PETER’S FIRST (AND BEST) SERMON
ACTS 2:14-36
NASB
14 But Peter, [a]taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words. 15 For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the [a]third hour of the day; 16 but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel:
17 ‘AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,’ God says,
‘THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL [a]MANKIND;
AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY,
AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS,
AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS;
18 EVEN ON MY BONDSLAVES, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN,
I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT
And they shall prophesy.
19 ‘AND I WILL GRANT WONDERS IN THE SKY ABOVE
AND SIGNS ON THE EARTH BELOW,
BLOOD, AND FIRE, AND VAPOR OF SMOKE.
20 ‘THE SUN WILL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS
AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD,
BEFORE THE GREAT AND GLORIOUS DAY OF THE LORD SHALL COME.
21 ‘AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.’
22 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man [a]attested to you by God with [b]miracles and wonders and [c]signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know — 23 this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of [a]godless men and put Him to death. 24 [a]But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the [b]agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held [c]in its power. 25 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 [a]ALLOW YOUR [b]HOLY ONE TO [c]UNDERGO DECAY.
28 ‘YOU HAVE MADE KNOWN TO ME THE WAYS OF LIFE;
YOU WILL MAKE ME FULL OF GLADNESS WITH YOUR PRESENCE.’
29 “[a]Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is [b]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 [a]OF HIS DESCENDANTS ON HIS THRONE, 31 he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of [a]the Christ, that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh [b]SUFFER DECAY. 32 This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. 33 Therefore having been exalted [a]to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. 34 For it was not David who ascended into [a]heaven, but he himself says:
‘THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD,
“SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND,
35 UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET.”’
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and [a]Christ —this Jesus whom you crucified.”
2:14 [a]Or being put forward as spokesman 2:15 [a]I.e. 9 a.m. 2:17 [a]Lit flesh 2:22 [a]Or exhibited or accredited [b]Or works of power [c]Or attesting miracles 2:23 [a]Lit men without the Law; i.e. pagan 2:24 [a]Lit Whom God raised up [b]Lit birth pains [c]Lit by it 2:27 [a]Lit give [b]Or devout or pious [c]Lit see corruption 2:29 [a]Lit Men brothers [b]Lit among 2:30 [a]Lit of the fruit of his loins 2:31 [a]I.e. the Messiah [b]Lit see corruption 2:33 [a]Or by 2:34 [a]Lit the heavens 2:36 [a]I.e. Messiah
NLT
14 Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, “Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this. 15 These people are not drunk, as some of you are assuming. Nine o’clock in the morning is much too early for that. 16 No, what you see was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel:
17 ‘In the last days,’ God says,
‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.
18 In those days I will pour out my Spirit
even on my servants —men and women alike —
and they will prophesy.
19 And I will cause wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below —
blood and fire and clouds of smoke.
20 The sun will become dark,
and the moon will turn blood red
before that great and glorious day of the LORD arrives.
21 But everyone who calls on the name of the LORD
will be saved.’[*]
22 “People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene[*] by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know. 23 But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. 24 But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip. 25 King David said this about him:
‘I see that the LORD is always with me.
I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.
26 No wonder my heart is glad,
and my tongue shouts his praises!
My body rests in hope.
27 For you will not leave my soul among the dead[*]
or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave.
28 You have shown me the way of life,
and you will fill me with the joy of your presence.’[*]
29 “Dear brothers, think about this! You can be sure that the patriarch David wasn’t referring to himself, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is still here among us. 30 But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised with an oath that one of David’s own descendants would sit on his throne. 31 David was looking into the future and speaking of the Messiah’s resurrection. He was saying that God would not leave him among the dead or allow his body to rot in the grave.
32 “God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. 33 Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today. 34 For David himself never ascended into heaven, yet he said,
‘The LORD said to my Lord,
“Sit in the place of honor at my right hand
35 until I humble your enemies,
making them a footstool under your feet.”’[*]
36 “So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!”
[2:17-21] Joel 2:28-32. [2:22] Or Jesus of Nazareth. [2:27] Greek in Hades; also in 2:31. [2:25-28] Ps 16:8-11 (Greek version). [2:34-35] Ps 110:1.
