“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him,
“‘I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
my flesh also will dwell in hope.
For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One see corruption.
You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’
Comment: This event is set in a very strained and tense time. Jesus’ followers have been secreting themselves behind locked doors. They didn’t know what the future held, although Jesus had been very positive about the future. And this very day God had pushed them out into the crowded city and made them stand out as clearly as cows in a paddock of chickens. We saw yesterday that Peter took an Old Testament passage which the vast majority knew by heart and claimed that as he was speaking God was putting flesh onto the framework of the old promise! Then he re-tells the death of Jesus as it had happened. God was in control but the Jews (the people listening to him speak!) were the lawless hands who put Jesus to death. But God didn’t leave Jesus dead, He raised Him to vibrant life! Peter set it firmly in the expectations of Judaism by quoting a very relevant passage from their hero, David. David had lived a thousand years before this event was now perfectly fulfilled.
Prayer: Help me to see history from Your stand-point Lord God.
As I read it! 