Good evening, everybody. You can turn in your Bibles with me to the book of Acts in chapter 2. Acts chapter 2. We're going to look tonight at the cross of Christ, the theme of the cross of Christ in the book of Acts.
We won't read the entire book of Acts, but we'll read just a portion of the book of Acts. A small portion here in chapter 2 is something of a launching pad as we seek to explore the theme of the cross in this particular book. As we are ever and always the beneficiaries of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, we ought to be then ever and always the students of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. We don't come to the cross at the outset of our conversion and then abandon it for further things in the exploration of our Christian lives.
But we are ever in need of the message of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ as we go about this lower sojourn in this lower world. And so it's good for us to oft return to the theme to see Jesus as He is the Savior of the sons of men. So Acts chapter 2, we'll begin reading in verse 22 and finish reading at verse 36. So this is Acts 2, beginning at verse 22, the word of the triune God.
Men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth, the man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves also know, him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death. whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that he should be held by it. For David says concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken. Therefore my heart rejoiced and my tongue was glad.
Moreover, my flesh also will rest in hope. For you will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will you allow your Holy One to see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life. You will make me full of joy in your presence.
Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he foreseeing this spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that his soul was not left in Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore, being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see in here for David did not ascend into the heavens But he says himself the Lord said to my lord sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ Amen, well, let's pray And Heavenly Father, we rejoice in your goodness to us that we can gather together on this, your Lord's Day evening for the worship of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the one true and living God.
And we do pray that you'd bless our time now in this act of worship, the preaching of your word. We pray that you would be with both preacher and hearer. Help us, Lord God, to engage your word in spirit and in truth. Help us to avail of your truth that we might by your spirit with eyes of faith cast a gaze upon our precious Jesus and find in him our all in all.
Do help us in this act and might you be glorified. Might our triune God be glorified in the midst of this gathered assembly. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
Introduction: The Cross in Acts
Well, the Book of Acts generally, we come to the Book of Acts and we see that there is a theme and that that theme could be summarized as the account of the crucified but risen again and exalted Christ sending forth the spirit to empower his messengers to preach the gospel. It is very often hijacked in the modern church, in certain corners of the modern church, the book of Acts is hijacked as something of a manual or an imperative or a prescription for the church of God. and how to engage in the gifts of the Spirit. For example, where do we go to learn about the so-called predominance or contemporary presence of tongues in the Christian Church? Well, of course, I believe we could serve an argument back from the Book of Acts, from chapter 2 specifically, to argue for the cessation of such spiritual gifts.
But setting that aside for a moment and exalting the primary theme of the Book of Acts, we see in the Book of Acts the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ set forth. the crucified one, though risen again, set forth by the apostles." We could say that the apostolic motto is, God forbid that I should boast, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. And we see the apostolic energy spent in the early church towards making known to persons in need, persons in sin, depravity, and madness, the truth of our blessed, crucified, and resurrected Savior. So we want to look at the cross of Christ in the book of Acts. In six ways, and I'm conscious of the time I'm looking at the time right now And I will treat you well in the act of preaching and make sure that that we do not go over But with that said that we do not sacrifice The theme and the message of the book of Acts as it touches upon the cross of Christ so six things divine purpose divine promise divine providence divine power divine proclamation, and divine proficiency.
Six Ps to help us as we explore the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ in the book of Acts.
Defining the Cross
And before launching into that, what do we mean when we say the cross? We refer to the cross as Christians and well we ought because it is our heartbeat. But when we say the cross, we ought not to simply think of the symbol. We ought not to simply think of vertical and horizontal beams meeting together to to make a symbol, to make an object of beams of wood and silver, but rather we are to think theologically when we say the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And in fact, that's what our Bible calls us to see the cross as. The cross, as some have said in the history of reflection, a definition of it is that it is theological shorthand for the sacrificial substitutionary atoning death of Jesus Christ. John Gill writes, the cross of Christ, the doctrine of salvation by a crucified Christ, or the doctrine of peace and reconciliation by the blood of his cross, and of righteousness, pardon, atonement, and sanctification, excuse me, and satisfaction by the offering up of himself upon it, that is the cross, as a sacrifice for sin is here intended. So hopefully you captured all of that.
