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Turn with me in your Bibles to 
the book of Acts, Acts chapter 13. Acts chapter 13, we're considering 
the Apostle Paul's first missionary journey. And we pick up in Acts 
13 in Pisidia in Antioch. They were sent out by a church 
in Antioch in Syria. Now they're in a region, a province 
called Pisidia, and they are in a synagogue of the Jews on 
the Sabbath day. And the Apostle Paul has been 
invited to speak and to preach the truth. So I'll begin reading 
in chapter 13 at verse 13. Now, when Paul and his party 
set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga and Pamphylia, and John, 
departing from them, returned to Jerusalem. But when they departed 
from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia and went into the 
synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. And after the reading 
of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent 
to them, saying, Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation 
for the people, say on. Then Paul stood up and motioning 
with his hand said, Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen. 
The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and exalted 
the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt. 
And with an uplifted arm, he brought them out of it. Now for 
a time of about 40 years, he put up with their ways in the 
wilderness. And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of 
Canaan, he distributed their land to them by allotment. After 
that, he gave them judges for about 450 years, until Samuel 
the prophet. And afterward, they asked for 
a king. So God gave them Saul, the son of Kish, a man of the 
tribe of Benjamin, for 40 years. And when he had removed him, 
he raised up for them David as king, to whom also he gave testimony 
and said, I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after 
my own heart, who will do all my will. From this man's seed, 
according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Savior, 
Jesus, after John had first preached, before his coming, the baptism 
of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John was finishing 
his course, he said, who do you think I am? I am not he, but 
behold, there comes one after me, the sandals of whose feet 
I am not worthy to lose. men and brethren, sons of the 
family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you 
the word of this salvation has been sent. For those who dwell 
in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not know him, 
nor even the voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, 
have fulfilled them in condemning him. And though they found no 
cause for death in him, they asked Pilate that he should be 
put to death. Now when they had fulfilled all 
that was written concerning him, they took him down from the tree 
and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead. 
He was seen for many days by those who came up with him from 
Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses to the people. 
And we declare to you glad tidings, that promise which was made to 
the fathers. God has fulfilled this for us, 
their children, in that he has raised up Jesus. As it is also 
written in the second Psalm, you are my son, today I have 
begotten you. And that he raised him from the 
dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken thus. I will give 
you the sure mercies of David. Therefore, he also says in another 
psalm, you will not allow your Holy One to see corruption. For 
David, after he had served his own generation by the will of 
God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption. But he whom God raised up saw 
no corruption. Therefore, let it be known to 
you, brethren, that through this man is preached to you the forgiveness 
of sins. And by him, everyone who believes 
is justified from all things from which you could not be justified 
by the law of Moses. Beware, therefore, lest what 
has been spoken in the prophets come upon you. Behold, you despisers, 
marvel and perish, for I work a work in your days, a work which 
you will by no means believe, though one were to declare it 
to you. Amen. Let us seek God's face 
in prayer before we look at his word. I did receive some sad 
news this morning concerning Kyle van Ruitenberg and his wife, 
Nicole, so we will remember them in our time of prayer this morning. 
So let us go to the Lord God. Our Father in heaven, we come 
to you on the Sabbath day and we acknowledge that you are God 
most high. that you are glorious, that you 
are wondrous, that you are worthy to be praised. We thank you for 
your grace, and we thank you for your mercy. We thank you 
for the gospel that's so clearly articulated in Acts chapter 13. 
God, as we consider this passage, may it strengthen us, may it 
confirm our faith, may it encourage our hearts, and God, may we see 
afresh the Lord Jesus Christ. We ask this morning that you'd 
be with Kyle and Nicole. We just commit them to you and 
to the word of your grace. We pray they'd say with Job, 
the Lord gives, the Lord takes away, the blessed be the name 
of the Lord. Father, may you surround them with your comfort. 
May they find great joy from Psalms like Psalm 46. May you 
bless their church. May they rally behind them today. 
And Father, may you just indeed bring glory even out of this 
calamity. And even now, Father, for us, 
we pray that you would forgive us for all of our sins. As we 
see in this passage, forgiveness is connected not to our performance, 
not to our law-keeping, not to our merit. And in this, we greatly 
rejoice that that forgiveness is connected to faith in Jesus 
Christ. And God, I pray that today, for 
those who do not have faith, those who have no forgiveness, 
those who are dead in their trespasses and sins, may today be the day 
of salvation. May you awaken sinners here and 
elsewhere. May your Holy Spirit be at work. 
May you show us our wickedness before a holy God and show us 
that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission. 
and show us as well that the Lamb of God came to take away 
the sin of the world. And may sinners today find that 
joy of being found in Him, not having their own righteousness 
which is from the law, but that which is from you through faith 
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Again, forgive us, guide us by 
your Holy Spirit, and we ask in Jesus' name. Amen. As I said, 
we're considering the first missionary journey of the Apostle Paul. 
