Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• Opening remarks
• To go beyond Palm Sunday - to the death, resurrection and exaltation of Jesus
• This is the heart of Christianity - explanation
• Acts 5:30-33
• Overview:
• The Meaning of the death, resurrection and exaltation of Jesus
• The purpose of the death, resurrection and exaltation of Jesus

The Meaning

• Notice to whom Jesus is speaking - the Pharisees and the Sadducees
• Peter is intimidated but the first thing he says is that we ought to obey God and not men
• Peter identifies with them
• Not a new religion but the fulfillment of their religion
• We must be clear today that Christianity is a continuation of the Jewish religion
• The God of the New Testament is the God of the Old Testament
• Example
• "The God of our fathers"
• Peter speaks of Jesus being raised up
• This was a position they diametrically opposed
• The Sadducees didn't even believe in the resurrection
• None of them believed that God had raised Jesus from the dead
• He knows it is a central truth that must be proclaimed
• Peter (and 500 others) were eye witnesses of the resurrection - examples
• Peter and the other apostles were prepared to die for this (and martyred)
• This truth was undeniable but the leaders didn't want to know
• The leaders continued in their unbelief
• They continued in the religious traditions despite losing power
• Not an abstract doctrine
• A person - the Man God
• A person - not just believe but follow Him
• The Church is not about rules of morality but about Jesus Christ (though we live moral lives in Him)
• Are you ignoring Jesus?
• Peter says the leaders had murdered Jesus
• In one sense we are all responsible because of our sins
• Peter charges them with responsibility
• Hanging on a tree - Deut 21:23 a curse from God
• Treated the holy One of God as though He was cursed
• He is also saying that He was cursed hanging on the tree - by God because He took the sins of many
• Do you see this is a blessing?
• Do you see the immense love of God?
• Do you believe this?
• Our sin took Him to the cross and crucified Him
• Ask for forgiveness
• Peter says He was exalted
• He went to the right hand of the Father
• He was crowned with glory and honour
• All of the shame, ridicule and dishonour was over - He sat as Prince honoured amongst the angels
• He was made a little lower than the angels
• God accepted His sacrifice and raised Him from the dead
• He sits in the heavenly places - explanation
• He is Prince
• He is the Prince of peace
• He is the Prince of life also
• Prince - can be translated as author and captain
• He is the principle, the first, the glorious one
• Have you submitted to Him?
• He has come to save you and wants Lordship over your life
• He is Saviour
• He is God and Saviour - this should give us hope
• He came to save sinners
• We are all sinners
• Has He rescued you?
• Call out to Jesus to be saved
• Christianity depends on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ

The Purpose

• To give repentance to Israel
• Jesus had come first for the Jew, then to the Gentiles
• Acts 11:18
• Repentance is a profound change of mind with respect to Jesus Christ
• To understand that Jesus is like no other
• God's very own Son
• Lord
• A change of mind with respect to yourself
• To recognise we are a desperate sinner
• A turn from sin
• A very difficult concept for Peter's listeners to understand
• They tithed, prayed and went often to the church - they were very religious
• They thought they were accepted because of their tradition
• Example of Gonzalez and Richard Bennett
• God had already started to work in the religious leaders - Joseph of Arimethea, Nicodemus, Gamaliel
• This is a gift of God
• The gift of repentance
• The gift of faith - cf Acts 6:7
• The purpose is to give repentance and the forgiveness of sins
• It is a gift of God
• But we have a personal obligation to repent
• "God commands all men everywhere to repent"
• Have faith now - God will give you the gift of faith

Closing Remarks