If you ever want to embarrass a preacher, ask him about his first sermon. Very few of us want to remember the first time we stood before a congregation, and most of us hope no one else can remember that embarrassing time!
One of my professors in seminary told the story of his first sermon, which he gave in a church far out in the country. As he stood up to preach, he opened his Bible, and at that very moment, the back door of the church flew open. In came a herd of goats. He said, “I tried to go on. And they were clattering and clanging around, jumping over the little country pews. And finally, I just stepped out of the pulpit, rolled up my sleeves, and with twenty or so other country folks, grabbed hold of those goats and pushed them back out the door.” During the scuffle, one of them butted him in the nose. For the rest of the sermon, he wiped blood from his face while he preached.
Another friend said he felt scared to death preparing for his first sermon, so he typed up page after page of notes, fourteen or fifteen in all. He stacked them in order and stuffed them into his Bible right where he planned to preach. He had been taught that immediate eye contact with the audience is crucial; don’t look at your notes, look at the people. He got up from the bench on the platform, walked to the pulpit, and on the way, dropped his stack of notes. But he didn’t know it, because he was looking at the people. When he finished his introduction, he looked down to find his notes strung all across the platform —out of order, of course. To make matters worse, he had forgotten to number the pages. He spent the next several minutes picking them up and putting them back in the proper order.
On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came down with the roaring sound of a violent wind and a flash of shekinah light and gave the otherwise hesitant Peter a miraculous ability to communicate the gospel. Unbelieving spectators marveled at what they saw. Some rejected the tongues event and ridiculed these followers of Christ as drunks (2:13, 15). Others couldn’t dismiss what they had seen, but neither could they understand the implications. Deeply troubled, they asked, “What does this mean?” (2:12).
A new age had begun, and the world would need to know. Peter stood to preach his very first sermon in public.
— 2:14 —
The phrase “taking his stand” is translated from the passive verb meaning “to stand,” which could suggest the rendering “being put forward.” The connected phrase “with the eleven” makes it possible they looked around at one another and agreed that Peter was the man for the occasion. As Henry Jacobsen writes, “He had no sermon notes, but he had two things that were infinitely more important. He had something to say, and he had the power of the Spirit.”[20] Even without notes or the benefit of preparation, Peter’s sermon appears very well organized; it was uncomplicated, direct, scriptural, and Christ-centered —what I would hope could be said of every sermon, especially mine.
He divided his message into two parts that precede his call to repentance in 2:38. Each part is prefaced with a direct address (“Men of Judea” and “Men of Israel,” respectively). Here’s an outline:
A. An explanation of the phenomenon (2:15-21)
1. Not drunk (2:15)
2. Fulfilling prophecy (2:16-21)
B. A declaration of Jesus Christ (2:22-35)
1. Authenticated (2:22)
2. Crucified (2:23)
3. Resurrected (2:24-32)
4. Ascended (2:33-34)
5. Glorified (2:35)
The two sections roughly correspond to the two statements uttered by the crowd: “They are full of sweet wine” and “What does this mean?” The first section answers the false charge of the scoffers while preparing the “devout men” for the second section, which proclaims Jesus Christ as the long-anticipated Messiah.
Peter addressed the onlookers as “Men of Judea” and “all you who live in Jerusalem,” descriptions that correspond to the two groups present: permanent residents of Judea and those housed in Jerusalem for the Feast of the Harvest (or the Feast of Weeks). This was a very Jewish gospel message. He was about to appeal to the Old Testament as the foundation of his argument, which unbelieving Gentiles would not have found convincing. The Greek phrase translated “give heed” is used only here in all of the New Testament, but it appears thirty-two times in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament), generally introducing something of grave importance. The prophet Joel, for example, opened his oracle with, “Hear this, O elders, and listen, all inhabitants of the land” (Joel 1:2).
— 2:15-16 —
Peter answered the false charge that the disciples were drunk on “sweet wine,” an especially potent form of wine. He noted the time as “the third hour of the day,” which would be nine o’clock in the morning when reckoned with the Jewish timekeeping method. According to one historian, “Scrupulous Jews drank wine only with flesh, and, on the authority of [Exod. 16:8], ate bread in the morning and flesh only in the evening. Hence wine could be drunk only in the evening.”[21] The charge of drunkenness was not a light one; it carried implications of complete moral neglect. Peter replied, in effect, “We are as devout as any Jew in Jerusalem.”
