Acts 2:25-47 - Peter’s Message that Jesus is the Risen Messiah

<p>Introduction</p> <p>     In this pericope, Luke continues to present Peter’s message to the Israelites whom he declares are guilty—as are all mankind—of rejecting Jesus as the Messiah and placing Him upon a cross to be crucified (Acts 2:22-24; cf., Acts 4:27-28). But Peter, operating from the divine perspective, also declared that Jesus’ crucifixion was part of God’s sovereign will and predetermined plan. After Jesus’ crucifixion and death, God raised Him up, never to die again (Rom 6:9) and Jesus ascended to heaven, where He is now seated next to the Father (cf., Eph 1:20; Col 3:1). To make this point, Peter cites Psalm  16:8-11 to argue that Jesus is the Messiah.</p> <ul><li>For David says of Him, “I SAW THE LORD ALWAYS IN MY PRESENCE; FOR HE IS AT MY RIGHT HAND, SO THAT I WILL NOT BE SHAKEN. 26 ‘THEREFORE MY HEART WAS GLAD AND MY TONGUE EXULTED; MOREOVER MY FLESH ALSO WILL LIVE IN HOPE; 27 BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT ABANDON MY SOUL TO HADES, NOR ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY. YOU HAVE MADE KNOWN TO ME THE WAYS OF LIFE; YOU WILL MAKE ME FULL OF GLADNESS WITH YOUR PRESENCE.” (Acts 2:25-28)</li> </ul> <p>     The above psalm was written by David and was intended to reveal that Messiah would not undergo decay in the grave, but that the Father would raise Him up. It is literal prophesy with literal fulfillment. Peter continues his address, saying:</p> <ul><li>"Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 And so, because he was a prophet and knew that GOD HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SEAT one OF HIS DESCENDANTS ON HIS THRONE, 31 he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY. 32 This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses." (Acts 2:29-31)</li> </ul> <p>     Peter’s main point is that David had died and was buried, so he did not refer to himself, but to his descendant, Jesus, who is the Messiah. God had promis