And when we read the cross of Christ, and when we, as Christians, taught and stable in the word of God, speak of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, that is what we mean. The sacrificial, substitutionary, atoning death of Christ for his people.
Divine Purpose
So first off, divine purpose in the book of Acts. Divine purpose. The cross. was planned by God in eternity before the foundation of the world. And here we see that in one place here in Acts chapter 2, the passage that we read.
Notice in Acts 2 at verse 22, men of Israel hear these words Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves also know, him being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God. So we see that at the foundation of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ is divine purpose. We do not serve a bumbling God that bounces to and fro from indecision to decision. We do not serve a pagan God, but we serve the living and true God, the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who is sovereign, who is in the heavens, who does whatever he pleases, who according to his perfect and most eternal will purposed to save a multitude which no man can number from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
What a blessed message is the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ as it touches upon divine purpose. This man, the Lord Jesus Christ, was not put to death before your eyes according to men as if they are the lords of providence, but rather he was put to death according to the determined purpose and for knowledge of God. We also see, if you can turn with me in the book of Acts, this same idea, this same truth, this same language concerning the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ as it pertains to divine purpose. And this, as we reflect on this briefly, brethren, this should bring comfort to our Christian hearts.
Generally speaking, as well as specifically speaking, specifically with regards to the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, His sufferings and His glory. But also as we look upon a world where there is such wickedness, where there is such chaos, where there is such sin, where there is such madness, we ought to be comforted by the fact that in the face of that, we can reflect upon the God of heaven and earth, the God of the Bible, who upholds all things by the word of His power, who is the Lord of Providence. Men are not the lords of us, but God is our Lord, and He is over history, governing the affairs of men. The hearts of men are in His hands, and we can take comfort, not in a world of chaos, but in a world of order, ordered by the triune God.
In Acts chapter 4, we have language in 27 and 28 concerning The Lord Jesus Christ his crucifixion and divine purpose and this comes in the prayer of the gathered church as they're reflecting upon persecution as they're reflecting upon the release of their of their compatriots from prison and from the persecuting hands of the wicked Jews, they're in a prayer here, and they're reflecting on the sovereign and divine purpose of God. Notice 427, for truly, against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever your hand and your purpose determined before to be done. So you see, all is not lost when we're oppressed. All is not lost when these were affected wickedly by their wicked opposers.
All is not lost. We need not cast our hands up in madness, but rather we can confidently and calmly and with reason reflect upon the fact that there is a God in high heaven who does according to His hand and who does according to His purpose and who determines before things to be done according to His most perfect will. And the Christian heart, the Christian soul can reflect or can rest in that blessed truth. Imagine a world where this wasn't true, or imagine in the minds of those who do not believe such a blessed truth and rest on such a blessed truth, the plague of the mind, the madness in the mind that it is a world of chaos, that atoms are just bouncing off of one another perfectly.
Just so happens that things are are so ordered and can can so be Orchestrated in a particular measure that things go well most of the time But really we cannot rest upon one who is sovereign all over all things who governs all things Who upholds all things by the word of his power that blessed truth is a comfort? and a balm to the hearts of Christians that we do have a God who does uphold, who does govern, and who does purpose, and who purposed the blessed cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. John Gill writes regarding this passage simply and very briefly, God not only foreknew that it would be, that is the cross, but determined that it should be. You know, this delivering up according to foreknowledge isn't simply that God knew that this would happen, but again, that he purposed that it would be. We serve a God of blessed purpose.
Peter: A Restored Herald
Move back to Acts chapter 2 for a moment, because we want to take a pause here to observe something blessed with regards to the Apostle Peter. Apostle Peter, here in Acts chapter 2, is a blessed example of a restored man that God has given understanding to, to proclaim with boldness the word of God. Remember that this is only 50 days after his thrice denial of the Lord Jesus Christ before his crucifixion. It was only 50-ish days ago that the Apostle Peter, in a zeal untamed, asked that it shouldn't be the case that Christ would go to the cross.
Remember, when Jesus announces again, that he must be delivered up by wicked hands to be crucified and put to death, but rise again the third day. Peter says, let it not be, Lord. And Jesus Christ says, get thee behind me, Satan. You see, it is as if Peter was acting there by the animation of Satan to somehow, in some feeble and weak attempt, to forego the messianic mission to save a multitude of sinners, which no man can number.
