Here are the great words Peter preached after the fulfillment of the prophecy Jesus made just before He ascended into heaven. Jesus told the crowd of 500 men, plus women and young folks, they would be filled with power after the Holy Ghost came upon them--and they would be His witnesses.
When Jesus went up and the clouds received Him out of their sight, they obeyed the Lord's command and went to tarry for the promised Gift. When the Holy Spirit descended on them, a crowd gathered asking "What does this mean?"
Peter was the boisterous disciple who bragged he would die for Christ, yet after the Lord was arrested, denied he even knew Him. Sorry and feeling unworthy, Peter quit the ministry and went back to fishing. But then, one night Jesus had cooked dinner on the beach and asked Peter if he loved him.
"Lord, you know I love you," Peter kept saying.
Finally, Jesus said, "Feed my sheep."
Now after what Jesus promised occurred and Peter's heart was aflame with joy burning in his soul, he couldn’t help but notice a large crowd had gathered. They overheard what was happening in the Upper Room."What does this mean?" they asked.
Peter stood. "Men of Israel," he began, in a manner typical of speakers in that day, "Listen to this. Jesus of Nazareth was a man accreditied by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge,; and you, with the help of wicked men,put him to death by nailing him to the cross.
"But God raised Him from the dead, freeing Him from the agony of death, because it ws impossible for death to keep its hold on him."
Peter reminded them of prophecies about God raising Jesus to life.
"Therefore, let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."
Almost in unison the crowd cried, "What shall we do?"
Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins."
In the scripture passage in Acts 2, Peter goes on to say if they received Christ they could receive the Holy Spirit, and the promise would be for them, for their children and their children's children...literally all who are afar off.
Even before He was executed on the cross and rose from the tomb, Jesus said, "I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you. Before long the world will not see me anymore. But you will see me. Because I live, you shall live also" (John 14:18-19).
That brings us back to John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, he gave his one and only son; that whoever believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life."
Even before He was executed on the cross and rose from the tomb, Jesus said, "I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you. Before long the world will not see me anymore. But you will see me. Because I live, you shall live also" (John 14:18-19).
That brings us back to John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, he gave his one and only son; that whoever believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life."
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