That is covered here in Acts chapters 13 to 14. It took place in AD 47 and AD 
48. It took about 14 or covered about 
1,400 miles in terms of the various cities that were visited and 
in terms of the people that were reached with the gospel of our 
salvation. Now, when we get to this section 
in the synagogue, we noticed in verse 15 that the synagogue 
or the rulers of the synagogue sent to Paul and Barnabas saying, 
men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the 
people, say on. So they ask or they invite a 
preacher to preach and so Paul stands up and essentially what 
he does in this sermon is he sketches Israel's history in 
verses 16 to 22. He highlights the arrival of 
Israel's Messiah in verses 23 to 25. He will now explain in 
more detail Israel's Messiah in verses 26 to 37, our text 
for this morning. And then we see the response 
or rather an exhortation to believe on Israel's Messiah and then 
the response to Paul's sermon in Pisidian Antioch on that day. So basically we're going to take 
up the explanation concerning Israel's Messiah and the two 
significant events that the Apostle highlights is first the crucifixion 
of our Lord Jesus Christ and then the resurrection of our 
Lord Jesus Christ. So let's look first of all at 
the crucifixion in verses 26 to 29. But notice what Paul does 
in verse 26. He says, To you the word of this salvation 
has been sent. So Paul doesn't want to just 
inform them. He doesn't want to just instruct 
them. He doesn't want to just say your 
Old Testament scriptures led to the arrival of our Lord Jesus. He wants to bring it home. He 
wants to see these people saved by grace through faith. in our 
Lord Jesus. That's why he appeals to them 
in verse 26. That's why he says, it is to 
you the word of this salvation has been sent. And then the two 
people groups that he's addressing in the synagogue are, of course, 
Jews, but as well, those who fear God. And we've identified 
them as Gentiles. They were Gentiles who were enamored 
with or interested in the God of Israel. And so they would 
come to the synagogue on the Sabbath to hear preaching concerning 
that God Most High. So Paul addresses these two groups, 
and then notice specifically he says to you, the word of this 
salvation has been sent. Very important that we understand 
that. The biblical record isn't simply given in order that we 
may understand. Now that obviously is the case, 
but we may understand in order that we believe and be saved. 
It's the word of this salvation. If you simply know the data concerning 
Christianity, but have never believed the gospel concerning 
our Lord Jesus Christ, then you are dead in your trespasses and 
sins. And it's about salvation. That's 
what animated the apostle Paul. That's why he stood up in a place 
that was opposed to the Lord Jesus Christ, and he sent forth 
Christ because he wanted these people to be saved. John Gill 
comments that the gospel is a declaration of salvation itself, as being 
a thing done by Christ. It declares him to be the alone, 
able, willing, and all-sufficient Savior. And that salvation he 
has wrought out to be a great one, complete, spiritual, and 
everlasting. and that those that believe in 
Him shall be saved with it. So if that's the case, and that 
is most certainly the case, pay attention. If you're not a believer 
here this morning, may today under God be the day of salvation. May the Holy Spirit come, convict 
you of your sin, show you the Lord Jesus Christ, and the reality 
that there is forgiveness in Him, and the reality that there 
is a righteousness that comes from Him, that enables guilty 
sinners like you and I to stand before the holy God of heaven 
and earth. So please, let's look at what 
it says concerning the crucifixion of Israel's Messiah. In the first 
place, they condemned Him. Notice what verse 27 says. For 
those who dwell in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they 
did not know Him, nor even the voices of the prophets which 
are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning 
Him. They didn't know Him. Now, this 
was according to God's word because God ultimately orchestrated everything. It's all according to the decree, 
and it was announced in the prophet Isaiah in 53.3. He is despised 
and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, 
and we hid, as it were, our faces from him. He was despised and 
we did not esteem him. If you understand the gospel, 
the Lord Jesus is the second person of the blessed Trinity. 
He comes into this world. He assumes our humanity with 
all of the common, all of the essential properties and common 
infirmities thereof, and yet without sin. The persons of the 
world should have bowed before him. The persons of the world 
should have praised him. The persons of the world should 
have esteemed him highly and revered him and delighted in 
him. But as the prophet announces, 
we see this come to pass when Jesus comes on the scene. In 
the fullness of the time, God sent forth his son, born of a 
woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law. He 
comes to his own. And as the apostle John says 
in John 1 11, his own do not receive him. They reject him, 
and the apostle Paul highlights that in verse 27. They did not 
know that he was the one whom the law and the prophets testified 
concerning. They rejected his claims and 
they maintained their opposition to him. It was a great tragedy 
to see the Son of God in the midst of his people, Israel, 
and instead of worshiping and praising, they reject and they 
ultimately crucify. Notice what Paul goes on to say. 
It says they did not understand the prophets. I've tried to show 
you that what the apostles are doing in their preaching is showing 
that they understand properly the Old Testament. If the Old 
Testament leads away from Christ, then you're reading it wrong. 
If your interpretation of the prophet Isaiah doesn't yield 
worship faith in our Lord Christ, you've missed the point of the 
prophet Isaiah. And he says as much that these 
men who, in the synagogue, heard the reading of the Law and the 
Prophets, they didn't get it. They misunderstood. It went right 
over their heads because of their hardened hearts, because their 
opposition against Christ, and because of some ungodly expectations 
concerning the Messiah. They thought that as soon as 
Messiah arrived, He would subjugate the Roman armies, the Roman Empire, 
and it would be a geopolitical sort of preeminence for Israel. 
But that's not what the Lord Christ brings in the first coming. He brings a kingdom to be sure, 
He brings salvation to be sure, but it's not that carnal sort 
where we get a chicken in every pot and a car in every driveway. 
That's not the point. He comes to save His people from 
their sins, and so Paul tells us that they did not understand 
the prophets which are read every Sabbath. Now, the prophetic testimony 
concerning Jesus has already been outlined or hinted at by 
Paul himself in this very speech or sermon at the very beginning, 
this sketch concerning Israel's history. Peter does the same 
thing in Acts chapter 3, and in the passage that Steve read 
this morning, to him, Christ, all the prophets witness that 
everyone who believes in his name will receive forgiveness 
of sins. So the prophets in the Old Testament 
had a central theme, a scope, a focus, and that was our Lord 
Jesus Christ. Paul says they missed it. Paul 
himself had missed it until he met Christ on the road to Damascus, 
so he knows of what he speaks. John Calvin makes this observation 
concerning this condemnation of the people of Israel for not 
understanding the prophets. He says, again, he hiddeth them 
in the teeth with ignorance of the scripture, unless any should 
object that he speaks of some dark and unknown manner. See, 
it's not the case that they could say, well, you know, that was 
the esoteric, or that was the mysterious, or that was the thing 
that only a few people got. No, it's the reading of the law 
and the prophets. It's the reading of the Old Testament. 