You see, Peter at that point did not understand and was in essence opposing the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. We fast forward a little bit and we get to the post-resurrection Bible study that the Lord Jesus Christ gives and the disciples had not yet arrived yet at the fullness of understanding of what Jesus Christ was supposed to do. He had been crucified, they understand that. they knew that, but he had been risen again, he had resurrected, and they did not believe, and for joy doubted. And, you know, they went through that process of first fear, and then joy, but still with doubt.
And the Lord Jesus Christ had to sit them down and give them a Bible study, and open up their understanding that they might understand the scriptures. And so Peter here, at one time, a cowering a cowering baby, if you will, before the inquisitions of a servant girl, thrice denying his Savior. And Peter, not with a full understanding, 50 days ago, of the implications and the blessed message of the crucifixion and resurrection, here with great boldness, stands before those before whom he cowered, stands before them now, and with courage proclaims the cross of divine purpose. With boldness, with strength, And he opens up his mouth to preach the things of the blessed Savior.
So the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ comes to us through divine purpose. God is sovereign. Our Confession writes, reads, by the decree of God for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestinated or foreordained to eternal life through Jesus Christ to the praise of His glorious grace, others being left to act in their sin to their just condemnation to the praise of His glorious justice. So the God of heaven and earth purposes to save a multitude which no man can number through the crosswork of Jesus Christ.
Have you ever reflected, have you ever stopped to think about it? We're 2,000 years approximately removed from the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. But here we are on a Sunday evening, the beneficiaries of that self-same crosswork. you know, thousands and thousands of kilometers away from where it occurred, thousands of years away from where it occurred. And yet it, as it is the crux of history, the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ, serves as that for which we are now gathered. were gathered because 2,000 years ago, the Savior of men was crucified upon Calvary's cross.
We can now, having been saved by virtue of that cross, gather together and engage in worship, pray together, sing together, read the scriptures together, engage in the act of preaching. What a blessed thing it is, 2,000 years having passed, a bunch of A bunch of people bumbling together inside this church, sitting in this pew, can reflect back and can rejoice together in the Savior of men who shed his blood so long ago that he might bring many sons to glory.
Divine Promise
Moving on then to divine promise. To divine promise. The purposed cross was announced by God throughout the history that led up to it. we see that the cross comes according to divine purpose, and then we also see that that purposed cross work was promised throughout the history of the nation of Israel. If you turn with me to Acts chapter 3, as this is an exploration of the theme of the cross of Christ in the book of Acts, we want to look at this truth, divine promise, in Acts chapter 3.
In Acts chapter 3, We read, and we'll pick up reading at verse 14. But you denied the Holy One and the just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of Life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given Him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. The cross of the Lord Jesus Christ was promised to the nation of Israel. You know, when we think about the stumbling block that is the cross, remember, to the Jews, the cross is a stumbling block.
It is a rock of offense. But it isn't such because they were not preached the cross throughout their history, because they were. It is such because of the madness of sin. It is such because of the hardness of their hearts.
It is such because of the depravity and wickedness that men find themselves in. The cross of the Lord Jesus Christ was foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that the Christ would suffer and that he would fulfill all righteousness was promised throughout redemptive history. The narrative goes on and we see repent, Peter say, commanding, Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all his prophets since the world began. Not only does our blessed God promise, or excuse me, purpose, the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, that in eternity past, if we can use that language, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit determined and even covenanted, we can say, to save a multitude of sinners through the crucified one, that same purposed cross work is promised then throughout redemptive history.
And we know that that promise starts right at the outset of sin, doesn't it? And Pastor Butler referred to that this morning with regards to Abraham rejoicing to see the day of Christ, starting at Genesis 3.15. From the outset of the fall, immediately upon the heels of the fall, that promise of the hero born of woman who would crush the serpent with his heel is given. and proposition upon proposition, truth upon truth, prophecy upon prophecy, ceremony upon ceremony, shadow upon shadow, and copy upon copy, they're mounted on top of each other until the time of the restoration of all things where Christ came forth to do that which was purposed and to do that which was promised. But a blessed God that we have, he purposes and then he promises the one to come to give his life for guilty sinners.
