"The Power Of His Resurrection"

by Michael Elliott, Manchester, England | Category: Simon Peter: Bondservant And Apostle | Jan 1995

Our title is taken from Philippians 3:10 where the apostle Paul speaks of his desire to know by experience the power of Christ's resurrection in his own life.

The power he desired was that same power he referred to in Ephesians 1:19,20 when he spoke of knowing, "what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places". The word for power in the original is the Greek dunamis, meaning miraculous power, ability, strength, power. We might call such power God's dynamite! This power God exerted in raising Christ from the dead, and it was the power Paul desired in his life and the power Peter now demonstrated in his preaching, firstly as recorded in Acts 2 on the Day of Pentecost and then in Acts 3 when, after healing of the lame man, he challenged his Jewish hearers to repent and be converted (Acts 3:19).

Peter's Power:

How was it that Peter, having denied his Master three times with oaths and curses, should now be found witnessing for his Lord, preaching the gospel with power and authority? The answer is that he was a changed man for, on the Day of Pentecost, along with the other disciples, he received the blessing of the outpouring and indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This was a direct fulfilment of God's promise to them as foretold by the Lord Jesus. He had said, "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" (Acts 1:8). That power, dunamis, was now Peter's and the other disciples' as a result of the outpouring and indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Standing up with the eleven, Peter preached a powerful message to those at Jerusalem, showing they must bear direct responsibility for rejecting and then crucifying their Messiah. His message is clear and succinct. "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know -Him, being delivered by the carefully planned intention and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death" (Acts 2:22,23).

Peter's Message:

In tracing through Peter's discourse it is evident that all he has to say is summarized in 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", and in challenging his hearers with the reality of the power of Christ's resurrection he deals with three vital truths related to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit:

1.It was a fulfilment of prophecy - vv.16-21.

2.Jesus Christ was their Messiah and the One they rejected - vv.22-32.

3.Through the finished work of Jesus Christ, the glorified Messiah, God has now poured out the Holy Spirit - vv.33-36.

Thus, having shown that this was all in God's will, Peter challenges their hearts as to how they must respond - vv.37-39.

Joel's Prophecy:

The prophecy is taken from Joel, and Pentecost was a partial fulfilment of the prophecy, for as verse 20 shows, some of what Joel spoke about will not be fulfilled, "before the coming of the great and notable day of the LORD". A day of future judgement for the nations of this world, after which, the Lord Jesus establishes His 1000 year kingdom on earth. See also 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Thessalonians 1:10; 2:2mg.; 2 Peter 3:10. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit Peter shows that the events of Pentecost were not the acts of drunken men,

but the powerful manifestation of the promised Holy Spirit now given to believers to indwell them as a sign of their salvation. Then as now it is true that, "whoever calls on the Name of the Lord shall be saved" (Acts 2:21).

Thrust of the Message:

What was special in the preaching of the message on that day was that those to whom Peter spoke were the ones who had rejected their Messiah. For them it was necessary they should clearly understand the seriousness of what they had done. So he says, "Him, being delivered by the carefully planned intention and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death" (Acts 2:23). Two things are emphasised:

1.The crucifixion was no accident, but was in God's set purpose.

2.Peter's listeners, nevertheless, were directly responsible for Christ's death and accountable to God for their actions.

Further, in verse 24, Peter clearly shows it was the exertion of God's power which had raised Christ from the dead, "having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it", concluding, "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ" (verse 36). This is the reality of the power of Christ's resurrection.

What shall we do?:

So powerful was Peter's message, and so evident the working of the

Holy Spirit, that those who heard were "...cut to the heart" and said, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37). They were under conviction of sin, having now been brought to the point where they could receive through faith in Christ, the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. This was only the beginning, for there needed to be the practical outworking of their faith in obedience to the Lord's teaching as to serving Him in the Church of God in Jerusalem. So we read, "Then those who gladly received His word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers" (Acts 2:41,42). It has been well pointed out that the first three steps, belief in the gospel, baptism and addition to the Church of God in Jerusalem were things which would not need to be repeated while the final four, continuance in the truths of the doctrine, fellowship, breaking of the bread and the assembly prayers would need steadfastness on the part of those who had been added. These were days of powerful testimony and blessing. Those who responded to the challenge, "continuing daily with one accord in the temple ... praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved" (Acts 2:46,47).

A lame man healed:

The healing of the lame man in Acts 3 provided further opportunity for the preaching of the gospel in all its power and fulness, and for testimony to be given to the power of Christ's resurrection. The incident concerned a man who was over forty years old and, having been lame all his life, was carried every day to one of the temple gates, where he would beg for money. As Peter and John had approached him Peter, looking directly at him, had caused the man to think he was about to give him money, whereas, speaking in the Name of the Lord Peter proclaimed: "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk" (Acts 3:6). Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews was the title, John tells us, Pilate had placed over the Lord's Cross and to which the Jewish leaders had greatly objected (John 19:19-22). This was the Name and authority by which this miracle was now performed in the Temple precincts!

Repent therefore and be converted:

As Peter spoke to the crowd that then gathered to see the man who had been so wonderfully healed, he preached in the Name of the One they had rejected. "But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses" (Acts 3:14,15). The man had been healed through faith in Christ's Name. It was not sufficient that they should recognize they had killed the Prince of life, they must also be brought to the point of repentance and conversion. So he challenges, "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord" (3:19), concluding, "To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities"

(3:26).

The ensuing chapters of Acts show how powerfully and clearly the message of the power of Christ's resurrection was preached and believed. Thousands were saved and added to the Church in Jerusalem. The truth of the power of Christ's resurrection is as vital today both in the preaching of the gospel, and in the daily experience of the disciple, as it was in the days of the apostles. The resurrection is central to Christian doctrine. The very next chapter of Acts records, "And with great power (dunamis) the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all" (4:33). That same power and grace should be seen in our lives today.

All quotations taken from NKJV

Michael Elliott, Manchester, England | Jan 1995
Simon Peter: Bondservant And Apostle