There's no mystery. There's no esotericism. There 
is rather revelation from God that they missed. He goes on 
to say, He addeth also that He doth speak of no other prophecies 
than of those which are read every Sabbath day, as if He should 
say that the oracles of Scripture are most plain and known to the 
most ignorant, and yet they knew them not. See, there's this idea 
that we will always understand everything that God tells us, 
but that's simply not the case. We're ultimately dependent upon 
God himself. We need the Holy Spirit to give 
us understanding, to enlighten our eyes such that we can see 
Christ in the prophet Isaiah. Perhaps they went to these synagogues, 
perhaps they heard the reading of the prophets and no one ever 
prayed, send forth the spirit. Nobody ever prayed, God illumined 
my mind and heart. God helped me to see what scripture 
is about. Perhaps it was just a rote exercise. Just go to church because that's 
what good people are supposed to do. We don't really need to 
pay attention. We don't really need to track. We don't really 
need to think. We just need to stay alive, stay 
alert, look like we're there for the next hour. but our minds 
are disengaged, we're wandering in a million other places, and 
we're not hearing the testimony concerning Jesus. Perhaps what 
happened in those synagogues is what happens all over the 
earth today in churches. Persons neglect the third person 
of the Spirit, or the third person of the Godhead, in terms of the 
Holy Spirit. We must have Him to illumine 
our minds and hearts and to show us Jesus. But notice, they didn't 
know him, they didn't understand the prophets, but they actually 
fulfilled the prophets. Isn't that an amazing thing? 
God the Lord is the first cause. That first cause does not militate 
against second causes, but rather is the foundation for it. Notice 
in verse 27 at the end. He says, they have fulfilled 
them in condemning him. Their condemnation of Christ 
resulted from their lack of recognition of Christ in the Old Covenant 
Scriptures. So while they opposed Him, while 
they resisted Him, while they despised Him, they are actually 
fulfilling that Word. You see how God works? In the 
Psalms it says, even the wrath of man shall praise you. That's our great, glorious, and 
sovereign God. That when the first century Jews 
rejected Jesus, they do so unto their own condemnation, but they 
do so alternatively unto the fulfillment of the very Word 
of God itself. Remember, for instance, those 
servant songs in the prophet Isaiah. The 53rd chapter highlights 
the suffering servant. It highlights that one of Isaiah 
53.3. It highlights the reality that 
Yahweh was pleased to crush him, putting him to grief. They missed 
that Christ and they therefore fulfilled what the prophet had 
written concerning them. And I think this underscores 
again the providence the power, the glory, the majesty, and the 
excellence of our God. He could take crooked things 
and make straight things out of them. Remember in Acts chapter 
2 verse 23, he speaks about their godless hands putting Jesus on 
that cross, and he says, yet it was the predetermined plan 
of God Almighty. That does not negate their responsibility 
and culpability for that criminal activity. But it highlights or 
demonstrates how the sovereignty of God works in, through, by, 
and in the means that are man. And so these men condemned him, 
they fulfill scripture, but then notice the crucifixion is referred 
to in verse 28. It says, and though they found 
no cause for death in him. We should just stop for a moment 
and ponder this. They found no cause for death 
in him. That should be it. Should have 
been over. We may not like you. We may not 
agree with your doctrine. We may not jive with your interpretation 
of the Old Testament. But to go beyond this is absolutely 
barbaric. And that's what happened in first 
century Israel. They found no cause for death 
in him. He is, in the language of Paul 
from Hebrews 7, wholly harmless and undefiled, separate from 
sinners. Sinless Christ, the Lamb of God 
who takes away the sin of the world. In order to function as 
the Lamb of God, he had to be without blemish. He had to be 
perfect. He had to be what is specified 
in Hebrews 7, wholly harmless and undefiled. So they see there's 
no cause for death in him, and yet they continue to badger Pilate 
until Pilate gives the kill order and executes Jesus. It really 
does exacerbate the wickedness and the vileness involved. Notice, 
they found no cause for death in him. It's intriguing, in John 
chapter 19, when they appeal to Pilate, Pilate says, what 
has he done? Remember, the Jews were subject 
at that time, and they couldn't execute criminal offenders. They 
didn't have the right, the prerogative, or the authority to engage in 
capital punishment. So they needed Pilate. Pilate 
was crucial in this chain. If there's no Pilate, there's 
no death of Jesus, humanly speaking. So they come to the praetorium 
or to the palace on that day, and Pilate says, what has he 
done? You want me to execute a man, 
and what has he done? Which is a good question on the 
part of Pilate, isn't it? I think we're seeing the decay 
of due process all around us. We are seeing persons just claiming 
something and everybody just immediately assuming that's the 
case. We give little concern to Proverbs 
18 in our culture anymore. The first to plead his cause 
seems right until his neighbor comes and examines him. So good 
for Pilate. What has he done that would sanction 
the death penalty? Do you know how they answer in 
John 19, 30? They say, if he were not an evildoer, we would 
not have delivered him up to you. Okay. Do you understand what they're 
doing? They are begging the question. They are assuming. They are not 
giving or evidencing any proof whatsoever. They said, if you 
weren't evil, we wouldn't bring him to you. It's a terrible line 
of argumentation. It is abject wickedness. And 
again, it underscores or highlights the folly of those involved in 
the crucifixion. Now we know that they do lie 
to Pilate. They say that this fellow prohibited 
the paying of taxes to Caesar, which was patently false. Christ 
says, give to Caesar what is Caesar's, but give to God what 
is God's. Another way they tried to finagle 
Pilate was by asserting the reality that Christ claimed to be a king. 
And when they present that to Pilate, they want Pilate to surmise 
that Christ as king is a threat to the Roman Empire. They have 
to do that in order that Pilate will go forth with this kill 
order. So they found no cause for death, and yet Paul says 
in verse 28, they asked Pilate that he should be put to death. 
Go to Luke's gospel for just a moment, Luke chapter 23, where 
a couple of these things really come to the fore. The reality 
that there was no cause for death in him and the reality that they 
were bent on destroying him even though he was an innocent man. 