The cross of Christ is in the Old Testament, and we see that this is brought out in the book of Acts as the pattern of apostolic preaching. You see, the pattern of apostolic preaching isn't just the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified upon Calvary's cross, raised again the third day, repent and believe on him. It is that, but they pointed in the first portion of the Book of Acts dealing with the unbelieving Jews, they pointed back to the Old Testament and said that these things that have been fulfilled are nothing more than those things which Moses and the prophets promised and believed. F.F.
Bruce on this pattern of apostolic preaching, there's one word that refers to that. It's called kerygma. That simply refers to the pattern of apostolic preaching, and he writes, the early apostolic kerygma regularly falls into four parts, which may be summarized thus. The announcement that the age of fulfillment has arrived.
Secondly, a rehearsal of the ministry, death, and triumph of Jesus. Thirdly, citation of Old Testament scriptures whose fulfillment in these events proved Jesus to be the Messiah. And fourthly, a call to repentance. These four elements are present in Peter's proclamation here.
He has already announced that the age of fulfillment has come. Now he rehearses the story of Jesus. And time again in the book of Acts, we see that. We see them saying, men and brethren, The Lord Jesus Christ came according to the promise of the Old Testament.
We're not preaching to you new things. We're not preaching to you a new message. Truly, we're preaching to you the message of fulfillment that the one promised has come. And so in the book of Acts, we see the cross of divine purpose and the cross of divine promise being brought forth by apostolic energy and by the exalted Christ through the given Spirit.
Divine Providence
Thirdly, we see divine promise. So we've noticed divine purpose in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, we've seen divine promise, and now divine providence. The purposed and promised cross was carried out through human means. Remember that God works this way.
He doesn't have to. He can work above and beyond those means, those second causes. But nevertheless, the Lord God does work by human means. And going back to Acts chapter 2, the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ comes by purpose and promise.
And it also comes by the providential means of, in this case, wicked hands. Notice in verse 23 of Acts chapter 2, him being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified and put to death. The Lord brings about his plan by providential means. We have in In the course of biblical revelation, instances like this where you can reflect back upon, we can think back upon Joseph and his brothers.
Remember the language of the text, that many might be saved alive. God intended these things for good, but the wicked brothers, the wicked family of Joseph, intended them for evil. We see God working according to His perfect and most pure will by the providential means of second causes, which very often comes by the way of wicked hands, of lawless hands, and in this case, those such that put the Lord of glory to death. And the apostolic kerygma, as we noticed, the apostolic pattern of preaching brings this out every time, or very often, to the unbelieving Jews.
Jesus Christ whom you crucified whom you put to death by hanging upon a tree Jesus or excuse me the Apostles rightly bring the preaching of blood guilt upon the unbelieving Jews those who put Jesus Christ to death But you see they never stop there They say things like this Jesus Christ was given so that to you first so that you might believe by grace lay hold of the crucified one and They don't just pour blood guilt. Peter doesn't just pour blood guilt upon the unbelieving Jews, but he follows it up with the blessed promise of grace, that if you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you shall be saved. And so the message of the Lord Jesus Christ, the message of the cross comes through purpose, promise, and it comes through providence. God's intention and man's intention come here before us in view in Acts chapter 2 as those things behind the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Of course, it is God's intention that serves primary in bringing many sons to glory through the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. The wicked intention of the men, of course, was not that they would bring about the redemption of God's elect. They sought to silence. They sought to put to death.
They sought to squash the Lord of glory. But it is, of course, according to purpose and promise that this one whom they would put to death by lawless and wicked hands, this one is the savior of the world, that he would bring many sons to glory from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. Blessed Providence bringing about God's pure intention to save many alive. That is, to save many from out of sin and death and hell, that they might sing the praises of the Triune God for all eternity.
Divine Power
That brings us then to divine power. The purposed, promised, and providentially accomplished cross was completed by God. Acts chapter 20. Remember that the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ is not simply the cross of man, that it was not only a man that was on the cross, But rather, as the old brothers would say, he who fixed the stars in place was fixed in place upon a tree.
Notice in Acts chapter 20, we'll begin at verse 25. And indeed, now I know that you all among whom I have gone preaching, the kingdom of God will see my face no more. Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.
