“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.
Acts 2:22-24
Peter is preaching about one thing and one thing only - Jesus. A real man (of Nazareth) who was also God (signs/works/wonders).
Peter's description of Jesus' death holds together two things that often seem incompatible to us - God's sovereignty and man's responsibility. Jesus' death was God's plan but people are responsible for the choice they made to do it. What they intended for evil, God intended for good. Somehow, God's control is so great it can even work through the freely chosen evil actions of man.
Jesus' death alone is not the point of this sermon. Many people have died. Many good people have been killed. Many prophets were rejected by their own people. But only Jesus broke the power of death and rose back up again. That changes everything. The church is getting started, because they have a Saviour who is alive.
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