Acts 2:14-36
Peter Explains the Promise
14Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, lifted up his voice, and addressed the crowd: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen carefully to my words.
15These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It is only the third hour of the day!
16No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.
18Even on My menservants and maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.
19I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20The sun will be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and glorious Day of the Lord.
21And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
22Men of Israel, listen to this message: Jesus of Nazareth was a man certified by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know.
23He was delivered up by God’s set plan and foreknowledge, and you, by the hands of the lawless, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross.
24But God raised Him from the dead, releasing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep Him in its grip.
25David says about Him: ‘I saw the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
26Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will dwell in hope,
27because You will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.
28You have made known to me the paths of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence.’
29Brothers, I can tell you with confidence that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.
30But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that He would place one of his descendants on his throne.
31Foreseeing this, David spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that He was not abandoned to Hades, nor did His body see decay.
32God has raised this Jesus to life, to which we are all witnesses.
33Exalted, then, 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.
34For David did not ascend into heaven, but he himself says: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand
35until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”’
36Therefore let all Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ!”
Berean Standard Bible
Peter stands with the eleven and explains that the disciples are not drunk. What the crowd sees is the fulfillment of Joel's promise that God would pour out his Spirit on all kinds of people.
God has raised this Jesus to life, to which we are all witnesses.
Peter moves from the Spirit to Jesus' death and resurrection. Jesus was delivered up according to God's plan, but the people crucified him. God raised him, and David's words about the Holy One not seeing decay point to this resurrection.
The sermon ends with a clear conclusion: God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ. The Spirit's arrival is not a free-floating spiritual experience. It bears witness to the crucified and risen Jesus.
Peter's explanation gives the crowd a way to understand what it has witnessed. The gift of the Spirit is not proof that human beings have become impressive; it is God's promised act in the last days. Sons and daughters, young and old, servants and free people are included in the promise. The Spirit's work is broad, but Peter keeps the center fixed on Jesus.
Peter does not soften the tension between God's purpose and human responsibility. Jesus was handed over according to God's deliberate plan, yet the people really rejected and killed him. God answered the cross by raising Jesus, and the resurrection confirms that death did not have the final word. David's hope finds its fulfillment in the risen Messiah, now exalted at God's right hand.
Peter's conclusion calls the listeners to see the Spirit, the cross, and the resurrection as one story. God is not offering spiritual power detached from Jesus; he is announcing that the crucified Jesus has been vindicated and now reigns as Lord and Christ.
Questions
1 What did Peter say the crowd was seeing?
AnswerHe said the event fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Joel.
2 What did God do with Jesus?
AnswerGod raised Jesus to life, and the apostles were witnesses of it.
3 What did David's words point toward?
AnswerThey pointed toward Jesus' resurrection and his victory over decay.
4 What conclusion did Peter announce?
AnswerGod had made Jesus both Lord and Christ.
What This Means for Us
Keep spiritual experience connected to the person and work of Jesus. When you talk about faith, do not stop at what you felt. Explain who Jesus is, what he has done, and why that changes your hope.
Prayer
Jesus, you are Lord and Christ. Make our worship and witness rest on your death, resurrection, and reign. Give us words that are clear and true. Amen.