The Book of Acts
Chapter 2:29-36
Verse 29
Acts 2:29
“Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch
David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to
this day.” NKJV
David’s tomb was inside
the city of Jerusalem and was in existence in the 1st
Century. David’s reference in Psalm 16 was not to himself; so it
must have been a reference to the Messiah.
Verses 30-31
Acts 2:30-31
“Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an
oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh,
He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he, foreseeing
this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul
was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption.”
NKJV
Peter then identified
David as a prophet because he had prophesied through this psalm of
the Messiah. The oath was a reference to the covenant God had
made with David that his descendant would one day sit on his throne.
(II Samuel 7:12-13) “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with
your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from
your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house
for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom
forever.” See also Psalm 132:11. “The Lord has sworn in truth
to David; He will not turn from it: I will set upon your
throne the fruit of your body.”
NKJV
(Psalm 89:3-4, 28-29, 35-37) The angel Gabriel announced to Mary
that her son, Jesus, would be the one who would sit on David’s
throne. (Luke 1:31-33) “And behold, you will conceive in your
womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will
be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord
God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign
over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no
end.” NKJV
But when He appeared before Pilate, He emphasized that He would sit
on a spiritual throne, not an earthly one. (John 18:36) “Jesus
answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of
this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be
delivered to the Jews, but now My kingdom is not form here.”
NKJV
Peter also declared that David spoke of the resurrection on the
Christ – not a Christ. He was the Anointed One, the
Messiah. This was the Messiah the Jews had been anxiously waiting
for. So Peter established that David had prophesied that the Christ
would not remain in the grave.
Verse 32
Acts 2:32
“This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.”
NKJV
Peter emphatically affirmed that “this Jesus God has raised up.” He
further stated that he and the other eleven apostles were all eye
witnesses. So Peter made it clear that David’s prophecy was
speaking of Jesus of Nazareth and Peter and the others had witnessed
this predicted resurrection of the Christ. Recall Acts 1:8. “But
you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and
you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and
Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
NKJV
(Acts 1:21-22) “Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all
the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning
from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us,
one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”
(Acts 10:40-41) “Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him
openly, not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by
God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the
dead.” NKJV
Verse 33
Acts 2:33
“Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having
received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured
out this which you now see and hear.”
NKJV
The next proof Peter brought forth for Jesus’ resurrection was this
demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit that they were seeing
and hearing this same Jesus had been exalted to the highest place of
honor in heaven. (Acts 5:30-31) “The God of our fathers raised
up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has
exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior to give repentance
to Israel and forgiveness of sins.”
NKJV
(Ephesians 1:20-21) “which He worked in Christ when He raised Him
from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly
places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion,
and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that
which is to come.”
NKJV
This is why Jesus had the power to pour out the Holy Spirit.
Verses 34-35
Acts 2:34-35
“For David did not ascent into the heavens, but he says himself:
‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your
enemies Your footstool.”
NKJV
Peter cites David as the authority for seeing Jesus seated at God’s
right hand. (Psalm 110:1) “The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My
right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”
NKJV
Jesus
had quoted these same verses in addressing His enemies.
(Matthew 22:41-45) Since David was not speaking of His own
ascension, he was speaking of the ascension of the Christ. A point
to remember is that Jesus’ reign is in heaven, not on the earth.
(Revelation 3:21) “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me
on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His
throne.” NKJV
David’s throne is God’s throne. The term “throne of David” is never
used again in the New Testament. Jesus is already reigning and will
until death is abolished. (I Corinthians 15:25-26) “For He
must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last
enemy that will be destroyed is death.”
NKJV
Verse 36
Acts 2:36
“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has
made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
NKJV
Peter reached the climax of his message; God had made this Jesus,
the One from Nazareth the one you crucified, both Lord and
Christ. The Jews were guilty of killing the very Son of God.
Bobby Stafford
March 29, 2015 [Sunday Evening] Acts
Lesson 8: Acts 2:29-36
