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Acts 4:23–28
“Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed” (vv. 25–26).
Christians have long sought to understand the gospel in the same way that the Apostles understood it, for the Apostles are part of the foundation of the church (Eph. 2:20). Often we focus on the gospel as the answer to the problem of sin and estrangement from God, and this is right because significant portions of the New Testament, such as Romans 1–8, present the gospel in this manner. Yet the Apostles also describe the gospel in other complementary ways that we should not forget.
Based on Apostolic teaching, we could also describe the gospel in this way: God promised to restore His blessed kingdom and enthrone His appointed King to rule over the earth for His glory. He did this by coming to earth Himself in the person of Jesus Christ. Sinners, however, rejected their rightful King and came against Him, putting Him to death. But the King overcame death in His resurrection, securing the right to rule over all and bring all things into submission for God’s glory. Therefore, God has exalted Him to the place of authority over all, and our only hope is to bow to His reign. The Apostles frequently proclaimed the gospel as summarizing these truths, and they did so by interpreting the work of Jesus through the lens of Psalm 2, a key messianic psalm. We see this in today’s passage.
Upon being released from prison after the healing of the lame beggar (see Acts 3:1–10), Peter and John reported to the church all that had happened, including the opposition from the Sanhedrin (4:21–23). The church saw in the continuing opposition to Jesus and His messengers the fulfillment of Psalm 2 (Acts 4:24–26). As the psalm predicted, the gentiles (Rome), the peoples (Israel), and kings (Herod and Pilate) plotted to destroy Jesus, God’s appointed King (v. 27). Ultimately, they were unsuccessful, for Psalm 2 records God’s intent to enthrone His Messiah and call the nations to bow to Him. God accomplished that by raising Jesus from the dead, receiving Him into heaven, and sending forth the gospel through the Apostles (2:14–41).
God was never at the mercy of His foes, for as the earliest Christians recognized, our Creator predestined all that His enemies did to Jesus. This does not mean that the men who killed Jesus escaped responsibility for their actions (4:27–28). They desired only evil, and their intent made their deed evil even though God ordained it. The Lord’s intent was only good—His glory and our salvation—so He is guilty of no sin in predestinating the crucifixion.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
John Calvin comments on what today’s passage says about God’s sovereignty over His enemies: “God does so govern and guide all things by his secret counsel, that, he does bring to pass those things which he has determined, even by the wicked.” God uses even evil men to accomplish His good purposes, which is great news. If He did not or could not do so, we could not be confident that He will ultimately defeat evil. He can work all things together for our good (Rom. 8:28).
For further study
- Genesis 50:20
- Revelation 20:7–10
The bible in a year
- Leviticus 24–25
- Mark 1:29–45
- Leviticus 26–Numbers 1
- Mark 2