So in Luke chapter 23, Notice in verse one, then the whole 
multitude of them arose and led him to Pilate. And they began 
to accuse him, saying, we found this fellow perverting the nation 
and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that he himself 
is Christ, a king. Then Pilate asked him, saying, 
are you the king of the Jews? He answered him and said, it 
is as you say. Now, it is Pilate that on three 
occasions confesses that Jesus was innocent. That criminal that 
was crucified next to him that ended up in paradise on that 
day also confesses that Jesus is innocent. The centurion at 
the base of the cross confesses that Jesus is innocent. Everybody 
outside sees this, and yet these Jews, having rejected the prophetic 
testimony concerning Messiah, are now actually fulfilling that 
prophetic testimony by crucifying the Messiah. Notice what Pilate 
says in verse 4. So Pilate said to the chief priests 
and the crowd, I find no fault in this man. Verse 14. He said to them, you have brought 
this man to me as one who misleads the people. And indeed, having 
examined him in your presence, I have found no fault in this 
man concerning those things of which you accuse me. And then 
again in verse 22, then he said to them the third time, after 
they cry out, crucify him. Why? What evil has he done? I 
have found no reason for death in him. I will therefore chastise 
him and let him go. Well, that was gutless. I mean, 
if he's got no guilt, why would you chastise him? Well, he's 
operating in this kangaroo court. He reckons that if he gives this 
man a severe beating, that will appease their bloodthirst, and 
then he can let him go. But that didn't appease it. They 
cry out all the more, away with him, away with him, crucify him. 
So when we go back to Pisidian Antioch, you have to understand 
what Paul is doing. Paul is saying, we've got big 
problems here in Israel. We've got massive problems. The 
prophets that we claim allegiance to foretold these days. The prophets 
we claim allegiance to foretold this Jesus that John the Baptist 
preached. This Jesus was not known. This Jesus was not understood. 
This Jesus was seen to be guiltless, but nevertheless, you wanted 
him dead. And in doing this, you are also, 
or you actually were fulfilling the very prophetic testimony. So he speaks concerning the crucifixion 
of Jesus, and in verse 28 he says, they asked Pilate that 
he should be put to death, and then in verse 29, now when they 
had fulfilled all that was written concerning him, they took him 
down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. See, these are significant. I'm always a bit curious when 
I hear people talk about the gospel. I mean, face it, as blood-bought 
children of God who have the Holy Spirit, there's nothing 
better than the gospel, right? Somebody can say, I'm going to 
give you a billion dollars or take the gospel away. I want 
the gospel. Gospel is everything. So as a 
result, you kind of have a keen ear to listen when people talk 
about the gospel. Sometimes it's a bit depressing. 
They'll say things like when you know, we need to we need 
to live the gospel We just need to demonstrate the gospel I'm 
sorry, but you can't do that your life of virtue will never 
set forth Christ and him crucified we We have to use terms. We have 
to use words. We have to use proposition. The 
gospel isn't a warm feeling. The gospel isn't my security 
blanket. The gospel isn't about me. The gospel is about Jesus. It's 
about His life. It's about His death. It's about 
His resurrection. That's what the gospel is about 
and that's why in apostolic preaching they don't come there to entertain 
They don't come there to try and impress they come there to 
preach Christ and him crucified To the jews a stumbling block 
and to the greeks foolishness, but to those who are being saved 
christ the wisdom and power of god That is precisely what he 
does. He sets forth christ and him 
crucified He says in verse 29 when they had fulfilled all that 
was written concerning him. This may speak to john's gospel 
If you read John 19 and you see the crucifixion of Jesus, one 
of the things that John takes pains in doing is showing how 
scripture is fulfilled. From the division of the garments 
of the Lord Jesus Christ, scripture is fulfilled. To the giving Christ 
on the cross vinegar to drink, scripture is fulfilled. The very 
piercing of his side, scripture is fulfilled. Once they had done 
all that, once they had fulfilled all that, they took him off the 
tree and they buried him. Now when it comes to the actual 
burial, two decent men buried him, Nicodemus and Joseph of 
Arimathea. But the Jews oversaw it, the 
religious leaders oversaw it, and they even made a deal with 
Pilate to post a guard at the tomb such that if the body went 
missing or that the body couldn't be stolen by the disciples. So 
overall they were over it. So we can't blame or we can't 
speak ill of Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, but ultimately 
they buried him. I think the emphasis lies on 
the reality that he died. That's why scripture tells us 
they buried him. Heidelberg Catechism number 41. 
Why was he buried? His burial testifies that he 
really died. He didn't appear to be dead. 
Some teach that. They call it the swoon theory. 
He just looked like he was dead. So they took him and they cared 
for him in another region. And once he became well again, 
he appeared and everybody thought that he had risen from the dead. 
Islamic theology does not teach the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 
the Son of God. They teach something akin to 
the swoon theory. But the fact that the scriptures 
tell us that he was buried underscores the reality that he died. He 
was crucified, not for his sins, because he had none, but he was 
crucified for our sins, because we had a bunch. And without him, 
we would definitely perish in hell for all eternity. So he 
deals with the crucifixion of the Redeemer, but he doesn't 
stop. Notice the resurrection. The resurrection of Israel's 
Messiah in verses 30 to 37. He does what Peter does before 
him. He gives this contrast. See, 
on the one hand, you unbelieving Jews crucified the Lord Jesus 
Christ, but God raised Him from the dead. You see that contrast 
evidence there in verse 30, but God raised Him from the dead. 
If you go back to the book of Acts, chapter 2, chapter 3, chapter 
4, chapter 5, and then even in the reading that Steve engaged 
in today, Acts chapter 10, Peter before the household of Cornelius. 
Here's how he was treated by men, and here's how God dealt 
with him. He raised him from the dead. 