Koine Greek has two contrasting conjunctions we render as “but.” The first is a small, almost casual contrast. But the one that follows Peter’s denial of drunkenness is alla [235], which indicates a sharp distinction. So Peter’s declaration could be rendered, “On the contrary, this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel.” Peter struck down the accusation of ungodliness and asserted instead that the unusual event was the work of God.
— 2:17-21 —
Peter quoted Joel 2:28-32 from memory (Acts 2:17-21). In that Old Testament prophecy, God promised to “pour out My Spirit on all mankind” (Joel 2:28; cf. Acts 2:17). “All mankind” —that is, every living person —will be filled with the Holy Spirit only when the kingdom of God has come to earth in its literal, physical form. For Joel’s prophecy to be completely fulfilled, all unbelievers must be saved —or gone! Jews correctly understood that a fulfillment of Joel 2:28-29 would mark the beginning of the end of the world and the establishment of God’s kingdom, described in Joel 2:30-31. But they expected the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to be an event of the end times, not a process leading to the “day of the LORD” (Joel 2:31).
According to their understanding,
Peter introduced a new idea —at least new to Jewish theology at the time. According to his sermon,
It’s important to note that on Pentecost, only about 120 people initially received the Holy Spirit, a far cry from “all mankind.” Peter pointed to the beginning of an outpouring, not its completion. Peter claimed that this particular Pentecost marked the beginning of a new era that would ultimately lead to all living people receiving the Holy Spirit.
He concluded his quotation of Joel’s prophecy with the reassuring line, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Acts 2:21; Joel 2:32). That gave him the opportunity to transition into the second part of his sermon and explain how anyone can be saved. Between Pentecost and the day of the Lord exists an era of grace made possible by the Messiah.
— 2:22-23 —
Peter addressed the audience as “Men of Israel,” recalling their national identity as the covenant people of God, people He had promised to make into the kingdom of God. Peter declared Jesus of Nazareth to be the King of that kingdom, the Messiah. His sermon then covered five points:
1. Authenticated (2:22)
God authenticated Jesus as uniquely from above, having the ability to do what no other human had ever done or ever could do without divine power. The Greek word translated “attested” literally means “to put forward for public recognition or appointment” or “to show forth the quality” (apodeiknymi [584]). For example, the Septuagint uses the term to describe Daniel’s promotion as a provincial ruler in Babylon (Dan. 2:48). In Jesus’ case, His “miracles” (dynamis [1411], “works of power”), “wonders” (teras [5059]), and “signs” (sēmeion [4592]) validated Him as heaven-sent.
“Wonders” describes acts or events that have deeper, supernatural implications. For example, a healing was more than the reversal of injury or disease; healing told witnesses something about the healer, the person being healed, and God’s mind on the matter.
“Signs” denotes something that gives a true indication of something else, a physical indication of divine will or supernatural activity. For the Jews, a “sign” was a visual confirmation that a prophet was authentically from God.
Peter reminded his audience that Jesus had performed these works of power, wonders, and signs in the presence of many witnesses.
2. Crucified (2:23)
By this time, the people undoubtedly were nodding and saying to one another, “Yes, I remember that. Do you remember when Jesus . . . ?” Then Peter brought up a painful memory, still fresh in the minds of everyone after only fifty days. They had followed the lead of the Sanhedrin in killing Jesus. Some of the men present had done more than lend their silent approval; they had participated in crucifying Him. Many —if not most —of them had demanded His execution in Pilate’s courtyard (Luke 23:18).
Peter acknowledged that while Jesus was authentically from God, His divine destiny had led Him to the cross. “Predetermined” doesn’t capture the personal nature of the Greek word (horizō [3724]), which means “appointed” or “designated.” Jesus wasn’t merely fated to be crucified; God appointed Him, assigned His Son the mission. During His earthly ministry, Jesus said, “Indeed, the Son of Man is going [to the cross] as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!” (Luke 22:22).
