Acts 2:22-24

They Crucified God's Approved Man

No one could successfully deny that Jesus had worked miracles because they had been done in plain view. Those miracles should have inspired awe (wonder) in the hearts of those who saw them and been a clear sign that Jesus was God's spokesman and, in fact, His Son (John 5:36; John 10:25; John 20:30-31; Hebrews 2:4). Peter, recognizing the Lord's greatness, was moved to feel his own unworthiness in the presence of the Lord (Luke 5:1-11). Some clearly recognized these displays of God's power for what they were and believed in the Son. The nobleman whose son was at the point of death and some of the Jews who had gone to comfort Mary were in this category (John 4:46-54; John 11:45). Others explained the miracles away by attributing them to the power of Satan, criticizing and seeking an opportunity to kill the Lord (Matthew 12:22-30; Mark 3:1-6; John 11:1-57). Oddly enough, they recognized Jesus' works as mighty but looked beyond that fact to the potential result of their losing power!

Imagine the shock of those who ultimately succeeded in crucifying the One by whom they felt threatened when Peter said God had actually known beforehand the actions they would take! Their shock could only have been compounded by the realization that God allowed them to crucify Jesus and then raised him from the dead (Acts 2:22-24)! Yet, a careful study of God's writings, which they claimed to so admire, would have revealed both God's foreknowledge and his intent to let them crucify the Messiah and then raise him so he could see his children (Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 53:6-12).