“Jesus, whom you crucified” (Acts 2:22-36)

“Jesus, whom you crucified”

 

 

 

 

[Acts 2:22-36]

 

 

In the creation myth of the ancient Korean kingdom, there is a verse in an inserted song that goes like this: ‘Thick and thick, I'll give you my old house, build a new one.’  Do you know what this means?  There is a frog with a venomous bite called the ‘Om toad.’  When this Om toad lays eggs, it used to be afraid of snakes and avoided them.  But after laying eggs, it goes to find a venomous snake and fights with all its might, spewing venom.  Eventually, it gets eaten by the snake, but in the process, it leaves behind its venom.  This venom, left behind in the belly of the snake, eventually kills the snake as well.  Moreover, the eggs in the belly of the mother Om toad are born as healthy baby Om toad, fed by both the mother Om toad and the snake.  In the phrase ‘Thick and thick, I'll give you my old house, build a new one,’ the old house refers to the mother who sacrifices her body for her children, and the new house symbolizes the children (Internet).  There is a spiritual lesson to be learned from this allegory.  In a way, the "old house" can be likened to Jesus.  Jesus, who sacrificed His body on the cross for us, through the crucifixion, has given us a "new house" - a new life and eternal life.  Even if we betray Jesus time and again, Jesus, seated at the right hand of God, continues to intercede for us even today.

 

Today's passage, Acts 2:22-36, is the second part of the sermon delivered by the apostle Peter, who was filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.  He addressed to the fellow Jews and all of people who dwelled in Jerusalem (v. 14) in this portion.  In the first part (2:14-21), he emphasized that the 120 disciples were not drunk, but had received the fulfillment of Joel's prophetic words about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and being filled with the Spirit.  He exhorts them to call upon the name of the Lord to receive salvation before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord (vv. 20-21).  Following this, in today's passage, Peter preaches about Jesus, who was crucified, resurrected, ascended, and promised by God the Father to send the Holy Spirit.  He declared that the Holy Spirit, whom to the fellow Jews and all of people who dwelled in Jerusalem (v. 14) saw and heard, was poured out on the 120 disciples (v. 33).  In verse 36, he mentioned "this Jesus whom you crucified."  I will contemplate on four aspects of Jesus, which are central to today's passage, and seek to hear God's voice through Peter's preaching.

 

First, the Jesus whom Peter preached about is the one who was "handed over" (v. 23).

 

Look at Acts 2:23a – “This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge ….”  Here, "handed over" refers to the crucifixion of Jesus.  So, how was Jesus handed over?  This signifies that from eternity past (2 Tim. 1:9), God had already ordained and planned Jesus' substitutionary death (MacArthur).  Here, we must bear in mind two facts:

 

(1)   The first fact is that Jesus' death on the cross as the atonement for our sins was not a random event, but it was within God's preordained plan (Park).

 

Look at Luke 22:22a - "For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined...."  Jesus' substitutionary death on the cross was determined from the beginning.

 

(2)   Another fact is that if God the Father had not delivered Jesus to the Jews and lawless men, they could never have crucified Him.

 

Jesus Himself speaks of this fact in John 19:10-11: "So Pilate said to him, 'You will not speak to me?  Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?' Jesus answered him, 'You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above....'"  So, why did God deliver Jesus to the Jews and lawless men?  Paul explains it this way: "who was delivered up for our trespasses..." (Rom. 4:25).  In order to atone for our sins, God the Father, who did not spare His own Son, delivered Him up for us all.  If God the Father gave us His most precious Son, what will He not graciously give us? (8:32).  What will He not give us, who gave us Jesus, who is the highest?

 

Second, the Jesus preached by Peter is the Jesus who could not be held by death.

 

Look at Acts 2:24 - " 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."  In other words, the Jesus who was handed over to the cross was raised again by God the Father (resurrection).  Witnessing this fact, Peter preached that Jesus had risen from death.  Look at verse 32: " God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact."  He also provides another testimony to Jesus' resurrection by referring to David in the Old Testament: " But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne.  Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay" (vv. 30-31).  Here, Peter emphasizes that David, in the core of the citation from Psalms 16:10, received an oath from God prophesying that the Christ, Jesus, would come from his descendants (2 Sam. 7:12).  David, who knew (Acts 2:30) and also "seeing what was ahead" (v. 31), pointed out that the Christ would be crucified, rise from the dead, and be enthroned as king.  Professor Sang-seop Yoo stated, ‘The resurrection of the Messiah was absolutely necessary in order to enthrone the Messiah on David's throne. God decisively accomplished this through the resurrection of Jesus’ (Yoo).