Bach, the commentator says, the shift of subject here is important. The Jewish leaders and Pilate 
had handled Jesus up to this point, but now God acted on his 
behalf. Again, they're dealing with the 
same God. They wouldn't invite somebody 
that had no knowledge of Yahweh to testify in the synagogue. 
Men and brethren, do you have any word of exhortation? They 
wouldn't just say that willy-nilly. Likely, they knew that Paul had 
been trained at the feet of Gamaliel. They knew that he had rabbinic 
training. They knew that he had that ability. So they invite 
him up. They don't invite him up as one 
preaching Baal or preaching Asherah. He's going to preach Yahweh of 
Israel. He appeals to their own scriptures. He appeals to their 
own prophets. He tells them that they missed 
that message of the prophets. And in contrast, God raised his 
son from the dead after they had crucified him for no good 
reason, humanly speaking, to be sure. And then notice, he 
highlights the apostolic testimony concerning Christ and the resurrection. Verse 31, he was seen for many 
days by those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, 
who are his witnesses to the people, and we declare to you 
glad tidings, that promise which was made to the fathers. God 
has fulfilled this for us, their children. Do you see what he's 
doing? Christ was crucified according 
to the Scriptures. Christ was raised according to 
the Scriptures. Christ is the Messiah sent by 
Yahweh to Israel. And instead of bowing and worshiping 
and praising, you reject it, you despise, you destroy. But 
lo and behold, God raised him up, and what is uniquely a sin 
to Jerusalem, I think Paul is suggesting to Pisidi and Antioch, 
don't follow in their footsteps. If that group of Jews missed 
it, don't you as a group of Jews miss it, but rather see Christ 
as the altogether lovely of God and that chief among 10,000. 
It is crucifixion and resurrection of the Son of God that he emphasizes. And then he appeals again to 
their scriptures. He wants to show he's not making 
this up. This isn't novel. Paul didn't 
go to the sandy desert of Arabia and concoct the gospel. No, Christ 
saved him on the road to Damascus. Christ revealed these things 
to him. Christ gave him that interpretative key to understand 
properly the law and the prophets. And that key was Jesus himself. Once Paul saw that, Paul clicked. Once Paul understood that, Paul 
appreciated that everything in the Old Testament, the scope 
of the scriptures as a whole, is on the Lord Jesus Christ. 
And that's what he is doing, so he appeals to the Old Testament 
to underscore the reality that Christ was raised from the dead 
by the Father. Notice, verse 33, God has fulfilled 
this for us, their children, in that he has raised up Jesus. 
Now, he quotes the second Psalm. Again, appreciate the sort of 
close connection between first and second causes. The Jews by 
their actions fulfilled the scripture. Notice what we see in verse 32 
or 33. God fulfilled this. So God works 
through the wickedness of men, God works through the wretchedness 
of men, God works through the mutiny of men to accomplish God's 
purpose here on earth. Now, the raising up of Jesus 
in verse 33 is probably a reference to the incarnation and to his 
function as mediator. Now, there's a reason why I'm 
going to argue this way, because I don't think when he quotes 
Psalm 27, it's a proof text for the resurrection. It is rather 
a proof text of the relationship between the father and the son. So let's look at what he does 
in verse 33. God has fulfilled this for us, 
their children, in that he has raised up Jesus. Now the verb 
here can speak to the resurrection from the dead. But the fact is, 
verse 34 says, he raised him from the dead. So this raising 
up in verse 33, it could just be repetition in verse 34, or 
it could point to a different raising up. In verse 33, he's 
raised up by the Father to function as the mediator of God's elect. 
He's raised up as the surety of the new covenant. He's raised 
up as the surety of a better covenant. He's raised up in order 
to be incarnate, to come down from heaven for us men and for 
our salvation. So what is the significance behind 
his appeal to Psalm 2 7? Notice in verse 33, he says, 
as it is also written in the second Psalm, you are my son, 
today I have begotten you. In my understanding, and I could 
be wrong, there's some difference of opinion in this particular 
interpretation, but I'm going to give you what I think is happening. Psalm 2, 7 speaks to the eternal 
generation of the Son. And by virtue of His statement, 
shows the intimate connection between Father and Son. Shows 
the relationship that obtains between Father and Son. Psalm 
2-7 underscores the doctrine of the eternal generation of 
the Son. Jesus, when he came into this 
world, didn't have his beginning. But Jesus was eternally begotten 
by the Father. Now the text says today, it's 
spoken in the manner of men. Brethren, in terms of eternal 
generation, there's no place that you could go behind us and 
find a point when the Son was not. The Son has always been 
from everlasting to everlasting. Psalm 2-7 underscores the unique 
relationship between Father and Son to show the appropriateness 
of the Son as being the mediator of God's elect, the one who would 
die, the one who would be raised again. Now, in terms of the eternal 
generation of the Son, when we start to sort of think through 
that, and those who have heard this concept or doctrine know 
that at times it's a bit difficult. Eternal generation of the Son. 
What does that mean specifically? Well, I'm going to quote one 
of the church fathers, a fellow by the name of Gregory of Nazianzen. He says, the begetting of God 
must be honored by silence. So we'll just end there. This is a doctrine that needs 
to be preached and taught. The neglect of this doctrine 
is yielding some bad, bad Christology out there. So my argument is, 
is that Psalm 27 does not refer to the physical resurrection 
of Jesus. It refers to the eternal generation 
of the son to underscore the appropriateness of that son relative 
to the father to come into this world, to take on our humanity, 
to live as a man, to die as a man, and to be raised as a man. Back 
to Gregory. He says, it is a great thing 
for you to learn that he was begotten. But the manner of his 
generation, we will not admit that even angels can conceive, 
much less you. Shall I tell you how it was? 
