A Second Chance for the Jury

July 12, 2025 | Read and Think About Acts 2:33-41

The last passage of Module 6 involves the same people featured in the first passage of the module.  They are the people.  The crowd.  The worshippers at the Feast who came to Jerusalem from near and far. 

On his entry to the city, they greeted Jesus like the King that He is.  Days later, they gathered for a public farce of a trial in Pilate’s court.  They voted to release Barabbas.  About Jesus, they yelled “Crucify Him!” His blood was on their hands.

Now on Pentecost, thousands of them had gathered when they observed amazing signs of a miracle, the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the apostles. 

And in this moment, as Luke records in verse 37, they were convinced by Peter’s words, when he said to them: 

“God has made him both Lord and Christ (Messiah), this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Whoa!  They were not only convinced, but also cut to the heart.  Convicted. 

How many times has a person or a group done something deserving of horrible consequences, yet received a 100%, unconditional, loving and grace-filled second chance?  An opportunity to have their sins, and their lives, redeemed. These folks received this second chance, and many of them took it. 

And so have we.  Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

When Peter Preached About the Resurrection

July 11, 2025 | Read and Think About Acts 2:24-32

We are in the middle of the sermon Peter preached 7 weeks after Jesus' death and resurrection, at the next major feast to occur in Jerusalem that year (the Feast of Pentecost, which symbolically refers to "first fruits" of the harvest).

The 9 verses in today's passage, along with the 9 subsequent verses we cover in tomorrow's, are at the very heart of observing the Good News.

In verses 24-32, Peter explains to the thousands of listeners that it was impossible for death to keep its hold over Jesus, for God raised His lifeless body. He shows the people that the Scripture - "you will not let your Holy One see decay" was about Jesus.

Peter's sermon ties beautifully to the history of King David - that David foresaw the resurrection and knew that God had promised him on oath to place on one of his descendants on a permanent throne. Now having understanding, the people know that this descendant is Jesus.

The fact that God raised Jesus to life is the proof. No one there is denying it. Peter, the apostles, and in fact hundreds of others, witnessed the resurrected Jesus before He ascended to Heaven.

This was for them a literal observing of the Good News!

When Peter Preached About the Crucifixion of Jesus

July 9, 2025 | Read and Think About Acts 2:1-4 and 2:22-23

Acts chapter 2 is a pivotal moment in the Bible. This is when Peter, with the help of the Holy Spirit, explained  the crucifixion to thousands of people (2:22-23).

First, he says Jesus proved his divinity through the miracles and signs He performed.  These were witnessed by multitudes, including some who were there listening to Peter that day.  In spite of this, Peter explains, Jesus was handed over to the will of the people, and they chose that He should be crucified instead of Pilate releasing Him. 

What a shift that was. On entering Jerusalem, Jesus appeared to them as a powerful king, ready to lead victoriously as some of their ancestors had.  By the time they witnessed the trial before Pontius Pilate, however, everything had changed. 

In the minds of the crowd, Jesus’ power on entering the city days before seemed like an illusion.  Now powerless, at least by all appearances, they were displeased because their expectations of Jesus were not met.

Isn’t it a paradox that the power Pilate appeared to have was the real illusion here.

Importantly to the context of Acts chapter 2, the crowd who had attended the Passover and yelled, “Release Barabbas, Crucify Jesus!” also came 7 weeks later for the next feast, Pentecost.  Peter is speaking to the same group of people, when he told them: 

The crucifixion happened by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge.

I went back and read that last phrase to myself a few times.  The implications of this truth are astounding.  The weight of this reaches all the way back to when sin first occurred in the Garden of Eden, and extends farther than eye can see into eternity. 

With extreme gratitude on our parts, the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus are the bridge He made, so we could have the possibility of going to Heaven.