 

The resurrection of this Jesus gives our physical bodies a dwelling in hope.  Look at Acts 2:26 - "Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my body also will live in hope."  Due to the resurrection of Jesus, our bodies now dwell in hope.  Why does our flesh dwell in hope?  Look at Acts 2:27 – “because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.”  However, without the resurrection of Jesus, our bodies would have no hope.  Without the resurrection of Jesus, what kind of people would we be?  Look at 1 Corinthians 15:19 - "If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied."  However, we are people with hope.  Through the resurrection of Jesus, our physical bodies have hope.  The reason is that the resurrection of Jesus is precisely our resurrection.  Look at 1 Corinthians 15:42-44: "So is it with the resurrection of the dead.  What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.  It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory.  It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.  If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body."  Also, look at Philippians 3:20-21: "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself."

 

Third, the Jesus preached by Peter is the way of life.

 

Look at Acts 2:28 - " You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence."  What does "the paths of life" mean here?  It refers to the salvation given to us through the resurrection of Jesus.  This salvation encompasses both the spiritual and physical aspects (v. 27, Park).  In the midst of being filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter quotes Psalms 16:8-11, proclaiming that through the death (Acts 2:23) and resurrection (v. 24) of Jesus, there is salvation in calling on His name for both the spiritual and physical aspects (v. 21).  However, too many people seem to be walking the path of destruction rather than the path of life.  Even within the church, there are cases where people refuse to hear and believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, choosing the path of destruction.  This cannot be anything but tragic.  Those who refuse to believe in Jesus even at the doorstep of death may consider death as the end.  However, for the righteous, death is not the end, but rather the beginning of eternal life in heaven (Park).  Instead of being the end, death signifies the commencement of life in the eternal kingdom.  David was well aware of this fact.  His confession in Psalms 16:10 (quoted in Acts 2:27) indicates that he foresaw the Messiah's resurrection from death.  Following David's example, Peter emphasizes in his sermon that, just as David rejoiced in anticipation of this event, we too should be filled with gladness.  The reason being that entering the eternal kingdom and standing before God will truly be the ultimate joy.  This is why David earnestly prayed to God in Psalms 27:4, "One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple."

 

Fourth and last, the Jesus preached by Peter is the exalted Jesus.

 

Look at Acts 2:33 - " Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear."  Here, the phrase "exalted to the right hand of God" means that God lifted Jesus up to heaven and seated Him at His right hand.  In other words, God exalted Jesus to His throne, fulfilling the promise made to David (Yoo).  This event of being enthroned at the right hand of God signifies that God officially appointed Jesus as the ruler in heavenly authority.  This first act of rulership was carried out by Jesus, who received the Holy Spirit from the Father and poured it out on the 120 disciples on the day of Pentecost (v. 33).  Professor Sang-seop Yoo stated: ‘…  the Pentecost event is a historically significant event that demonstrates that Jesus began to rule legitimately from the right hand of God.  Apostle Peter urged all the house of Israel to clearly know this fact (Acts 2:36).  Now, the Pentecost event that took place on Pentecost day enables us to see the invisible fact that Jesus received His enthronement as Lord and Christ in heaven’ (Yoo).

 

Who nailed Jesus to the cross?  Was it the Roman soldiers?  The high priests?  Or was it the Jews?  If we look at the hymn “Jesus Shed His Blood for Me”, it says that “that mindless mob” crucified Jesus on the cross.  When I sing this part, I often change it to ‘mindless James’ crucified Jesus on the cross.  The basis for this is Hebrews 6:6: " if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace."  Of course, it is talking about apostasy, but are we not living lives that "crucify" Jesus all over again by betraying Him repeatedly?  Our God gave Jesus to be crucified.  However, Jesus could not be bound by death.  The resurrected Jesus, who emerged from death, showed us the way of life.  God exalted this Jesus.  Through faith in this Jesus, I hope and pray that both you and I can obtain and enjoy eternal life.

 

 

 

 

 

In Christ's gospel and sharing the path of life by God's grace,

 

 

 

 

James Kim

(By God's grace, while walking the path of life)