In today's study Paul concludes his sermon at Pisidian Antioch. He has preached the faithfulness of a God who keeps His promises. He has preached Christ as the fulfillment of these promises. And now he preaches Christ as our freedom from the power of sin.
"We tell you this good news: What God promised our ancestors He has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus." (Acts 13:32-33a) This is the proof that Jesus is the Son of God: God raised Him from the dead. If the body of Jesus were still in the tomb, how could we ever know whether He wrought salvation for us on the cross? How could we trust the message He preached? How could we have faith that He is able to make us right with a holy God? But God raised Him from the dead to demonstrate to the world that Jesus' work on the cross was sufficient to save every soul that submits itself to Him.
Paul continues, "As it is written in the second psalm: 'You are My Son; today I have become Your Father.' God raised Him from the dead so that He will never be subject to decay. As God has said, 'I will give You the holy and sure blessings promised to David.' So it is also stated elsewhere: 'You will not let Your holy one see decay.'" (Acts 13:33b-35) The Old Testament saints predicted the resurrection of Christ. While He lived the Lord Jesus presented to the people all the credentials of the Messiah that were prophesied about Him. Following the crucifixion the greatest proof of His identity was provided when He rose from the dead and spent forty days with His followers who were able to testify that they talked with Him, walked with Him, and ate with Him. King David was given a vision of the resurrected Christ and he said in the voice of the risen One, "Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because You will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will You let Your faithful one see decay." (Psalm 16:9-10)
David could not possibly have been speaking of himself, as Paul points out, "Now when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed. But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay." (Acts 13:36-37) In Acts 2 the Apostle Peter made mention of David's tomb, saying, "His tomb is here to this day." (Acts 2:29) The first century citizens of Jerusalem knew where David's tomb was. They knew he was still in it. So David must have been speaking of another when he said, "You will not let Your faithful one see decay."
The resurrection is the proof that Jesus has the power to forgive sins. "Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through Him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses." (Acts 13:38-39) Paul will later affirm this same truth in different words to the Romans, "For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering." (Romans 8:3) No one could perfectly keep the law because no one was perfect. The same sacrifices had to be offered year after year because none of them were capable of sanctifying forever the ones who brought the sacrifices. So God sent His Son in the likeness of mankind. The Son was able to perfectly and completely keep the law. His sacrifice therefore is able to sanctify us forever. The blood the spotless Lamb of God shed on our behalf is able to do for us what we never could have done for ourselves.
Paul concludes his sermon with a stern warning, "Take care what the prophets have said does not happen to you: 'Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.'" (Acts 13:40-41)
Paul quotes the prophet Habakkuk who warned the citizens of Judah that God was going to raise up Babylon against them if they did not repent and turn back to Him. When prophets like Habakkuk and Isaiah began predicting the rise of Babylon, that nation wasn't anywhere near powerful enough to accomplish such a feat, so those who were living in sin scoffed at the words of the prophets. They didn't believe it was going to happen. In the same way many didn't believe God was going to raise up Jesus. Many didn't believe it when God did raise up Jesus, so Paul warns his listeners, "Don't be like those who laughed in the faces of the prophets! God said He was going to make Babylon powerful enough to conquer Judah if Judah didn't turn wholeheartedly back to Him. Remember what happened? The nation didn't repent and Babylon came and destroyed the city and the temple and took our people captive. God also said He was going to raise the Christ from the dead, and He has done exactly as He promised. Don't harden your hearts against the truth. If you do you will face the judgment of God just as our ancestors faced His judgment."
God sets before us a choice. We can accept Christ and obtain forgiveness of sins through Him. Or we can go our own way and someday stand in the presence of a holy God with no defender. The only way to be accepted by the Father is to trust in His Son who made the only acceptable and permanent sacrifice for our sins. No amount of good works or observances of laws and rituals will wash us clean. Only the blood of Christ, the spotless Lamb of God, can save us to the uttermost.
Our worship song link for today is below.
At The Cross (Love Ran Red)
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