Acts 2:22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs which 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. 24 But God raised him up, having loosed the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.
32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this which you see and hear. 36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
37 When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” 40 With many other words he testified and strongly urged them, saying, “Be saved from this corrupt generation!”

You killed Jesus, the Lord of glory. Your first reaction might be that it is crazy that you could be accused of something that happened so long ago and so far away. That would have been the reaction of hundreds of the people Peter was talking to when he told them they had killed Jesus.

YOU Crucified Jesus!

Remember that he is talking to several thousand Jewish people in Jerusalem. Many of these people had nothing directly to do with the death of Jesus. Even if many of them were among the mobs that shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” there would still have been many who did not do that—they weren’t even there on that day.

He can say it because everybody in that crowd was involved in the crime against Jesus that brought him to his death. The essence of the crime against Jesus was the rejection of God in Jesus’ life.

Jesus was crucified on the grounds of blasphemy. He claimed to be the Son of God (Luke 22:70–71). The Jewish rulers rejected this role of God in Jesus’ life. Therefore, if a person rejects the role of God in the life of Jesus, that person supports the charge of blasphemy.

Do you believe that God was working through Jesus?

God endorsed Jesus by working miracles and signs and wonders through him.

Verse 22: “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know.”

The miracles were God’s certification of Jesus. This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased, hear him! Luke 9:35

God himself did the miracles through Jesus. God’s was the power, and God was in Christ to heal the sick and still the storm and cast out demons and raise the dead.

Voltaire is reported to have said, “If a miracle occurred in the market place of Paris and in the presence of two thousand men, I would rather disbelieve my own eyes than the two thousand.” Facts alone, irrespective of how well they are presented, will never bring a man to Christ.

The proof that Jesus was God’s appointed Messiah is to be seen in the “miracles, signs, and wonders” he performed during his earthly ministry. Peter stressed that the Jerusalem Jews should have read the meaning of these signs and recognized Jesus as the appointed Messiah: “You yourselves know these things; you witnessed Jesus’ miracles”.

Peter spoke about the Meaning of Jesus’ Death.

verse 23: “Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.” Jesus Christ’s death was not an accident; it was not an incident; it was planned before the foundation of the earth, “the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God.”

The purpose of the cross, is substitution: the Just for the unjust. Christ died for us: He took our place

2:23 Far from seeing in Jesus God’s designated Messiah, they rejected him and gave him over to “wicked men” to be crucified (v. 23). All of this was, however, according to God’s plan and foreknowledge. Peter carefully balanced the elements of God’s divine purposes and the human responsibility for the crucifixion of Jesus.

The Jewish crowd at Pentecost could not avoid their responsibility in Jesus’ death. Nonetheless, in the mystery of the divine will, God was working in these events of willful human rebellion to bring about his eternal purposes, bringing out of the tragedy of the cross the triumph of the resurrection.

Peter spoke of the Miracle of Jesus’ Resurrection

verse 24: “Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.” (Acts 2:24) Death cannot keep his prey. There’s no way possible that death could keep Jesus in the grave.

Peter Preached About Jesus’ Reign

Where is Jesus right now? He is seated on the right hand of the Majesty on high, and He is waiting till that time when God gives the signal and He shall step from His throne back down to this earth to rule and reign. Every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:10–11)

God Is Ready to Forgive You and Give You His Spirit

God himself stands ready to forgive us! And not only to forgive but to give us his Spirit! He is willing to cancel all our debts to Him, and then come and live with us guide us change us, and empower us.

The Holy Spirit takes possession now of the person who has been bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Real salvation is not just to believe something, or to achieve something, but to receive Someone. The Holy Spirit of God comes into you. Real salvation is not just going to heaven when you die. That’s a byproduct. Salvation is not getting man out of earth into heaven; it is getting God out of heaven into man.