David Bahn – Reflections

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Acts 2:37-47

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” ³⁸ And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” ⁴⁰ And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” ⁴¹ So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

⁴² And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. ⁴³ And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. ⁴⁴ And all who believed were together and had all things in common. ⁴⁵ And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶ And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

You may or may not be aware that my main purpose for writing this blog is for my own devotional discipline. I write knowing others will read it. But I’ve never really tried to publicize it or expand my audience. Once in a while people will stumble on it and subscribe. But I don’t have that many subscribers. I’m happy if you are one of the few, and pray that you are edified by what I write. But I try intentionally to write for myself. If I touch a nerve or highlight a need, so much the better.

I typically use the Dietrich Bonhoeffer method of taking 10-15 verses and pondering, praying, and meditating over them for a week at a time. I disconnect this from my preaching preparations whenever I am preaching these days. And sometimes these writings do unfold because I know if I don’t post at least one or two of you will let me know, “You didn’t post today. Are you well?” [insert smile here] This discipline is only one part of a devotional life that had for many years been sporadic.

The early Christians give us a broader view of what it means to be devoted to Jesus, or as I like to say (quoting Luther), “to live under Christ in his kingdom and serve him.” Luke tell us that these new converts,

devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. ⁴³ And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. ⁴⁴ And all who believed were together and had all things in common. ⁴⁵ And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶ And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Being a devoted follower of Jesus is a full-life experience of reading and pondering God’s word, joining with others in food and fellowship, seeing (and looking for) God’s work in the world – sometimes miraculous, sharing in the needs of others, worship (“the prayers”), the Lord’s Supper (“breaking of bread”) living a compelling life, and seeing God’s kingdom grow. It’s not just one thing. Devotional faithfulness is a way of life.

Jesus embodied this perfectly. Giving attention to God’s word, praying regularly, offering us his body and blood in the Sacrament of the Altar, doing the work of God, healing, forgiving, and raising the dead. He gave all glory to God. And in doing so, he did it for us as well. He is not just an example of how to live, but an embodiment of a devoted life with God. And he is our righteousness.

I am thankful to God for those who read or listen to this blog. You are a part of the fellowship that strengthens me. I do this for myself, but hope you are blessed by it as well. I encourage you to look for God’s work in the world around you. I urge you to pray and worship, and will join you whenever I can. I pray that you have friends with whom you can gather for food and fellowship. I hope you read and meditate on God’s word. I rejoice in knowing that you join me in praising God for all his good gifts and blessings. That’s the kind of devotion we all need to model. And it is only a dim reflection of Jesus’ devotional life and a reflection of his salvation which is ours through faith.

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Acts 2:37-47

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” ³⁸ And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” ⁴⁰ And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” ⁴¹ So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

⁴² And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. ⁴³ And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. ⁴⁴ And all who believed were together and had all things in common. ⁴⁵ And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶ And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Our youngest son was born under some pretty stressful circumstances. Eight weeks premature after several weeks of distressing amniotic fluid leak. Although given an 8 on the Apgar scale (out of 10), the 3#, 12 1/2 oz. baby boy was taken to the NICU, and hooked to multiple tubes and wires. So tiny and vulnerable. When we learned that the doctor wanted to send him to the children’s hospital some 40 miles away, he seemed even smaller and more vulnerable. He would ride on a “mobile intensive care unit,” said the doctor. I knew it was a truck. So I asked, “Can I baptize him first?” We had actually had a styrofoam cup of water at the ready during his birth, so I knew I could. “Absolutely!” he replied. So Diane and I went to the NICU and I baptized Stephen, “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” It was just the two of us – the most emotional baptism I’ve ever performed.

But as soon as he was baptized I knew there were promises connected to him that before had not been. This being one of them:  “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”  (Acts 2:38-39) Some make much of the “Repent” part of that message. I lean on “the promise is for you and for your children…” part. And this is not a lone promise.

“Baptism also now saves you,” the same Peter writes years later (1 Peter 3:21).