Therefore, take heed to yourselves and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to shepherd the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood. It's a remarkable statement that we read here, the church of God, which he, God, purchased with his own blood. Our Lord Jesus Christ is not simply a man who died an exemplar's death upon that Roman gibbet of execution, but he is the second of the blessed triune God who came in time and in history, taking upon himself our nature for our recovery and for our redemption. He is God Most High, who has united to himself man's nature with all of those essential properties and with all of those common infirmities, and yet without sin, and gloriously affects the crosswork for our salvation.
We have a divine Savior. But of course, God cannot bleed. God cannot die. He is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in all of His glorious perfections.
He is spirit, he is without body, parts, and passions, and yet God, the Son of God, takes to himself man's nature that he might redeem man, because it was man that needed redeeming. But God, the Son of God, affects the work of the cross, all three persons, certainly, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but it was the Son of God alone who took to himself man's nature. for our recovery. He says in the course of his work prior to his crucifixion, Jesus does, no one takes it from me, that is his life, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again.
As you read the narrative accounts of the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ, doesn't that stir your heart to a measure of Christian warmth and courage? That you see, Christ isn't just the victim of the human lords of providence. Christ isn't a victim of human hands and human machinations and human devising. He is not a sorry victim, but much rather, he has power to lay down his life and he has power to take it again. our blessed King, who submitted himself, who subjected himself to suffering for our glory and for our redemption.
Divine power.
Marveling at the Cross
One thing I think that the church has somewhat lost, not this church, I mean the church at large, the modern church has lost, and that is the art of marveling. And I'll tell you what I mean in a moment. But there has been in the history of the church, and we've seen it, I believe, well here with the work of our pastor, Pastor Butler, the art of marveling. in the truths of Christ. You see, the language of the early church was such, as we touch upon the reality that we have divine power seen at the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we reflect upon that this wasn't just some feeble man dying a man's death upon Calvary's cross.
Perhaps, yeah, even as some sort of exemplar's death that we might live a particular ethic of self-sacrifice. No, it's infinitely more than that. It's the God of heaven and earth who took upon himself our flesh for our recovery. And the early church would say things like this, and this is an extended quote, but we need to, that is, the church at large needs to return to the art of marveling in such things.
For Christ, by dying, has discharged the debt of death to which man was obnoxious. Oh, the new and ineffable mystery! The judge was judged." I just want to stop here for a moment. I know you want me to read it, and I want you to hear it, too, because Alexander of Alexandria speaks better than I can.
The art of marveling in this particular context always takes the divine nature of the sun and the human nature of the sun, considering them both, reflecting in the majesty of the work of the cross and the work of salvation. That the God of heaven and earth, that the second of the blessed triune would stoop so low to our lower ignominy and shame to take upon himself our nature and recover man, And so, Alexander of Alexandria goes on. He says, the judge was judged. He who absolves from sin was bound.
He was mocked who once framed the world. He was stretched upon the cross who stretched out the heavens. He was fed with gall who gave the manna to be bred. He died who gives life.
He was given up to the tomb who raises the dead. The powers were astonished. The angels wondered. The elements trembled.
The whole created universe was shaken. The earth quaked and its foundations rocked. The sun fled away. The elements were subverted.
The light of day receded. because they could not bear to look upon their crucified Lord. The creature in amazement said, what is this novel mystery? The judge is judged and is silent. The invisible is seen and is not confounded.
The incomprehensible is grasped and is not indignant at it. The immeasurable is contained in a measure and makes no opposition. The impassable suffers and does not avenge its own injury. The immortal dies and complains not.
The celestial is buried and bears it with an equal mind. What, I say, is this mystery? The creature surely is transfixed with amazement." We need to marvel in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. We need to marvel in the Savior who died upon Calvary's cross.
So I said at the outset, this isn't just a proposition of Christianity and indicative of Christianity that we arrive at at the point of our conversion. The cross is preached by God's grace. We believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and we're saved. And then we go about the business of perhaps just learning good things for life or whatever it might be.
We come often and repeatedly back to the cross as Christians. Why? Because we need it. It is our life breath.