As the audience squirmed at the reminder of their treachery, Peter pressed against the wound. He stacked up words of indictment end to end: “delivered over,” “nailed to a cross,” “by the hands of godless men,” “put . . . to death” —by you. He held nothing back. In the Hebrew mind, to be “godless” (anomos [459]) was to be without the Law (a + nomos [3551]), outside the covenant, pagan, estranged from God. This indictment linked his audience to the anomos men who crucified Jesus.
— 2:24-32 —
The Greek text has no break between 2:23 and 2:24. While many English versions begin a new sentence with “but,” the Greek text has the relative pronoun “whom,” referring to Jesus: “whom God raised up again.”
3. Resurrected (2:24-32)
Peter’s declaration places God in the active role. God foreknew and appointed Jesus to die on the cross, and God raised Him up again, “putting an end to the agony of death” —or literally, “destroying the birth pains of death” (2:24). Of course, no one could imagine a more painful experience than giving birth —or one more impossible to escape. Peter gave God the credit for accomplishing the Resurrection, but he linked the Father’s power with the power of Jesus. The NASB translates the Greek conjunction (kathoti [2530]) as “since,” meaning “because” or “in view of the fact.” God raised Jesus in view of the fact that nothing was capable of holding Him back (2:24).
This is important because it establishes a link between the power of God and the power of the man Jesus. Their power works in concert because it is the same power. Imagine me saying, “God empowered me to climb the mountain because nothing could keep me from reaching the top.” That’s a bold statement for someone who isn’t God! That statement essentially puts me on a par with God. Sacrilegious for Chuck, a statement of fact for Jesus.
Peter upheld this bold claim by quoting —again from memory and without preparation —Psalm 16:8-11. It’s a song written by David about his own death and his hope of resurrection through “Your Holy One” (an Old Testament title for the Messiah), who would not decay in a grave. In other words, David pinned his hope of resurrection on the resurrection of the Messiah. David could not have been talking about himself as “Your Holy One” because he died and was buried; Peter’s contemporaries could go to the cemetery to visit his remains (Acts 2:29).
The sermon also recalls God’s prediction that the Messiah would come from David’s lineage (Pss. 89:3-4; 132:11; 2 Sam. 7:12-13). Jesus could trace His lineage back to David through His natural mother, Mary (asserting a genetic right to the throne), and His adoptive father, Joseph (asserting a legal right to the throne). No one would have disputed the lineage of Jesus; keeping track of one’s genealogy was a sacred duty of every Jew.
Based on these facts, Peter reasoned that if the Messiah was to be resurrected, then a resurrected man must be the Messiah.[22] He declared that Jesus had risen from the dead, and at least 120 eyewitnesses (martys [3144]) could testify to that fact. Just as Jesus had predicted, the disciples received power to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8).
— 2:33-35 —
Peter’s sermon didn’t stop with resurrection. He claimed to have further confirmation of Jesus’ identity as the Messiah.
4. Ascended (2:33-34)
Peter and the other followers of Jesus had personally seen Jesus stand in their presence. They heard Him speak. They saw Him eat. They touched His physical body. For more than a month, they were taught by Him. And then they saw Him do what only the Son of Man (Dan. 7:13-14) could do: He ascended to heaven. During His trial before the Sanhedrin, Jesus had said He would ascend and “be seated at the right hand of the power of God,” a clear messianic image (Luke 22:67-70). The Sanhedrin felt justified in killing Jesus because of this claim (Luke 22:71). But if He was raised from the dead, then there was no reason to doubt His prediction.
Peter again appealed to the prophecies of David, this time from Psalm 110:1, the very passage Jesus quoted in His dialogue with the religious experts (Luke 20:41-44). Peter made the same point that Jesus had: David could not have been talking about himself sitting at the right hand of the Father, since his grave was still occupied.
5. Glorified (2:35)
In John’s narrative, Jesus spoke of a coming “hour” in which the Son of God would be “glorified” (John 12:23). Jesus repeatedly spoke of this event using the Greek term doxazō [1392], which means “to have splendid greatness,” “to be clothed in splendor,” or “to be glorified.” To be glorified meant to receive supreme vindication in the eyes of all witnesses. For Jesus, it meant that the truth He had been teaching and the truth of His identity would be vindicated in the eyes of all humanity by a stupendous display of His greatness. His identity as the Messiah would be confirmed by His rising from the dead and ascending to heaven.