Paul writes that God “saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.” (Titus 3:5)

Paul also speaks of Christ cleansing us, “by the washing of water with the word.” (Ephesians 5:26)

Galatians 3:27 says that, “all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”

There is great comfort and an urgent calling attached to being baptized. It’s clear that God’s gifts of life, love, and salvation are mediated in a miraculous way through baptism. We receive those gifts through faith – a work of the Holy Spirit who is also given us in baptism. Behind all those promises, furthermore, is a calling to live it out. Live as though you are redeemed. Baptism isn’t something that happened years or ever days or moments ago. Baptism is the entry point into the reign and rule of Jesus. We most fully express that truth in daily lives of faithfulness, obedience, repentance and faith. What a precious gift that is indeed!

On a personal note, today is the 48th anniversary of our wedding day. Diane and I were married on June 21, 1975 at the Lutheran Chapel of Hope next to the campus of SEMO University in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. I thank God for her daily!

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

Acts 2:37-47

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” ³⁸ And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” ⁴⁰ And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” ⁴¹ So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

⁴² And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. ⁴³ And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. ⁴⁴ And all who believed were together and had all things in common. ⁴⁵ And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶ And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

“The promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself,” says Peter to the gathered people. That’s a broad sweep of God’s far-reaching love and precious promises. That is good news for us all, but it also presents a challenge. That was true for the early Christians. It is true, also, for us.

When Peter proclaimed the breadth of God’s love and his promises to everyone the Lord would call to himself, he likely had no idea of how those words would play out for him as the leader of the Apostles. There would come a time (recorded in Acts 15) when the spread of the gospel message would penetrate into the gentile world. And people very far from God would be brought to faith. They would have no Jewish background, nor even an appreciation for the rich Jewish heritage Peter and the others possessed. Some of the new converts may have been pagan in every sense of the word. They would be baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. But they would not bring an appreciation for Jewish traditions or practices.

Paul and Barnabas along with Titus would go to Jerusalem and lay before Peter and the other Apostles the case for accepting these new gentile believers into the fellowship of the church (cf. Galatians 2:1). Peter would preside, so to speak, over this discussion that would open the doors of the church to people like you and me. Even before that Peter encountered a vision at the house of Cornelius in which he was commanded by God to eat unclean food. He was told not to call anything unclean that God had declared clean. God’s declaration went far wider and broader than he had anticipated (Acts 10:1-11:18).

How does this apply today? Who might God call to himself that would challenge your spiritual and religious sensibilities? Is it an ethnic group? Is it someone who smells, thinks, acts, and talks differently? Or is it someone you’ve just written off? You’ve determined that John or Jane is just too far gone. Yet God calls them to himself. The abstract becomes real.

Here’s one more: Maybe you’re someone else’s Jane or John. You might be one who is thought to be too far gone, too different, too lost. In that case, rejoice and be glad. God’s grace, love and promises are for you – for all those God will call to himself. Joy or challenge? In either case it is a great blessing to be called to God and promised his gifts. His reach is far and wide. His grace and love deep. His mercy is everlasting.

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

Acts 2:37-47

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” ³⁸ And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” ⁴⁰ And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” ⁴¹ So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

⁴² And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. ⁴³ And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. ⁴⁴ And all who believed were together and had all things in common. ⁴⁵ And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶ And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

The tentative report came in the mail. “Rule out cancer.” It shook our world. We went on vacation shortly thereafter with that hanging over our heads. Were we ever glad when we learned there was no cancer. But in that moment those words shook our world.

Maybe you’ve had such a moment. A medical test report. A cryptic memo from your boss. A phone call in the middle of the night. A sermon. A Bible verse brings you up short. You know you must do something. This is nothing to be ignored.

When Peter spoke on that first Pentecost, his message was direct and powerful. Truth reached deeply into the hearts of the people there. Grace invited them to repent and believe. The Holy Spirit brought grace and truth together to create repentance and faith.

It sounded like, “Brothers, what shall we do?” It looked like people who didn’t dismiss Peter’s sermon as just so much hot air. It was a moment that would shape their lives and eternity. Here was an echo of Jesus’ first sermon, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15). God had broken in now through the preaching of Peter.

We too easily dismiss even the true messages from God’s word. We’ve learned that we don’t need to take every word to heart. We can still get by. I fear we cheapen grace. Or we are too shrewd and dismiss God’s word as quaintly out of touch with modern life.