It was in a manner known to the father who begat and to the son 
who was begotten. Anything more than this is hidden 
by a cloud and escapes your dim sight. So Psalm 27 is not a reference 
to the resurrection of our Lord. It is a reference to the eternal 
generation of our Lord as the Son of God, as God from God, 
light from light, true God from true God. that one who was begotten 
not made, that one who for us and for our salvation came down 
from heaven, that one who assumed our humanity, that one who was 
crucified, that one who was resurrected. The invocation of Psalm 27 is 
not relative to the resurrection of the body of Jesus, but to 
the relationship between Jesus and the Father. Then he moves 
on to highlight scripture that does refer to the resurrection 
of Jesus. Notice in verse 34, and that 
he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, 
he has spoken thus, I will give you the sure mercies of David. This is a great passage, and 
at times I wonder, why does he use that passage? I admit, sometimes 
when I come to Bible study and I see that he invokes or uses 
particular passages, I ask the question, why that one? Perhaps 
there would have been a more clear one. I usually don't try 
to get that far, because it almost sounds like I'm challenging Paul 
in what he's doing. But Isaiah 55 is crucial. That 
sure mercies of David that the Lord God Most High conveys to 
his elect, based on that eternal covenant of grace, it's all predicated 
upon, or it all hinges upon, the resurrection of the servant 
from Isaiah 53. Isaiah 53 tells us he was a man 
of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Isaiah 53 tells us it pleased 
Yahweh to bruise him, to put him to grief. Isaiah 53 speaks 
of the demise of the suffering servant. But in Isaiah 55, when 
he says, Ho, everyone in thirst, let him come to the waters. When 
he's giving that gospel invitation, when he's calling sinners to 
eternal life, he says that in this Christ, in this suffering 
servant, there are the sure mercies of David. That Davidic covenant 
of 2 Samuel 7, this suffering servant of Isaiah 53, he is the 
one upon whom all the promises of God are yea and amen. And 
it's in him that the covenant mercies of David come to needy 
sinners. It really is a beautiful use 
of the Old Testament. And then he finalizes this by 
going to a psalm that Peter does. In Acts chapter 2, when Peter's 
preaching on the day of Pentecost, he highlights the same sorts 
of things. Peter and Paul preach the same gospel. They preach 
the life, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus. When Peter 
wants to underscore the resurrection of Jesus, he appeals to Psalm 
16. Well, that's what Paul does in this very instance as well. 
Notice in verse 35, therefore he says, or also says in another 
psalm, this is Psalm 16.10, you will not allow your Holy One 
to see corruption. And now he explains in a manner 
similar to Peter in Acts chapter 2. Notice in verse 36, he says, 
For David, after he had served his own generation by the will 
of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption. 
In other words, David wrote Psalm 16, but David didn't write Psalm 
16 about himself. David wrote Psalm 2 that our 
brother read at the outset of worship, but David didn't write 
it about himself. David wrote it about his coming 
son. David wrote it about that one 
that God promised to send in light of 2 Samuel chapter 7. 
David served by the will of God the kingdom of Israel, and he 
did a fine job. Those of you who are reading 
McShane, read 1 Chronicles 29 this morning, and it gives a 
wonderful summary statement concerning the reign of King David. He served 
for 40 years. He faithfully administrated that 
kingdom. Was he a perfect man? Was he 
a spotless man? Was he an absolutely blemish-free 
man? No, he wasn't, but he was a man 
after God's own heart, and he served well. But men and brethren, 
let me tell you, he died, he went to the ground, and his body 
became worm food. That's what he's saying. He decayed. He saw corruption. He went through 
what all men of flesh go through, save this one man of flesh that 
he ends on in verse 37. But he whom God raised up saw 
no corruption. saw no corruption. There's nothing 
in him that would hinder any sinner from ever coming to him. 
He's not in the ground. He's been raised from the dead. 
He's enthroned at the right hand of the majesty of God on high, 
where he lives always to make intercession for his people and 
where he lives always to receive guilty, vile, helpless sinners. We sing that a lot at the Lord's 
Supper. Some of you probably say, yeah, I know. We always 
sing that song, Man of Sorrows. What a name for the Son of God 
who came. Ruined sinners to reclaim. Hallelujah, 
what a Savior. But it points that reality out. 
Guilty, vile, helpless, weak. Spotless Lamb of God was He. 
Full atonement, can it be? Hallelujah, what a Savior. Brethren, 
that is the basis for our hope. That is the basis for our comfort. That is the basis for our stability. That is the basis for our security. It's not our performance. It's 
not our lawfulness. It's not our merit. Now, I'm 
not suggesting, and if you think I am, come back tonight, that 
it doesn't matter how we live. It most certainly does, because 
that faith that justifies never remains alone, but it's always 
accompanied with all other saving graces. But in terms of our security 
with the Father, it is not ultimately dependent upon our performance. 
