Peter’s Pentecost Sermon
(Trinity Sunday)
Acts 2: 14a, 22-36

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Our text for this Trinity Sunday is from Peter’s Pentecost Sermon, recorded in Acts, chapter 2 verses 22 through 36, particularly these words: “Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. Therefore let all Israel be assured of this; God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” This is our text.

In the name of our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, dear Christian friends. It was Pentecost Day. A loud wind had drawn a crowd together where they found a group of Galileans speaking in many different foreign languages and they were telling about the marvelous works of God. But much of what the disciples were telling them was very new to them. Some of what they were saying just did not make any sense to them at all. Some even accused the disciples of being drunk. But Peter stood up and explained to them, that what they were seeing that day, was something that God had promised long ago would happen.

First of all, Peter recognizes his crowd. He said, “Men of Israel listen to this:” He could have just as well said “Children of Abraham” or “Chosen People of God.” These were people who would know the Old Testament promises of God concerning the promised Messiah who was to come. They would know the signs, and the wonders, and the miracles that the prophets of old had foretold would be done by God’s promised Messiah and Savior. He would heal the sick. He would make the lame to walk. He would cause the blind to see. And a lot more miracles, and signs, and wonders were promised by God through the words of his prophets of old.

Peter reminded the crowd of those promises by saying in our text, “Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.” Jesus fulfilled those promised miracles, and wonders, and signs. His birth in Bethlehem, his flight to Egypt, his life lived in Nazareth, his teaching ministry which had authority different than other teachers, his healing miracles, his walking on water, his raising of Lazarus from the dead — and the list goes on! All the miracles, and wonders, and signs that Jesus did, proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was the promised Messiah that was sent by God the Father to redeem sinful mankind.

This Jesus, they crucified! Peter said, “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.” This was pure law. Peter went right to the heart of the matter, looked them in the eye and accused these people of killing the promised Messiah. He told them that they had killed the promised one sent from God. With the help of the Poly-theistic Romans who believed in many different God’s, they crucified the one true God.

But we cannot point a finger at them and say — “THEY” crucified him. We cannot accuse the Jews of crucifying Jesus, because there was much more going on here than the eye could see. Peter explained the situation in our text, “This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge.” This was God’s plan. This is what had to happen, not just for the Jews, but for you and me as well — for all sinners who ever lived — and that includes all people who ever lived. It was your sins and mine that put Jesus on that cross. God had stated a fact — “The soul that sins, it shall die.” That was not just idle words, it was true. Because of sin, everyone deserves to die. But God the Father loved the world, and sent his only begotten Son Jesus Christ, to die for sin. Jesus died on the cross “by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge,” for you and for me.

But Peter then goes on to say that there was more to God’s plan, always had been more to God’s plan. Something that even the great King David had promised centuries earlier. Peter said in the text, “Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promise him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was ahead, he (David) spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.” Peter told the crowd about Easter morning and the empty tomb. It was something that even King David had foretold about in the Psalms. Death could not hold him. Jesus conquered death, so that you and I too might live, not just here and now — but forever with him in heaven. Eternal life is ours, a gift from God.

Peter continued, “This Jesus, Exalted to the right hand of God, has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.” How was it that these Galileans were speaking foreign languages clearly? How was it that they were boldly proclaiming the marvelous works of God? How was it that people were hearing this gospel message of God’s salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ? Well, it was the Holy Spirit, working through the spoken Word, calling people to repentance and to faith. It was the Holy Spirit, giving to these disciples, the faith, the courage, the wisdom, the talents, and even the words in foreign languages, which they needed to boldly proclaim the marvelous works of God. It was the Holy Spirit, calling, gathering, enlightening, and sanctifying those who would be part of God’s one, holy, Christian and apostolic church. And the Holy Spirit added 3,000 to their number that day.

And Peter concluded, “Therefore, let all Israel be assured of this; God has made this Jesus whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” God has redeemed his people. God has saved his people from their sins. Our Triune God, one God in three Persons, has come to our rescue. God the father planed everything. God the Son carried out those plans in and with his human flesh. And God the Holy Spirit is making known to the world God’s grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, so that all people – you and I – might have forgiveness, life, and salvation.

To God alone be the glory, now and always. Amen.

May the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting. Amen.