Thank God for the example of these earliest Christians. They thought God’s word neither quaint or forgettable. They were convinced that they needed to do something in response to this new awareness of their need. Thankfully God provides a way to deal with such moments when we become aware of our sin. Repent and believe. That’s a call for us daily, and the way of life for all believers. Will we dismiss this as quaintly irrelevant, nothing we really need to deal with, or something that will change our life now and forever?

Please pray these psalms with me on this Lord’s Day

Psalm 18:1-3

I love you, O Lord, my strength.
² The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
    my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
³ I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
    and I am saved from my enemies.

Psalm 48:9-14

We have thought on your steadfast love, O God,
    in the midst of your temple.
¹⁰ As your name, O God,
    so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with righteousness.
¹¹     Let Mount Zion be glad!
Let the daughters of Judah rejoice
    because of your judgments!

¹² Walk about Zion, go around her,
    number her towers,
¹³ consider well her ramparts,
    go through her citadels,
that you may tell the next generation
¹⁴     that this is God,
our God forever and ever.
    He will guide us forever.

Psalm 78:1-4

Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
    incline your ears to the words of my mouth!
² I will open my mouth in a parable;
    I will utter dark sayings from of old,
³ things that we have heard and known,
    that our fathers have told us.
⁴ We will not hide them from their children,
    but tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
    and the wonders that he has done.

Psalm 108:1-6

My heart is steadfast, O God!
    I will sing and make melody with all my being!^[a]
2 Awake, O harp and lyre!
    I will awake the dawn!
³ I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
    I will sing praises to you among the nations.
⁴ For your steadfast love is great above the heavens;
    your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

⁵ Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
    Let your glory be over all the earth!
⁶ That your beloved ones may be delivered,
    give salvation by your right hand and answer me!

Psalm 138:1-2

I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
    before the gods I sing your praise;
² I bow down toward your holy temple
    and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
    for you have exalted above all things
    your name and your word.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016.
Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

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Acts 2:22-36

“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— ²³ this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. ²⁴ God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. ²⁵ 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;
²⁶ therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
my flesh also will dwell in hope.
²⁷ For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One see corruption.
²⁸ You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’

²⁹ “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. ³⁰ Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, ³¹ he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. ³² This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. ³³ Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. ³⁴ For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,

“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
³⁵ until I make your enemies your footstool.”’

³⁶ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

All promises of God are fulfilled, ultimately, in Jesus Christ. He is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. He lived out God’s commandments perfectly. He did the things promised by the prophets. He fully embodied the identity spoken of in the Old Testament descriptions of the coming messiah. Jesus is the ultimate expression of God’s love and man’s obedience.

This is good news. For none of us fulfills God’s law. None of us is the perfect embodiment of man as God intended and demands. We don’t do all that God requires. We do the things God prohibits. So when we lean on the righteousness of Jesus, we have a Savior. We are surely comforted by this truth.

The ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises through Jesus will be experienced in the life of the world to come. In the meantime, however, there are blessings here and now to be enjoyed. Consider how David expressed his hope in the moments of his distress. Even though the ultimate deliverance would be on the Great Last Day, he still sought God’s help in the here and now. He even said, “I believe that I shall see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living (Psalm 27:13).

Peter is quoting David in regard to the manner in which Jesus fulfilled these words. Truly Jesus is the ultimate hope and fulfillment of God’s good will for all believers. But we who live in faith, can also reach out and touch the fringe of God’s promises and receive his blessings in the here and now.

Some people are so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good. We who hope for heaven must keep in mind that we live our lives this side of eternity and so do our neighbors who need our love and support. The real-life-today blessings of God are only an echo of the eternal blessings of God in Jesus. But they are a welcome echo to those who yearn for his blessings today.

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

Acts 2:22-36

“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— ²³ this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. ²⁴ God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. ²⁵ 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;
²⁶ therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
my flesh also will dwell in hope.
²⁷ For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One see corruption.
²⁸ You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’

²⁹ “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. ³⁰ Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, ³¹ he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. ³² This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. ³³ Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. ³⁴ For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,

“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
³⁵ until I make your enemies your footstool.”’

