5 Faith Factors

Acts 2:22-24, 33-35 “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 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…32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. 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.
 
PETER’S Pentecost sermon continues with five essential truths about Jesus. First he is Jesus of Nazareth. This fact first identified Jesus because many had the same name. Many, too, would have heard of Jesus of Nazareth as one who was perhaps the Messiah. This, though, did discount Jesus as Messiah because the Messiah was prophesied to come from Bethlehem. Jesus’ Bethlehem birthplace was not generally known. Peter affirmed Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah because he was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.
   The second faith factor is Jesus’ crucifixion under God’s authority. This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. There have been many attempts throughout history to say the ruling Jews were not responsible for Jesus’ death. Peter says here they were, and so was Rome. The coordinated efforts of evil put Jesus on the cross under God’s plan.
   A third faith factor is Jesus’ resurrection. The triumph over death and evil cannot be stated more deeply. 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. Peter affirmed this was true because all the apostles had seen him. This is the testimony of unmovable faith because of one’s personal experience with God.
   The fourth faith truth is Jesus of Nazareth is not only risen, he is exalted to the right hand of God. The man who seemed to be a common carpenter from Nazareth is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. And the fifth faith factor is that Jesus has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.
   Peter was expanding the Jews’ understanding of God. Here is the three persons of the Holy Trinity revealing through Jesus that God’s power has come to earth. Peter’s organized, Spirit-inspired sermon is opening the Jews’ minds to the true Messiah. In our next lesson, we will see this was not necessarily good news to many.