54 THE KING’S BUSINESS Peter’s Sermon at Pentecost JANUARY 16, 1916. LESSON III. Acts 2:22-41. (Read the whole passage Acts 2:14- 47. Commit vs. 38, 39.) G olden T e x t : “Whosoever shall call on the name o f the Lord shall be saved.”.—Acts 2 : 21 . DA ILY BIBLE READINGS
Mon., Jan. 10—pActs 2:14-28. . (The Lesson.) Tues., Jan. 11—Acts 2:29-47. (The Lessoni)
Wed., Jan. 12—Rom. 10:4-13. Thurs., Jan. 13—Isa. S3 :l-7. Fri., Jan. 14—John 3 :14-21. Sat., Jan,. IS—Psalm 16:1-11. Sun., Jan. 16—-John 17:20-26.
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EXPOSITION AND PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
v. 22. “Y e men■of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God unto you by mighty works 4 rather, powers ) and wonders and signs, which God did by (rather, through ) him in the midst of you, even as ye yourselves know." In verses 16 to 21 we have an explanatory introduction by the Apostle Peter, of what the people were witnessing. Having fin ished this explanatory introduction, he pro ceeds at once to preach the Lord Jesus. Any Spirit-filled man, will always make the Lord Jesus the very center o f his preaching. Peter begins with Jesus as a man, but not an ordinary man, “a man approved of God." The word translated “approved” is a very suggestive word; it means “ set forth (or declared) approved,” it refers to God’s public endorsement rather than to His secret approval o f Jesus. This endorse ment was by powers, i.e., manfestations of supernatural “powers” and “ wonders,” (i.e., acts of power that excite wonder), and “ signs” (i.e., things that signify a Divine mission and God’s endorsement), which “God did through Him.” All these powers and wonders and signs were God’s work and therefore constitute God’s endorse ment of Jesus o f Nazareth. That these things were done there can be no question, and therefore there can be no question that God who alone could do such things, gave in the plainest way His endorsement o f Jesus o f Nazareth and o f His claims, so
we may accept, on God’s own authority, Jesus o f Nazareth as being all that He claimed to be. These “powers” and “won ders” and “signs” had been done right in their midst; they themselves had been eye witnesses o f many o f them, and so Peter could appeal to what; they themselves knew, and thus his argument was unanswerable. And we today can appeal to signs o f Divine power wrought through the name o f Jesus in the salvation o f men by the power of God when they simply believe on Jesus, and thus the Deity o f Christ is proven by things that are done today, in the Divine work, that He accomplishes in the minds and hearts o f men among us today, and the doctrine o f the Deity o f Christ is removed from the realm o f theological speculation into that o f experimentally proven fact. v. 23. “Him,, being delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye by the hand o f (rather; through the hands o f ) lawless men did crucify and slay." Whom God approved, man cruci fied. This crucifixion o f the one whom God approved, shows what man is at heart, thoroughly at enmity with God. Neverthe less this Crucifixion, though executed “by hands_ o f lawless men,” was according to the “ determinate counsel and foreknowledge o f God.” Everything that men do comes to pass according to God’s eternal plan o f grace, but this does not in any wise exon-
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