³⁶ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

The rich need it. The poor have it. When you eat it, you starve. It’s more powerful than God. What is it? Have you heard this riddle? The answer is “NOTHING.” I was reminded of this riddle – especially the “more powerful than God” part when I read Peter’s words, “it was not possible for [Jesus] to be held by [death]. Some things are impossible. But all those things lie within the limits of man’s powers, the devil’s control, and death’s grip. God has the final word. 

That’s not such good news for the devil, death, or enemies of God. Those who wish to carve out their own fiefdoms will succeed only a little while at the ruse and delusions of grandeur. There are plenty of people in the world who believe they have things well in hand. They don’t admit that they need help from anyone. They are the ones who claim, “I did it my way.” They are those who assert, “I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.”

How stunningly surprised they will be when the fullness of Jesus’ salvation is consummated! They who demanded honor, their own way, their every whim catered to, and their every wish granted, will suddenly be brought up short. They will not have their way unabated. They will no longer have even a corner to claim.

This is great news for the oppressed, for the justice-loving, and those who would be held sway by the ruler of this world and his minions. We will not forever be held captive to those who would abuse us, take advantage of us, or by sheer intimidation dissuade us from doing the good we know we should and which we truly wish to do.

Evil will ultimately and always collapse under its own weight. It cannot sustain itself. Death could not hold Jesus captive. He rose. He lives. He is reigning even now in the hearts of the faithful. And he who conquered death will grant to his own that same victory. We will be forever safe, joyful, and alive. It is impossible that it should be otherwise. It is not possible for God’s good, gracious, and merciful ways to be thwarted.

My Podcast is on hold this week. You can listen to past podcasts here. 
I look forward to resuming recording these posts next week.

Acts 2:22-36

“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— ²³ this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. ²⁴ God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. ²⁵ 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;
²⁶ therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
my flesh also will dwell in hope.
²⁷ For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One see corruption.
²⁸ You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’

²⁹ “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. ³⁰ Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, ³¹ he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. ³² This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. ³³ Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. ³⁴ For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,

“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
³⁵ until I make your enemies your footstool.”’

³⁶ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

There is little question over the fact that Jesus suffered and died. No one argues against that. The manner in which Jesus suffered and effect of that suffering Peter is pointing out, together with the far-reaching implications of that.

Jesus was faithful to God all the way through his suffering and death. His cry from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me,” is a cry of faith in the face of suffering. Even as he dies – forsaken by God, he still calls to his Father in faith, “my God.” By this Jesus is atoning for the sin of the world. By his resurrection, Jesus is vindicated. All Jesus did is proved to have been good, right, and salutary. So now he reigns on high. All heaven honors him as King of kings and Lord of lords. One day every knee will bow before him. We all will acknowledge and confess, “Jesus Christ is Lord.” This is the glory and honor he deserves.

But there is far more to Jesus’ suffering, death, resurrection and ascension than Jesus’ glorification and honor. For it was God’s plan from eternity that we lost, wayward, erring, rebellious, and condemned sinners would be redeemed by Jesus. And by means of Jesus death, we have been redeemed. We’ve been rescued. We’ve been saved. And so that we can make this our own, God has poured out his Holy Spirit. By that Holy Spirit Peter and the others are emboldened to preach and call people to repent and believe. By the Holy Spirit we who hear that word are brought to faith and are saved.

Jesus is honored whenever people proclaim this Good News. Jesus is honored whenever we believe in him. I want to honor Jesus in both of those ways.

My Podcast is on hold this week. You can listen to past podcasts here, including the sermon I preached at Angaza Igoma Lutheran Church in Mwanza, Tanzania

Acts 2:22-36

“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— ²³ this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. ²⁴ God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. ²⁵ 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;
²⁶ therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
my flesh also will dwell in hope.
²⁷ For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One see corruption.
²⁸ You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’

²⁹ “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. ³⁰ Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, ³¹ he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. ³² This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. ³³ Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. ³⁴ For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,

“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
³⁵ until I make your enemies your footstool.”’

