The Setting: A Divine Outpouring
The day of Pentecost, as recorded in the second chapter of the book of Acts, marks a pivotal moment in the history of the Christian Church. Fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and ten days after His ascension, the disciples were gathered together in one place, anticipating the promise of the Father, which Jesus had spoken of (Acts 1:4). Suddenly, a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind filled all the house where they were sitting, and there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:2-4).
This miraculous outpouring of the Holy Spirit drew a vast multitude of devout Jews from every nation under heaven, who were dwelling at Jerusalem. When this sound was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language (Acts 2:6). Amazement and wonder filled the crowd, but some, unable to comprehend the divine phenomenon, resorted to mockery, saying, "These men are full of new wine" (Acts 2:13). It was in this charged atmosphere, amidst confusion, awe, and derision, that Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice and delivered what stands as the first great sermon of the Christian era, a sermon that would pierce the hearts of thousands and lay the foundational truths of the gospel.
Peter's Bold Explanation: Not Drunkenness, But Prophecy Fulfilled
Peter, no longer the timid disciple who had denied his Lord, now stood empowered by the very Spirit he was about to proclaim. His initial response to the accusation of drunkenness was immediate and direct. He declared that it was but the third hour of the day, making it highly improbable that they were intoxicated. Instead, he presented a profound theological explanation, rooting the miraculous events in the ancient prophecies of God:
But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
By quoting from Joel 2, Peter immediately shifted the narrative from human folly to divine fulfillment. He asserted that the miraculous outpouring of the Holy Spirit, evident in the speaking of diverse tongues, was not a random event but the direct fulfillment of God's prophetic word concerning the "last days." This established the credibility of the event and prepared his hearers for the greater revelation he was about to unfold concerning the central figure of God's plan: Jesus of Nazareth.
The Central Theme: Jesus Christ, Crucified, Resurrected, and Exalted
Having established the divine origin of the Pentecost event, Peter moved swiftly to the core of his message: the person and work of Jesus Christ. He addressed the Jewish multitude, men of Israel, appealing to their knowledge of recent events in Jerusalem:
Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
Peter masterfully presented Jesus as a historical figure, known to them through His public ministry of "miracles and wonders and signs." He then confronted them with the stark reality of their complicity in His crucifixion, yet immediately balanced this with the sovereign purpose of God: Jesus was delivered "by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God." The emphasis here is on God's divine plan, not merely human malice. Crucially, Peter then proclaimed the central truth of the Christian faith: the resurrection. He declared that death could not hold Jesus, asserting the triumphant power of God over the grave.
David's Prophecy and Christ's Resurrection
To substantiate the resurrection of Jesus, Peter turned again to the Old Testament, citing the words of King David from Psalms 16. This was a powerful rhetorical move, as David was a revered figure in Jewish tradition, and his prophecies were held in high regard.
For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
Peter then provided the inspired interpretation of David's words, explaining that David himself died and was buried, and his sepulchre was still among them (Acts 2:29). Therefore, David could not have been speaking of himself when he prophesied that God's "Holy One" would not see corruption. Instead, being a prophet, David foresaw the resurrection of the Christ:
He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
Peter's argument was airtight. He used a revered Jewish scripture to prove that the Messiah, the Christ, would rise from the dead. He then pointed to the disciples themselves as living witnesses to this very resurrection, adding irrefutable testimony to the prophetic word.
The Climax: Jesus is Lord and Christ
Having established Jesus' resurrection through prophecy and eyewitness testimony, Peter then proclaimed His exaltation and the direct connection to the Pentecost event:
Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
This verse is crucial. It links the ongoing manifestation of the Spirit – the speaking in tongues and the divine sound – directly to the ascended and glorified Christ. It was not a random occurrence, but a deliberate act of the exalted Jesus, pouring out the promised Spirit as evidence of His heavenly reign. Peter further solidified Jesus' divine authority by quoting Psalms 110:
For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
Again, Peter argued that David himself did not ascend to heaven, but spoke prophetically of another, his "Lord," who would sit at God's right hand. This "Lord" could be none other than Jesus. The sermon reached its powerful crescendo with a definitive declaration that cut to the heart of Jewish Messianic expectation:
Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
This was the ultimate theological punch. The very Jesus whom they had rejected and crucified was now declared by God to be both Lord (referring to His divine sovereignty and authority, the Yahweh of the Old Testament) and Christ (the long-awaited Messiah). This statement left no room for ambiguity; it demanded a response.
The Conviction and the Call to Repentance
The impact of Peter's sermon was immediate and profound. The Holy Spirit, working through Peter's words, convicted the hearts of the hearers:
Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
This question, "What shall we do?", signifies a deep spiritual conviction and a desperate desire for salvation. It was not mere intellectual assent, but a profound realization of their sin in crucifying their Messiah. Peter's answer was direct, clear, and foundational for all who would seek salvation:
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Peter outlined the steps to salvation: repentance (a change of mind leading to a change of direction from sin to God), baptism in the name of Jesus Christ (an outward sign of an inward transformation and identification with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection), and the promise of remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Ghost. This promise was not exclusive to those present:
For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
This verse broadens the scope of the gospel, extending the promise of salvation through Christ to future generations and to Gentiles ("all that are afar off"), demonstrating the universal nature of God's redemptive plan.
The Immediate Impact and Enduring Legacy
Peter continued to exhort the crowd with "many other words," urging them to "Save yourselves from this untoward generation" (Acts 2:40). The response was overwhelming:
Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
The sermon at Pentecost was not merely a theological discourse; it was a powerful evangelistic message, empowered by the Holy Spirit, that resulted in an unprecedented harvest of souls. Three thousand individuals, convinced by Peter's Spirit-filled preaching, turned from their sins and embraced Jesus as Lord and Christ. This marked the birth of the New Testament Church in a dramatic and undeniable fashion.
Peter's sermon serves as a timeless model for gospel proclamation. It is Biblically sound, rooted in Old Testament prophecy, centered on the person and work of Jesus Christ (His life, death, resurrection, and exaltation), and culminates in a clear call to repentance and faith, promising the remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. It demonstrates the power of God's Word, faithfully proclaimed, to transform hearts and lives, and to build His church through the indwelling power of the Holy Ghost.