Receiving the Holy Spirit | Acts 2:22-40
In his sermon on Pentecost, Peter explains four urgent instructions for receiving the Holy Spirit: (1) accept why Jesus died; (2) believe that Jesus rose; (3) confess Jesus as Lord; and (4) repent and be baptized. This sermon is part 4 of “Building the Church,” Bryan Craddock’s verse-by-verse sermon series on Acts 1-7.
Before every commercial flight, a safety briefing is given. Flight attendants instruct people about what to do in the unlikely event of a water landing. Take the life vest from under your seat and place it over your head. Pass the straps around your waist, fasten them, and pull them tight. Do not inflate the vest until you exit the aircraft. Once you do so, pull firmly on the tabs on either side. If the vest does not inflate, blow into the red tubes.
As important as that information is, many people do not pay attention to it. Some may ignore it because it’s too frightening to think about. Most probably assume that everything will be fine. Perhaps a few are confident that their own swimming ability will save them. But if those instructions were given as their plane was dropping into the middle of the ocean, I suspect that people would be much more attentive.
Our spiritual situation is even more desperate. Humanity crashed long ago and keeps taking on water. But many people are not paying attention. Most assume that everything will be fine. Some find it too frightening to think about. Others are confident that their own goodness will save them.
The good news is that Jesus will return to rescue believers and lift us to safety. But while we wait for him, we desperately need help to stay afloat and to keep our head above the waves of trials and temptations. Some act as if it’s a pointless struggle. Others emphasize self-discipline and accountability, but such efforts are futile on their own. Part of the good news is that Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to be our life vest.
As we have seen from the first part of Acts 2, tongues of fire appeared and settled on all the followers of Jesus on the day of Pentecost. That dramatic sign demonstrated that moving forward God’s Spirit would be present within believers to help us obey. Then Jesus’ followers spoke in tongues as a sign of hope that people from every nation, tribe, and tongue would share in this salvation. Peter also declared that the Spirit’s coming marks the beginning of the end times period that will culminate in terrible cataclysmic events before the Day of the Lord. So, as he continues to address the crowd in Acts 2:22-40, he explains four urgent instructions for receiving the Holy Spirit. It’s his spiritual salvation briefing!
Now you have probably heard all his points before, and the first few may not seem to have anything to do with receiving the Spirit. But they are all connected. So, as we walk through them, ask yourself if you have followed them. Do you grasp that they lead to both life in eternity and power to overcome in the present? Are we ignoring the good news of the Spirit’s work? Are we sharing it with others as Peter does? With those questions in mind, let’s examine what he has to say.
Accept Why Jesus Died
Some people argue over the shape of Jesus’ cross. There is historical evidence that the Romans sometimes used a single pole, a T with nothing above the horizontal cross beam, or even an X rather than the form that is traditionally displayed. They were disturbingly creative in their execution methods. Several hints suggest that the traditional shape was used. But since it is never explicitly stated, it must not be that important.
The more significant issue is why Jesus died, and the traditional shape of the cross serves as a helpful symbol. Just as there is a vertical post and a horizontal beam, you could say that there is a vertical reason and a horizontal one. We must accept that divine sovereignty and human responsibility are both at work in the death of Jesus. Acts 2:22-23 tells us that Peter said,
"Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know-- this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
The death of Jesus was not outside of God’s control. He delivered Jesus up. He had a definite plan, or other versions speak of his purpose being deliberate, predetermined, or prearranged. It was made according to his foreknowledge in eternity past, and he gave glimpses of that plan to the Old Testament prophets.
The clearest Old Testament revelation of that plan is found in Isaiah 53, where the prophet speaks of the Suffering Servant. Verse 6 says that the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all. Verse 8 is clear that he would be cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of God’s people. Verses 10-11 explicitly state that it was the will of the Lord to crush him and put him to grief so that many could be accounted righteous.
Jesus himself was both fully aware of the Father’s saving purpose and unreservedly committed to it. According to John 3:16, he said that God gave his only Son so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Mark 10:45 tells us that he said the Son of Man came to give his life as a ransom for many. We read in Matthew 26:39 that he asked for the cup to pass from him, if possible, but he also said, “not as I will, but as you will.”
So, we must accept that the death of Jesus is essential to God’s plan of salvation. But that does not mean that those who carried it out are guiltless. Peter makes this clear to his audience. Even though they were all aware of Jesus’ mighty works, wonders, and signs, they crucified and killed him. They carried it out with the help of the lawless Romans, but the Jews were still responsible.
