Here in Acts 2 we find the first sermon ever preached in the age of grace. The Holy Spirit came down during the feast of Pentecost. The upper room people were praying and when they went down from that room there had been a change.
Their Master had died and rose three days later. Forty days later he ascended to heaven and then 10 days later Pentecost was to occur. Jews from all over the world gathered for this feast. Gentiles were there too. Most were lost and didn’t even realize it. The age of the Law had come to an end; the Jews didn’t realize it. The Law had been fulfilled in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When Jesus came out of the grave he ushered in a new age. Later he ascended and there was a 10-day pause. This wasn’t to give Jesus time to get to heaven; rather it gave time for the world to gather for Pentecost. Jews, Greeks and Romans were there. They were lost. The Jews had an incomplete knowledge of salvation. The Law led them to the threshold but gave no answer to the curse of sin that came upon mankind as a result of the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden. That day–on Pentecost–a change happened. Those in the upper room were born again and given perfect knowledge of the whys and wherefores of Jesus’ coming and his death, burial and resurrection.
They came down from the upper room and saw people from every nation there for the feast. They spoke different languages. God blessed them to speak in those languages. They were gifted with tongues to clarify the gospel, not cause confusion. The devil works overtime to confuse people on what a person must do to be saved. On this day, the people heard loud and clear in their own language. Simon Peter stood up and preached that first message.
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: 24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. 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 the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. 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? 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.
Thank God for the simplicity of that message. It was translated to all the languages and put together for everyone to understand why Jesus had to die and lie in the grave for three days. After he said “it is finished” and died, why didn’t he just take himself off the cross and tell people to trust him as Savior?
Adam and Eve were told by God they would die if they ate of the forbidden fruit. The devil questioned that. They didn’t understand death. As far a the body is concerned, death occurs when the heart stops beating. We’ve had loved ones die and it doesn’t seem real. We asked them to wake up but they do not. When Adam and Eve sinned, they stayed alive but lost their eternal life. They began to die as a result of that sin. Sin is behind the shootings and the bombings. It’s the reason we fight with this old flesh. We face the presence of sin every day. The result of sin is death. The Bible says that before salvation we were dead in trespasses and sins. As soon as something dies it starts falling apart. Corruption sets in. Our body is now born to die because of sin. It is headed for judgement and the lake of fire. The longer a person lives without Jesus, the more life falls apart. Decay and ruin happen because of sin and it gets worse and worse.
You can’t fix sin with sin. We can’t fight it. That’s why leaves fall to the ground. The devil probably looks at creation and laughs because it is starting to die right now. God turned that dying around and made it beautiful, coloring it with golds and all the other colors of fall. It keeps dying and in the winter gets dark and gray. The devil laughs again. What does God do? He blankets the earth with a layer of white snow. Even with all the hazards of snow, all of us think it’s beautiful. It covers the corrupt. God sends a covering. He tells us in the Bible to come reason with him. Though our sins are are red like crimson, they can be white as snow.
Once dead, now alive. Once lost, now found. That’s us. Let the snow come. Let’s be covered with the covering of God. That’s why Jesus had to lie in the grave. Just like we will. If we have believed in Jesus Christ as Savior, even when this old body lives no more, we know we will come out of the grave. Because Jesus came out on the third day, sits at the right hand of God in a healed body, we know we will be come out and be there too. The scars are still there on his body. Through his stripes and wounds we are healed and have a perfect Savior. When this old body is eaten up we’ll still hear the trumpet sound. He’ll call our name. We’ll come out in a glorified body. Corruption will end. When Jesus came out, corruption was finished. He didn’t have to say “I am risen”. It was evident. All of earth and heaven knew it. Finally the people knew. The disciples were all convinced.
This is what Peter preached. Jesus had started to decay but he arose on the third day to live forevermore. There is coming a day that we’ll be taken to a place that we’ll never feel the heat of a parched summer or the harsh winds of winter. Sin will have been dealt with and creation will no longer know corruption. There will be eternal spring showing an end to death and corruption. Victory comes through Jesus Christ. He’ll bring us to life if we trust him and we’ll live forevermore with him.
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 