Acts 2 … Consider Him, This Jesus

Originally posted: 1/13/2020

“This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses… ³⁶ Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified,” (2:32, 36 emphasis added).

This Jesus is repeated twice in the recorded event of what is often referred to as the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2; the day when God poured out His Holy Spirit. And much attention is often given to that occurrence, much attention to the sign of speaking in other tongues, and often much confusion as well…

However, in his great sermon which miraculously resulted in 3,000 believing the message and being saved, Peter’s attention is turned not to this sign and wonder, not to this pouring out of His Holy Spirit; but rather Peter’s emphasis is fastened on Him, This Jesus.

The repeating of the phrase, This Jesus, in today’s reading from Acts, captured my attention. Repeated words and phrases always do, as I am reminded of what Joseph conveyed to Egypt’s Pharaoh regarding his twice-repeated dream. “Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that the matter is determined by God, and God will quickly bring it about,” (Genesis 41:32).

Because it is God’s Inspired Word, I believe every word is intentionally inspired, and when God repeats Himself, we are to tune in our hearts to these matters determined by Him.

Consider the Greek word translated, “This” in Acts 2:
“5125. τούτοις toútois; dat. pl. (masc. or neut.) of hoútos (3778), this one.
3778. οὕτος hoútos;… Sometimes hoútos refers not to the nearest, but to a person or thing, the chief topic of discourse… sometimes refers only to one thing… referring to or introducing what follows, with emphasis…” from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance [emphasis added].

Consider Him, This Jesus

This Jesus is the chief topic of Peter’s discourse. This Jesus is the only One described. This Jesus is the One emphasized.

The Father admonishes us to listen to Him, This Jesus.
While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” (Matthew 17:5).

The Son sends the Holy Spirit, the Helper to remind and teach us of Him, This Jesus.
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever… ²⁶ But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you,” (John 14:16, 26).

The Holy Spirit testifies about Him, This Jesus.
“When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, (John 15:26).

• • This Jesus… Who fulfilled the predetermined plan of God.
    • “this Man [Jesus], delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death”, (2:23).

• • This Jesus… Who was raised up from the dead.
    • “This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses… (2:32).

• • This Jesus… Who is both Lord and Christ.
    • • Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified,” (2:36).

• • This Jesus… Who was proven to be the Christ.
    •  But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ. (Acts 9:22).
    • explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,” (Acts 17:3).

• • This Jesus… Who is coming again.
    • They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11).

How are we to respond to This Jesus?

It is through This Jesus that God saves us from our sins, rescues us from the kingdom of darkness, redeems us as His own and transfers us to His own glorious kingdom.

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins, (Colossians 1:13-14).

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul addresses the believers who are distorting the message of the gospel.

 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; ⁷ which is really not another… (Galatians 1:6-7a).

It is only as we place our faith in Him, This Jesus, in the true message of His gospel that we are saved: This Jesus was born of a virgin; This Jesus lived a sinless life; This Jesus suffered the penalty we deserved because of our sin; This Jesus was crucified, buried and raised again conquering death and sin; This Jesus was raised to new life and raises all who place their faith in what He alone has done.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scripture,… ²⁰ But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep, (1 Corinthians 15:3-4, 20).

He made [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him, (2 Corinthians 5:21).

 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶ and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,… ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; ⁹ not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:4-6, 8-9).

By His amazing grace, This Jesus has made us alive together with Him!

• Let us choose to live in surrendered gratitude. that we would so love and listen to Him, This Jesus, and obey His commands.
  • “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments,” (John 14:15).

• Let us set our hearts completely on Him, This Jesus, that we would continue in His Word of Truth.
  • So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; ³² and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:31-32).

• Let us willingly yield to His Holy Spirit, that our lives would testify about Him, This Jesus.
  • “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another,” (John 13:35).
  • But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law… ²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit, (Galatians 5:22-23, 25).

• And let us fully trust His Gift given, the Holy Spirit, Who empowers us to be witnesses of Him, This Jesus, to speak the word of God with boldness, that we may share with a world so desperately in need to know the salvation found in Him, This Jesus.
  • but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses,” (Acts 1:8).
  • And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness, (Acts 4:31).
  • Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God, (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Let’s Grow Together!