Though the chief priests and the elders of the Jewish council were the driving force, Pilate gave the crowd the opportunity to set Jesus free. At the urging of the council, they chose Barabbas and called for Jesus to be crucified (Matt 27:21-22). Yet the responsibility extends much farther. Jesus died for the sins of the whole world (1 Jn 2:2). In 1 Peter 2:24, Peter says,
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
So, every time that we disobey God, we rack up another share of responsibility for Jesus’ suffering and death. The cross is where the grace of God’s sovereign saving purpose intersects with the guilt of our sinful human choices. Do you accept that? This is the first step toward receiving the Spirit.
Believe that Jesus Rose
People try to make death seem natural, peaceful, and even beautiful. We dress up for funerals, bring brightly colored flowers, and say nice things. Cemeteries are often quiet, lush, and green. But none of that conceals the harsh reality that death is ugly and feels terribly wrong.
The Bible presents it as a corruption of God’s perfect creation. He designed human beings to live forever in his presence. But Genesis 3 tells us that sickness and death began when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and became cursed. It was a consequence of their sin that came to characterize our fallen world. This ugly reality is reflected in the Old Testament system of worship. Contact with a dead body made someone unclean, not just hygienically but ritually (Num 5:2; 9:6; 19:13).
When Jesus died, his followers witnessed the ugliness and injustice of the cross. As a few of them took down his body, prepared it for burial, and laid it in a tomb, it all seemed disturbingly wrong. Even though he told them about it beforehand, they were not expecting him to rise from the dead. It was only later that they came to understand the logic and importance of believing in his resurrection. Acts 2:24 tells us that Peter makes this point on Pentecost by saying,
God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.
Why was it impossible for death to restrain Jesus? First, death is simply not strong enough. As the creator of life, God’s power is far greater, and he chose to resurrect Jesus. But why? Peter offers an explanation from Psalm 16:8-11, which was written roughly a thousand years earlier. In Acts 2:25-28, he says,
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.'
In the Hebrew text of this psalm, the word for “corruption” refers to a pit or a grave. But the term carries a connotation of decay, so the Greek translation that was made before the time of Christ brings out that meaning. It reminds us of the Old Testament idea that death defiles people. So, perhaps we could also say that Jesus could not be restrained by death because he is too holy.
But Peter draws out a more important point. He argues that David was speaking prophetically. Jesus could speak these words in a fuller and truer way than David could. In verses 29-32, he explains,
"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.
God had promised that one of David’s descendants would rule forever. But for that to happen, that individual must overcome death. It is essential for the fulfillment of God’s plan. The Old Testament prophets described the coming kingdom as a complete reversal of God’s curse. The power of death had to be broken. David could not do it, but the apostles give eyewitness testimony that Jesus did. So, Peter points to the resurrection as proof that Jesus is the Christ, the one who will reign on David’s throne.
Do you believe that Jesus rose from the dead? Belief is more than intellectual acceptance. It is placing your faith in him and drawing hope from his resurrection. Peter reflects this confidence in 1 Peter 1:3-5 when he says,
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
To receive the Holy Spirit, we must accept why Jesus died and believe that he rose from the dead.
Confess Jesus as Lord
Most religions focus on doing things to elevate yourself. People follow an exemplary leader in climbing the ladder to be closer to God or to achieve some other kind of enlightenment. They focus on doing good deeds or engaging in self-denial. Many assume that Christianity fits this pattern, but that is entirely wrong.
The New Testament Gospel highlights what God has done to reach us. We hear it in Peter’s sermon on Pentecost. God sent his Son, Jesus, to teach and perform miraculous deeds. People rejected him and crucified him, yet that was also part of God’s saving plan. Jesus bore our sin, and God confirmed that by raising him from the dead. Jesus then ascends into heaven, climbing the ladder that we never could.
Why does his ascension matter? It means that he is exalted as Lord, and Peter argues that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit serves as confirmation. In Acts 2:33, he says,
Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.
The outpouring of the Spirit should not have come as a surprise. It is a crucial part of God’s plan. Moses anticipates the need for God to change people’s stubborn hearts in Deuteronomy (10:16; 30:6). The prophets promise that a new covenant will bring this about. As we saw previously, Joel and Ezekiel both link this to the coming of the Spirit (Joel 2:28-29; Ezek 36:26-27). Jesus even said that it was to the benefit of his followers for him to go away, because the Father would send the Holy Spirit in his name as their helper (Jn 14:26; 16:7).
