Print

ACTS 2:24

"THE HEART OF THE GOSPEL"

Intro: A crowd assembled to observe strange phenomena. Peter took advantage of the  crowd to
       preach. Jesus is the gospel.

I. "JESUS OF NAZARETH."
        A. This was to identify the subject to the crowd.
                1. Many Jewish boys called Jesus.
                        a. Beautiful name from Hebrew, Joshua.
                        b. A name that means Jehovah is salvation.
        B. The name was used commonly of Him.
                1. Philip to Nathaneal.
                2. Demon cried out, "We know who you are ..."
                3. Who seek ye? Jesus of Nazareth.
                4. Inscription on cross.
        C. The fact of His person asserted.

II. "A MAN APPROVED OF GOD AMONG YOU BY MIRACLES AND WONDERS AND  SIGNS."
        A. More literally, "A man proved to be of God."
                1. Jesus hod called to His works as His proof.
                        a. Disciples of John.
                        b. In response to Philip's plea, "Show us the Father"
        B. Three things -- miracles, wonders, signs.
                1. The miracles were demonstrations of supernatural powers.
                2. They created wonder in the minds of men.
                3. They constituted signs unto them.

Ill. "YE HAVE TAKEN BY WICKED HANDS AND HAVE CRUCIFIED AND SLAIN."
        A. That's looking at His death from the human side.
                1. A horrible most heinous crime.
                2. A cruel murder, blind folly.
        B. "Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
                God."
                1. This is the true perspective of His death.
                        a. "God so loved the world that He gave..."
                        b. "And God made Him to be sin for us..."
                        c. "And the Lord Faith laid on Him..."
        C. The death of Christ no accident of history.

IV. "WHOM GOD HATH RAISED UP."
        A. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the heart of the gospel message.
                1. He declared three facts: His person, His works, His death.
                2. Verse 33, three more facts: His exhaltation, His reception of the Holy
                   Spirit, His gift of Spirit to His church.
                3. Seven facts declared concerning Jesus: the heart of the facts, His
                   resurrection.
        B. Even as death prophesied, so also resurrection.- (Ps. 16:8-11. 
                1. "I shall not be moved."
                        a. Angels were moved, "Those angels which kept not
                                their first habitation."
                        b. Man was moved from first principles.
                        c. The secret of His not being moved.
                                1. "Keeping the Lord always before His face..."
                                2. Conscious of presence on right hand.
                2. "Thou wilt not leave My soul in Hades..."
                        a. This is the hope His soul was resting in.
                                1. When you rest in hope your heart rejoices and your
                                        tongue is glad or praising.
                3. "Thou hast made known unto Me the ways of Life."
                        a. Not the path of death.
                        b. "The fullness of joy at beholding His countenance.
        C. David was not speaking of himself, but of Christ. (verse 31..
        D. Verse 32, "We all are witnesses."

V. "GOD HATH MADE THE SAME JESUS WHOM YE HAVE CRUCIFIED, BOTH  LORD AND CHRIST."