That is gospel. That is good news. See, a lot of gospel preaching 
is actually advice. Try harder, do better, love more. Does that help you? Does it make 
you go out and try harder to do better and love more? Probably 
not, because the law doesn't have the power to make one compliant. But the gospel has Christ. Christ 
has the spirit. The spirit enables a man to see 
and delight in the law of God, to say with the psalmist, oh, 
how I love thy law. It is my meditation all day, 
all night. It is the spirit of God who enables 
compliance with that word. He's at work in us both to will 
and to do according to his good pleasure. But our security, our 
safety, our comfort, is not on our compliance with the Christian 
life. It is grounded up in or founded 
upon the life and the death and the resurrection of Jesus. It 
really is gospel. It really is good news. I will 
never stand up here and say, try better and you might go to 
heaven. Try better and you will continue trying better until 
you rest or don't rest in hell itself. The scriptures testify 
there is none righteous, no, not one. There is none who seeks 
after God. There is no fear of God in the 
hearts of men who are in Adam. If it's going to be the case 
that we stand presentable before our Father, it must come from 
our Father. And that's orchestrated in the 
Christian gospel. That's why Jesus lived. That's 
why he died. That's why he was raised the 
third day for us men and for our salvation. Matthew Poole 
says concerning this explanation of David. Now this verse explains 
the former about David and draws the argument home in that it 
proves that the words before mentioned could not be meant 
of David, but of one that he typified and represented. So now if Paul suspects that 
his audience still has problems with Psalms 2, Psalm 16, and 
Isaiah 53, he is clearing that away. He's showing them how their 
scriptures present this Jesus of Nazareth, whom you crucified, 
but God raised from the dead. Brethren, that's how Paul treats 
a group of unbelieving Jews and supposedly God-fearing Gentiles. I say supposedly because they 
may have been enamored with the God of Israel, but they didn't 
have necessarily the heart change. They didn't embrace the gospel 
of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. So Paul comes to tell 
them concerning that life, that death, that resurrection. Now 
in conclusion, I've already started, but I want to continue. The glory 
of this salvation, You know, when Paul says, men and brethren, 
sons of the family of Abraham and those among you who fear 
God, to you the word of this salvation has been sent. I think you would all agree with 
me that this salvation is glorious. It is magnificent. It is wondrous. No one would have ever conceived 
this. Have you ever had that? I don't 
know if it was unique to me, living in Southern California, 
going to a Catholic school and running around with not the best 
sort of guys in the world, but we'd have those nights, we'd 
have those occasions, and we'd have those seasons where we thought, 
what if the Bible was just a handful of guys? Many, many years ago, 
they wrote this book, and they buried it, and people found it 
later, and they say, wow, this is an amazing thing. Who, taking 
pen to paper as a child of Adam, a sinner, who would ever design 
a God like Scripture? Who would ever design, who would 
ever picture, or describe, or invent rather, or make up a God 
who was holy, holy, holy? A God who could not, because 
of that holiness, look upon any evil whatsoever. I suggest that 
people that make up gods make up just the opposite. They make 
up old fellows up in heaven with long beards who indulge their 
children at every step of the way. They're not holy, they're 
nice. We can do whatever it is in light 
of the nice one up in heaven. Men don't take to describing 
this kind of God. I think that's a proof of divine 
inspiration. But in terms of salvation, who 
in their minds would have ever conceived of a triune God? And that the second person of 
that triune, God, would leave the majesty of heaven, where 
angels worshipped him, to come into this cesspool, to come and 
identify with people like us, to be amongst the rabble, to 
have the sorrows, to have the pain, to have the difficulties 
associated with life. Who would have conceived that? 
Brethren, the Gospel itself is an evidence of divine inspiration 
of Scripture. And it's glorious, it's wondrous, 
it's foolproof. The moment you start to think, 
well, there's a chink in the Gospel armor. If God is that 
gracious and that merciful, that must mean He suspends His righteousness. Oh, no, he doesn't. Romans chapter 
3, before Paul gets into the benefits accruing to man by salvation, 
grace through faith salvation, he speaks about God's dignity. 
It's in that context where he highlights, in the gospel, God 
can be both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. It's foolproof. There's no chinks 
in the armor. You go ahead, you examine it, you think through 
it, you try to come up with some deficiency in the Christian gospel. 
You're not going to be able to. The Lord God is much, much, much 
smarter than you. He's got infinite wisdom. Omnipotence. Omniscience. That means he knows 
everything. And God doesn't know everything 
the way that we know things. How do we know things? We learn 
them. We have understanding that grows. Everything there has ever been 
to know, God always knows. He's never shocked or surprised. He's never caught unawares. It's 
not like tomorrow you'll go out and do something really idiotic 
or foolish or sinful and God will say, I can't believe that. 
I didn't see this coming. God knows all things. That doesn't validate you going 
out and doing stupid or sinful or vile things. Rather, it is 
to say you cannot catch God on an off day where he's not aware 
of something. The gospel is designed by an 
infinite mind. And that gospel is, in fact, 
glorious. The sovereign God decreed it. 
The Old Testament prophets wrote concerning it. And this, let 
me just stop here for a moment. We approach the Bible wrong a 
lot. We approach the Bible wrong a 
lot. Yes, it discusses civil polity. Yes, it discusses matters like 
marriage and slavery. Yes, it deals with various issues 
concerning man with reference to his life on earth, but the 
focus or the scope of the scripture is on Jesus Christ and the salvation 
wrought by Him for the glory of God Almighty. Certainly read 
the Bible and learn the lessons. Certainly read the Bible and 
gain the principles. But never miss that central theme 
in Scripture. It is a redemptive message that 
God is in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself. We read 
the prophet Isaiah to learn of Jesus. We read the prophet Amos 
to learn of Jesus. We read Moses to read of Jesus. Jesus is the subject matter of 
the entirety of the Bible. So again, yes, principles, yes, 
be a good husband, yes, all those things. But don't miss the central 
theme, that God is saving sinners by his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He decreed it. The prophets wrote 
concerning it. The unbelieving Jews, according 
to Paul, were instrumental in fulfilling it. The apostle was 
a preacher of it, and the Lord Jesus is the accomplisher of 
it. Redemption accomplished and applied. 
It's Christ who accomplishes, it's the Spirit who applies it. 
How does Christ accomplish it? Again, He comes into this world. 
Again, He takes on our humanity. Again, He lives a life of obedience. Now, I don't think we always 
give full emphasis to that as well. You say, well, Paul didn't 
mention that. Well, the rest of the Bible does. As a preacher, 
I can tell you, it's impossible to get everything into one sermon. 
I've had people say that, well, you went for an hour, and you 
never said this. Well, sorry. There's a lot to 
say, man. There's just Dan to Beersheba, 
and sometimes you miss a city along the way. It just happens. 
So the fact that he doesn't mention the life doesn't mean it's unimportant. 
