no more hold the Redeemer than a pregnant woman can hold the child in her body.
John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Born of water, a natural birth from woman. Born of the Spirit, the resurrected Christ coming out of the cave tomb a new Spiritual creation.
Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
For as he was raised by the Spirit of life, so shall we likewise be made alive.
Rom 8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
Rom 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
The resurrection is the proof of our new life in Christ
1 Cor 15:17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
1 Cor 15:18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
1 Cor 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
1 Cor 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
1 Cor 15:21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
1 Cor 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
Peter continues to speak of the resurrection. Killing Jesus was not a victory for Satan, but his defeat!
Through believing in Jesus, His blood removes our sins and we shall be with Jesus forever.
