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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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 
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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.