It is our heartbeat. We don't come occasionally to the cross. We come daily, might I say, to the cross as we raise our heads in the morning, as we reflect upon who we were in Adam, and who we are even with remaining corruption as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. The cross of our Savior is so blessed and so glorious and so central to our Christian lives that we are to marvel in it.
We ought to restore the art of marveling throughout Christian pulpits so that Christians would, by grace, behold ever and always the blessedness and the majesty of Christ upon the cross, working out the salvation of sinners.
Divine Proclamation
Fifthly, divine proclamation. divine proclamation. The cross of purpose, promise, providence, and power was heralded by God-sent messengers. So this cross was purposed this cross was promised, this cross was providentially borne out by the wickedness of those providential means, the lawless hands of wicked men, that the cross was exercised according to divine power, and then that cross was proclaimed. So if we just consider what we just considered now, power, or The act, the actual crucifixion itself, where our blessed Savior died upon Calvary's cross that he might secure the salvation of a multitude.
We have the book of Acts. We have the narrative of the book of Acts by virtue of that redemptive act. We have the New Testament by virtue of that covenantally ratifying act, the spilling of the blood of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And so the apostles in the book of Acts go and they proclaim what?
They proclaim the cross. They proclaim that which by virtue they had the energy to go forth. the grace and the power and the strength to go forth to preach to the nations a crucified one that has risen again. We see throughout the book of, I mean, we, you know, the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the proclamation of the cross is the book of Acts itself. But you can turn with me for a moment to Acts chapter 4.
Just a couple instances here where we see, as we're rehearsing the theme of the cross in the book of Acts, where we see the fact that the cross comes, of course, through divine proclamation, that the message of it is sent by human messengers, heralds of God sent forth to preach Christ and Him crucified. So notice in Acts chapter 4 at verse 8, before you whole. Turn to Acts 5 with me for a moment. Acts chapter 5 and verse 29.
Notice what we read there. But Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to his right hand to be Prince and Savior. to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.
And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him." What an amazing thing it must have been. to hear that this Jesus Christ, who was a bloody massacre upon Calvary's cross, who had been beaten, who had been spit upon, who had had his flesh opened up, who had been mounted upon that cross of shame and ignominy, that this one has been raised by the power of God to the right hand of God to be Prince and Savior. What a message. What a glorious message. I think being 2,000 years departed from this very act of redemption, it's hard for us perhaps to enter into the reality that only a few handfuls, five handfuls of days later, 50 days after the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ, it's being proclaimed that that one who was crucified and put in a tomb has risen again, has been exalted to the right hand of God, and now is Lord of the nations, is Lord of the universe, is Lord over all, and is bringing a message of salvation even to those who put him upon that cross.
You see, in this example here, we see Peter using the language, whom you murdered by hanging on a tree, and then to give repentance, he says, to Israel and forgiveness of sins. He's saying, you murdered the Lord of glory, and yet he was put to death upon Calvary's cross to give repentance to the same people who put him upon that tree. What a blessed Savior. If you're here this evening and you think yourself outside of saving designs and purposes, if you think yourself too bad of a sinner, see that these who even put the Lord of Glory to death were promised salvation by grace through faith if they believed in the blessed King and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ.
There is salvation to be had through our blessed Redeemer. The proclamation goes on throughout the Book of Acts, and the repeated theme goes on with apostolic energy, bringing to audience, whether Jew and Gentile, the message of the cross, Jesus Christ and Him crucified. This is a message not only for one people group, it's a message for not only one demographic, it's a message for all tribes, and all tongues, and all peoples, and all nations. And it was proclaimed 2,000 years ago, and again, isn't it a blessing that it's still being proclaimed today?
And would the church proclaim Jesus right and well? We ought to be ever and always in prayer that the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is not about everything else other than the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. There's so much that can go on in various ministries, in various operations and actions under the banner of Christianity. And yet it isn't Christianity unless the cross of Jesus Christ is being proclaimed as it was so many years ago.
We ought to always be in prayer. for divine proclamation, that through human messengers in the year 2023, the cross would go forth, that the preaching of Jesus Christ would go forth.
Divine Proficiency
And lastly, we have divine proficiency. We'll close at this point because it is the last one. The cross of purpose, promise, providence, performance, and proclamation was efficiently applied. You can turn with me to Acts chapter 2.