The fact that He sits at the right hand of the Father vindicates all of Jesus’ claims. As the Father promised, all those who denied the Messiah, rejected the Messiah, disparaged the Messiah, and tried to destroy the Messiah would be made His “footstool,” a graphic image of involuntary servitude.
— 2:36 —
Peter summed up his speech with an appeal to “all the house of Israel,” that is, all the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob —whose name God had changed to “Israel.” Based on the proofs of Scripture and the eyewitness testimonies of Jesus’ resurrection, they should have been ready to accept the fact of His identity. He is “Lord” (kyrios [2962]), a title that combines the ideas of power and authority —God’s own authority. Most likely it is a direct reference to the Hebrew label adonai, God’s title. He is the christos [5547] (Christ), the Greek term that translated the Hebrew messianic title mashiyach [H4899], which referred to the “Anointed One” or “Messiah.”
With a final flourish, Peter accused his audience of crucifying their own Messiah.
Amazing, isn’t it? Just a few weeks earlier, Peter had denied being one of the Twelve and disowned Jesus with curses. His denial would have driven him out of ministry altogether if Jesus hadn’t intervened to restore him. Just days earlier, he cowered in a dark room, fearing the power of the religious authorities in the temple. Now that the Holy Spirit had arrived, look at the effect!
Peter witnessed with remarkable power. He had become a transformed man.
APPLICATION: ACTS 2:14-36
Preaching 101
As a preacher, I can’t hear or read a sermon without some degree of analysis. Not criticism —analysis. It’s part of my nature now to consider what makes a sermon hit the target or veer off. I learn from other accomplished speakers and preachers, and I scrutinize my own preaching to determine how I can make the connection between Scripture and people. As I analyze Peter’s sermon, I find three essential qualities that made it great.
Quality #1: It was simple. Peter spoke in simple, understandable terms that the people in his audience, who shared his culture and language, could understand without having to spend time in contemplation. They didn’t have to guess at his meaning. If you are engaged as a communicator —if you teach a Bible class or you pastor a church, if you’re on the radio or produce a podcast, if you write books —whatever your form of communication, make it simple. Simplicity is hard work. Some mistake a confusing delivery for depth. Sometimes a speaker will communicate poorly and then convince the audience that it was their fault for not fathoming what he or she was saying. When you communicate, teenagers should be able to understand you without difficulty.
Quality #2: It was scriptural. Peter quoted Scripture and alluded to passages throughout his message. He expertly wove his points around God’s Word. He didn’t rely upon his own insights, his man-made doctrinal conclusions, or his own human perspectives. He stood on the authority of divine truth revealed to all and available to all for inspection.
If you want to have a message that God will use to impact people’s lives, simply tell them what the Bible says. God will honor His Word. If you’re going to communicate, show how scriptural principles apply. People are starving for a clear presentation of the relevance of Scripture. They’ll love your sermon, they’ll love you for opening the Word, and they’ll love their Lord more. I have yet to speak to an audience that doesn’t thank me for helping them understand Scripture with greater clarity.
Quality #3: It was Christ centered. Peter repeatedly turned every point in his sermon back to Christ. Consequently, the people responded as though the crucified and risen Lord Jesus stood before them: “They were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brethren, what shall we do?’” (2:37).
Peter must have felt overwhelmed with affirmation. What an encouragement to this first-time preacher of the gospel! Fresh off of failure, preaching his heart out, only to be interrupted by three thousand people asking, “What shall we do [in response to this truth]?” They started by asking, “What does this mean?” and Peter’s Christ-centered message prompted a better question: “What shall we do?”
That’s not a bad way to structure a Bible lesson. Start by asking, “What does it mean? What is God saying?” Start where they are and help them see the meaning. Then, when they understand, be sure they know what to do about God’s message.
Regardless, never forget that God will faithfully use your best effort, even if your ability pales in comparison to other, more experienced communicators. Please don’t think you have to be a pro to get the job done! The professionals can never get in where you work and live. You’re already there. You already have an audience. Just give the truth to them as you know it. Stumble through it if you have to, but get it out. Then model what you believe. Become an example of the message.