'You who are Israelites, hear these words. Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs, which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know. This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God, you killed, using lawless men to crucify him. But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it. For David says of him: ‘I saw the Lord ever before me, with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed. Therefore my heart has been glad and my tongue has exulted; my flesh, too, will dwell in hope, because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld, nor will you suffer your holy one to see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence (Acts 2:22-28).’'
Peter accused the crowd of handing over Jesus to the Romans to be killed even though he proved himself to have been sent by God by the signs and wonders he performed. The Israelites believed that God sent Moses by the signs and wonders he performed (Ex. 7:3) but they would not believe in Jesus. God knew what they would do and allowed it to happen, but God raised him from the dead. Peter quoted the Psalms to show that David foretold that death could not hold Jesus; “For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor let your devout one see the pit (Ps. 16:10).'
Almighty God, grant us a deep and abiding faith in your Son so that we too may not condemn him to death as those who came before us did. Help us to see the signs and wonders Jesus performs in our lives and to listen to him so that when our eyes are closed on this world, we too may be raised with him to everlasting life. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Expanded Edition, Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
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