Why do we need Jesus' life? Because we're lawbreakers. We 
are transgressors. The Westminster Shorter Catechism 
says, what is sin? Sin is any lack of conformity 
unto or transgression of the law of God. In other words, I 
can sin by commission, doing what God tells me not to do, 
and I can sin by omission, not doing the good that he tells 
me to do. And that's us. That's you. That's me. If you 
thought you were going to come here this morning and hear somebody 
say, you know, we're just a cut above and a bit better than everybody 
else, wrong. We're as monstrous and as despicable 
and as vile as we could possibly be. How's that for your esteem? 
Every bad thing that could ever be said about a human being could 
legitimately be said about each and every one of us. So like 
that, filthy, or in the language of the hymn, guilty, vile, helpless, 
how do we stand before God? How do we get to that wedding 
feast if we don't have the appropriate garment? The way to get the appropriate 
garment is faith in Jesus. And then the righteousness accomplished 
by Jesus in His life of obedience to the law is imputed to His 
people, and it's received by faith alone. We need his life. We need a righteousness. Behold, 
to obey is better than to sacrifice, God says in the prophets. But 
we need this crucifixion. We need this death. Paul teaches 
in Hebrews 9.22, without the shedding of blood, there is no 
remission. And consider the fact that he almost sounds offhanded 
or off. It's not sort of germane or the 
main point when he says, and though they found no cause for 
death in him, That's crucial, brethren, not just at the level 
of them being wicked and having offered him up to be crucified, 
but at the level of the sacrificial system. What was Israel commanded 
when they came to the temple of the Lord? Bring the worst 
in your flock, bring the mangy, bring the deaf, well, deaf, I 
don't know about the deaf, you could talk to a dog and not know 
if he's deaf or not, but the blind, or the lame, or the maimed, 
or the one that wouldn't fetch you much at market. You were 
told to bring the best. You were told to bring the one 
without blemish. You were told to present the 
best to the Lord God Most High. That's why He sent His Son, that 
perfect Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. And 
He takes away that sin of the world through the shedding of 
His blood. Isn't that a beautiful thing? 
My little children, I write these things to you that you may not 
see it, but if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the 
Father, even Jesus Christ the righteous. That blood of Jesus 
Christ, His Son, cleanses us not from some sin, not from most 
sin, but from all sin. That's why this is gospel. We need His life, we need His 
death, and we need that resurrection. I mean, there's a lot of people 
in the history of the world that have died martyrs' deaths. There's 
a lot of people in the history of the world that have gone to 
shameful and horrific deaths based on things that they believe, 
even many Christians. But he's not just a martyr. He's 
not a martyr. He was raised by God. His body 
didn't undergo corruption or undergo decay. He saw no corruption. That third day, he's raised up, 
he appears to the disciples according to Acts 1, verse 3, so that they 
can function as witnesses. Acts 1, verse 8. And then he 
ascends on high, he leads captivity captive, he gives gifts to men, 
and he takes his position at the right hand of the Father. 
Brethren, that's the Christ we need. That's the gospel. That's 
the good news. And then Paul ends, and we're 
going to consider this in more detail next week, but verse 38. 
It's a call to action. Again, Paul doesn't want you 
just to be a little bit better informed about how to read Isaiah. 
Paul wants you to go to heaven. Paul wants you to know the truth. 
Paul wants you to be saved. Paul wants you to get out from 
under the very wrath and fury of God Almighty. Certainly, he 
wants you to see Jesus in Isaiah. He wants you to understand the 
prophet Ezekiel and how it relates to Jesus. All that's Sure, but 
there's a practical emphasis in the preaching of the apostle. 
It's not just cognition for the apostle, it's experiential. Verse 
38, he says, therefore, let it be known to you, brethren, that 
through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins. 
If you're not a forgiven sinner today, I want to encourage you 
that this Christ came into this world, sinners to save. And again, 
I think we mess up here. We think the sinners in the first 
century, you know, we can't conceive of what kind of sinners they 
were. They were the same kinds of sinners that we are. They 
were bad. They were horrible. They were 
wicked. Many of them crucified the Lord 
of Glory. Peter preaches this gospel in 
Acts 2 to Jerusalem's sinners, those who had nailed the Son 
of God to a tree. Peter nevertheless tells them, 
repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus. For what? For 
the remission of sins? You mean Peter's actually saying 
that Jerusalem sinners can find remission in the blood of Jesus? 
And the Apostle Paul is saying that sinners in Pisidia and Antioch 
can find forgiveness through the blood of Jesus? That's precisely 
what he's saying. And again, it's not a class of 
sinners that was somehow better or more prepared or a little 
bit closer to God already. Sin is sin. Every sin deserves 
God's wrath and curse, both in this life and that which is to 
come. If you are a sinner, then come to Jesus. That's the answer. That's the emphasis. That's the 
apostle's message. Therefore, let's bring this to 
bear upon the hearers now. Let everyone Let it be known 
to you brethren that through this man is preached to you the 
forgiveness of sins and then he goes on to say and by him 
everyone who believes is Justified from all things from which you 
could not be justified by the law of Moses again We're gonna 
tease that stuff out in a little bit more detail tonight. But 
the point is is that justification is speaks to man's status before 
God. And justification doesn't come 
because I'm good at the law. Justification doesn't come because 
I'm a great Sabbath keeper. Justification doesn't come because 
I've never committed murder. Justification doesn't come through 
the law. Through the law is the knowledge 
of sin. And when we get that knowledge of sin, that law functions 
to point us to the one in whom there is forgiveness. And that's 
Jesus. If you don't know Jesus, you 
don't know forgiveness. You believe on Jesus, you will 
receive forgiveness. Now, a couple people are nodding, 
going, yeah, yeah, that's right. We've been forgiven. Is there 
anything better on the face of the earth than having been forgiven 
of your sins? What's Paul say in Romans 5? 
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with 
God. What better thing is there on 
the face of the earth than peace with God? Do you have peace with 
God this morning? If you don't, the means by which 
you get it isn't moral reform, it is to believe on the Lord 
Jesus Christ. Let us pray. Father, thank you 
for your word. Thank you for the Lord Christ. 
Thank you for