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Acts 2:25–32
“[David] 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” (vv. 31–32).
Although Peter began his sermon on Pentecost by talking about the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:14–21), the Apostle soon moved to proclaiming the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus (vv. 22–36). Dr. R.C. Sproul comments on Peter’s move to preaching the person and work of Christ in relation to the work of the Holy Spirit and His coming on Pentecost. What happened in the coming of the Spirit and Peter’s then proclaiming Jesus well embodies our Savior’s statement that the Holy Spirit seeks to glorify the Son of God (John 16:14). Dr. Sproul writes: “The Holy Spirit always points beyond Himself to Christ. . . . On the day of Pentecost, the Spirit was poured out without measure, and the focus was on Christ.”
Continuing our study of Peter’s Pentecost sermon, we see in today’s passage that when the Apostle preached our Lord’s resurrection, he explained that David had predicted Jesus’ rising again about one thousand years before it happened. In Acts 2:25–33, we read Peter’s quote of Psalm 16:8–11 and the Apostle’s brief exposition of it. Psalm 16 is a psalm of confidence in which David stresses God’s blessing on him and the safety that he finds in making the Lord his refuge (v. 1). This confidence extends past his earthly life, for David expresses that God would not abandon his body and soul to the realm of death forever (vv. 9–10). Here we have one of the clearest affirmations of an afterlife to be found in the Old Testament and the sure hope that impenitent idolaters will be destroyed and God’s people rewarded with life (v. 11).
While this psalm applies to all believers, it has special reference to Christ. Peter notes that the psalm cannot have its highest fulfillment in David, since David died and his body remains in the tomb (Acts 2:29). In other words, God left David’s body in the grave. Yet Jesus did not remain dead. He rose again, and His body and soul did not suffer corruption. David, therefore, was speaking fully and finally of the Lord Jesus Christ, who in His resurrection fulfills this psalm. David, in fact, understood that the Messiah could never stay dead, for God had promised to put David’s perfect Son on the throne of Israel forever, and this could happen only if David’s perfect Son was restored to life after being put to death on the cross (vv. 30–32; see 2 Sam. 7:1–17). Because Jesus has been raised, we can be confident that we will likewise be resurrected if we trust in Him, for He is the firstfruits of the resurrection of His people (1 Cor. 15:20–28).
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
The resurrection of Jesus is the firstfruits and pledge of our own resurrection from the dead. Because Jesus has been raised, we know that God will not leave our bodies in the grave forever. At the last day, He will raise them from the dead, reunite our souls with our perfected flesh, and grant us to live forever with Him in a new creation free of all sin and sorrow (Rev. 21:1–22:5). Let us look forward eagerly to our resurrection.
For further study
- Psalm 91
- Isaiah 53:10–12
- Daniel 12:1–2
- Mark 8:31
The bible in a year
- Genesis 38–40
- Matthew 13:24–58