Acts 2:25-32

 Acts 2:25-32

For David says concerning him,

“‘I saw the Lord always before me,
    for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
   therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
    my flesh also will dwell in hope.
   For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
    or let your Holy One see corruption.
   You have made known to me the paths of life;
    you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’

“Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.  Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 

The main theme of Peter’s message is the resurrection of Jesus.  The implication of that theme is that Jesus is the Messiah.  Peter’s first argument was based on the works of Jesus.  Peter’s second argument is based on Scripture.  Peter quotes Psalm 16 and then interprets the Psalm as having been prophetic and applying to the son of David or Messiah.  Peter wants them to know the Jesus was the Messiah and that He had risen from the dead and that all of this was foretold in the Scripture.  When we believe that Jesus was the Son of God, Messiah, and that He died for our sin, and was raised again; there is a very definite result in our lives.  This passage in Psalms lets us know what those results should be.

THE RESURRECTION IS THE SOURCE OF OUR HOPE: The Scriptures look as if David was speaking of himself, and to a certain extent he was.  However, the passage applies to Jesus in that He was the first to experience the truths promised in this passage.  Hope is an expectation of good things that is based on the promises of God.  No matter what circumstances Jesus would have to endure, Jesus had the promise of reigning at the right hand of the Father.  He lived in hope of the promise that even in death He would not be abandoned in the grave.  He knew that His body would not see corruption.  David had made these statements about Messiah and they were all realities in Jesus.  The hope of Jesus is our hope.  He became a man so that His experience might become our experience.  All who believe on Him can live with the same hope with which He lived.  Death cannot keep us for just as Jesus was resurrected, we will also be resurrected to eternal life.  This assurance should bring us abiding hope in all the trials we might face.

THE RESURRECTION IS THE SOURCE OF OUR JOY: There are three reasons given for the gladness and joy that David expresses in this Psalm.  The first is that of steadfastness or the inability to be shaken. The second is that God has revealed the paths of life.  The third is the presence of the Lord.  When you consider the three of those together, we can see that our steadfastness comes from the knowledge of God’s will, which comes from being in His presence.  I think what he is saying is that even in death I can stand firm, and even rejoice, because I know that God is in control and that I will ultimately be with God forever.  The truth of the resurrection should build a sense of confidence and flood our hearts with joy.  No matter what circumstances we might face, we know that our future is secure in the Lord.

THE RESURRECTION IS THE SUBJECT OF OUR WITNESS: Peter makes it very clear that these passages could not be referring only to David because David’s tomb was still inhabited.  However, the Son of God that was born of the house of David; had vacated His tomb via the resurrection.  It was Jesus who did not see corruption and who was now alive.  This was the truth to which all the disciples were testifying.  Jesus, the Son of God, died and was raised again.  Jesus had commissioned the men to become witnesses of the resurrection and as soon as the Spirit came upon them, they boldly proclaimed that message.  The call of God on the followers of Jesus has not changed.  We too are commissioned to be witnesses to the nations of the resurrection of Jesus.

APPLICATION: Don’t lose hope no matter how difficult life may become, we can always have hope in the Lord.  Rejoice in the truth that we have eternal life as a promise of God as a result of the resurrection.  Tell others about the resurrection.  We are called to be His witnesses.  As we have been blessed to know Christ, we are to bless others by making Him known.