³⁶ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

There are few exceptions to reading Jesus into the Psalms as far as I am aware. We have here (with regard to Peter’s quote from Psalm 16) a clear example of an Old Testament prophecy that finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus’ life, suffering, death, and resurrection. These would be the Psalms (as well as other Old Testament writings) to which Jesus would point the disciples on the road to Emmaus (cf. Luke 24:27).

Jesus mission and ministry was no last minute idea. From the earliest moments of creation and the Fall, God had in mind to send his Son to save us. He speaks to the serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and hers. He will bruise your head and you will strike his heal” (Genesis 3:15). Peter now sees how Jesus fulfills this Psalm as well as many others. The New Testament had yet to be written. And when it is, Peter himself will write, “We have the word of the prophets made more certain” (1 Peter 1:19).

Some people like to use the Bible as an instruction manual for life. Indeed there is great wisdom for those willing to learn it – whether in the book of Proverbs or the stories of the Old Testament by which we may gain insight into how to live or how not to live. We can learn from the mistakes of others.

Best, however, we hear these words as a call to faith in Jesus, and to following him in all of life. It starts with repentance – to which Peter is calling the people of his day in this sermon. It continues on as we learn to follow Jesus everywhere, every moment, of every day. This need not lead you to Tanzania or any other foreign mission field. But it should lead you to ask for God to show you the way, and you to seek to know this Jesus who calls us to follow him.

Where is God calling to you follow Jesus today through these words?

NOTE: Diane and I are in Tanzania, teaching pastors and their spouses about discipleship (following Jesus). If you want to track our experiences in Tanzania, you can check my Smugmug photo website. I’ll include photos there throughout the week.

My Podcast is on hold this week. You can listen to past podcasts here, including the sermon I preached at Angaza Igoma Lutheran Church in Mwanza, Tanzania

Acts 2:22-36

“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— ²³ this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. ²⁴ God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. ²⁵ 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;
²⁶ therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
my flesh also will dwell in hope.
²⁷ For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One see corruption.
²⁸ You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’

²⁹ “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. ³⁰ Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, ³¹ he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. ³² This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. ³³ Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. ³⁴ For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,

“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
³⁵ until I make your enemies your footstool.”’

³⁶ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

I recall a few sermons from my time at the seminary. This one, specifically was by the seminary president, Dr. Robert Preus. His message was about certain sins which we seminary students would certainly avoid. I don’t recall the specifics, except when he said, “But we don’t do that, do we?” It was a rhetorical question meant to challenge us to take a deep dive into our own hearts, motives, and thoughts. He went on to call us to honest repentance, and acknowledgement that we need a Savior: Jesus of Nazareth to be precise! Without Jesus there is no hope.

Peter goes to great links to confront the people on that first Pentecost with their culpability in killing God’s Son. This One who was attested to by signs, wonders, and mighty works they killed. I’m not certain just how many of the people there that day had been present at Jesus’ crucifixion. Maybe some had. Perhaps some had even called for his death, “Crucify him!” But surely not all of them. And even those who did might well have been swayed by the crowds and given in to the peer pressure when they had added their voices to the call for his death. Surely none of them swung the hammer and drove the nails into the hands and feet of Jesus.

Yet Peter says they killed him. They handed him over. They were guilty. And even though this was part of God’s plan it was only part. For the fullness of that plan was that not only would Jesus die, but he would rise from the dead. He would conquer sin, Satan, and death.

When God raised him from the dead, he declared that Jesus is Lord and Christ. The fullness of God’s plan was that we would confess him as such, and call on his name (“Lord” cf. Acts 2:21; Joel 2:32), and be saved. We who call Jesus Lord should be first in line to admit that we need him as Savior.

Our purpose here in Tanzania this week is to help pastors and their spouses get that more firmly into the hearts and lives of God’s people – with emphasis on getting it into their lives. One key component of our teaching has to do with the importance of teaching the truth of God’s word. The second part is vital: discipling people so that they make other disciples, In this way the message of Jesus spreads and more and more people call on the name of the Lord and are saved. This is our great hope and joy.

NOTE: Diane and I are in Tanzania, teaching pastors and their spouses about discipleship (following Jesus). If you want to track our experiences in Tanzania, you can check my Smugmug photo website. I’ll include photos there throughout the week.