Acts chapter 2. So the cross, remember, it comes according to divine purpose, it comes according to divine promise, providence, power, and proclamation. And when we say by divine proficiency, we mean that the cross was effectively applied to the elect through that act of proclamation joined by divine power. Notice in Acts 2, at verse 46.
So, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people, and the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. This summary report, as you've heard before by Pastor Butler, this summary report recurs so often throughout the Book of Acts, and the Lord added to the church daily those who are being saved. You see, the proclamation of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, enjoined with divine power, brings forth dead sinners from the deadness and darkness of sin to life and light in Jesus Christ. The cross is proficient.
God, in his purpose and through his proclamation, brings forth dead sinners to life through that cross's proclamation. You can see also in Acts chapter 13, Acts 13, to see the theme of the cross as it touches upon divine proficiency, that it is the work of the cross was not in vain, that the work of the cross was not vanity, it was not empty, it was not an ineffectual work, but much rather the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, securely and perfectly secures the salvation of a multitude which no man can number. He loses none of those that have been given to him by the Father. Notice in Acts chapter 13, and we'll pick up reading at verse 47, For so the Lord has commanded us, I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.
Now, when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord, and as many as had been appointed to eternal life, believed." The preaching of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ is proficient. That is, God, through it, brings many sons to glory. as we think about missionary work, as we think about church ministries throughout the world, as we think about the simple act and the blessed act of churches gathering together Sunday in and Sunday out, we ought to pray that the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ The preaching of it would bring forth many suns from darkness to light. Isn't it a joy when we see that? We can, in our humanity, be frustrated when we see relatives, when we see friends having heard so many times proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, when they have received so many times the preaching of the cross of Christ and yet remain obstinate, remain in rebellion, remain in darkness and love living in it, it can grieve us and it can off-put us in our humanity and cause us to enter into a bit of spiritual depression sometimes, can't it?
We have hope in God. We have hope in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit who has purposed, who has promised, who has providentially borne out, who exercises divine power, who exercises divine proclamation through cracked pots, through human messengers, and who does effectually apply that crosswork in His good timing and for His glory. And we ought to always be in prayer for this.
Application: Marvel in Christ Daily
And brethren, we ought to as Christians, you know, maybe at some point I'll be an expert in the application of the of the preaching of the word. I'm not the biggest with good applications at the end of preaching, and I need to be. But an application here, and a simple one for a preacher who is no expert, is we are to marvel in the cross of Jesus Christ. There's nothing elementary to that.
Marvel in Christ, and marvel in Him daily. Don't set it in your calendars for something that takes place on Sunday. As you lift your head, off your pillow in the morning, as soon as you're able to. You can brush your teeth first if you need to, but as soon as you're able to.
With the first breaths of the morning, with the first motion of the mind in the morning, marvel in Christ, marvel in divine purpose, marvel in the cross of Jesus Christ, that one so glorious would come down to inglorious man, inglorious humanity, and save sinners, bring them to glory. We marvel in it, and sinners here tonight, we pray that you would marvel in this Christ, that you would not put him off, that you would not think him some myth, some folly, some madman, some just a man who was put to death upon Calvary's cross, maybe in your own perverted and wicked mind, rightfully so. that you would, by God's grace, see Christ as the only Savior for sinners, that you would, by God's grace, lay hold of the King of kings and Lord of lords, and that you would with us marvel in the cross. Let us pray.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for your time and worship. We thank you for the fact that we can gather, reflect upon the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you so much for the fact of it, for the glory of it. We thank you that our precious Savior came in time and in history, He took upon Himself our humanity that He might bring many sons to glory.
And we thank you that we are counted among that number, not for ourselves, not because of ourselves, but because a God of high heaven and a God of amazing and victorious grace reached down and by virtue of the cross, through that grace, lifted us up to the place where we can behold with eyes of faith the Son of glory. And we do pray. that you would go with us, help us to marvel in the cross, help us to rejoice in it, and we pray that by its proclamation, you would bring many sinners to the salvation of our blessed Christ, and that they would, along with us, sing his most precious name. We pray that you would go with us now, in the name of Jesus Christ, our blessed Savior. Amen.
Well, we'll have a brief time of meditation, and when the piano's finished, you're dismissed.