Peter’s audience saw and heard proof of the Spirit’s coming as the followers of Jesus spoke in tongues. But he presses them to see what that miracle demonstrates about Jesus. He is exalted to a place far above all earthly thrones and dominions. He sits at the right hand of God, and Peter bases this conclusion on the words of David in Psalm 110:1. In Acts 2:34-35, he says,
For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, "'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool."'
In the Hebrew text of that verse, David uses two different words for Lord. The first is Yahweh, the personal name of God. The Jews substituted the word Lord because they feared that saying God’s name might violate the Third Commandment, the prohibition of taking his name in vain. So, David anticipates that God will invite someone to sit at his right hand until all his enemies are humbled, and he refers to that individual as his Adonai--his Lord, his Master, his superior. Later in the psalm he goes on to say that this person will rule over the earth, judging the nations as a priestly king.
Peter asserts that David was clearly not referring to himself. So, he calls his audience to recognize that when taken in conjunction with the outpouring of the Spirit, this verse points to the exalted authority of Jesus. In Acts 2:36, he says,
Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."
To identify him as Lord is to acknowledge his authority. But since the word Lord is also used in place of God’s personal name, it probably also serves as an affirmation of the deity of Jesus. How else could he draw near to sit at the right hand of God? No mere human could do that.
Thus far in his sermon, Peter has not called for a specific response from his audience. He is building an intellectual case. But responses are still implied in what he has said, and I have framed them as Paul does in Romans 10:9, where he says,
because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
To confess Jesus as Lord is to openly express your personal conviction about his divine authority in a spirit of humble submission and worship. Have you taken that step? To receive the Spirit, we must accept why Jesus died, believe that he rose, and confess him as Lord which leads us to one final instruction.
Repent and Be Baptized
In our technologically advanced society, we might assume that our problems are always complicated. When a device fails to work, it must be the result of a flaw in the hardware or a bug in the software. We approach our personal struggles with a similar mindset, looking for causes in our physiological hardware or our psychological software. But with electronics the remedy is often as simple as rebooting the machine or even just making sure that it’s plugged in. How much would be fixed in our lives, if we started at the same place?
In Peter’s sermon on Pentecost, he explains a whole circuit of ideas. God sent Jesus to die on the cross. He conquered death through his resurrection, and was then exalted to the right hand of God so that he could demonstrate his Lordship by sending the promised Spirit. But how do those great truths become operative in the life of an individual? How do we personally plug into them?
Peter instructs his audience to repent and be baptized. Acts 2:37-38 tells us,
Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Have you ever been cut to the heart? The Greek word for repentance refers to changing your mind. Peter is calling his audience to think differently about Jesus, but that is more than an intellectual exercise. The Old Testament often uses the word turn. To repent is to turn away from the path of ignorance and evil to follow the Lord. John the Baptist and Jesus both urged people to respond this way. It is a fundamental change of heart that makes a difference in your approach to life, a spiritual reboot.
Baptism goes along with repentance. The Gospels tell us that John the Baptist immersed people in the Jordan River as a humble public expression of their repentance (Mark 1:4). Though he had no sins to repent of, Jesus was baptized by John (Matt 3:13-16). He then baptized others who responded to his preaching (Jn 4:1). Matthew 28:19 tells us that after his resurrection he told his followers to continue baptizing people from all the nations as they became disciples.
Jesus told them to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Here in Acts 2:38, Peter simply calls people to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Some people see this as a contradiction, but the point is the same. To be baptized is to identify yourself with Jesus, and that identification extends to the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Peter also speaks of being baptized for the forgiveness of your sins. You might take this to mean that forgiveness is received through the physical act of being baptized. But other passages say that people receive forgiveness through confession, repentance, or faith (Ac 10:43; 26:18; 1 Jn 1:9). So, the real issue at stake is the heart behind baptism.
That brings us to Peter’s main point on Pentecost. Those who receive forgiveness of sins in Christ also receive the gift of the Holy Spirit to help them in their spiritual battle moving forward. He is the power that transforms us and enables us to bear fruit, and his work is not limited to that group or even that generation. Acts 2:39-40 tells us that Peter says,
For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself." And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation."
Here again we find the mystery of divine sovereignty and human responsibility. Peter exhorts people to claim this promise. Save yourself! Repent and be baptized. Receive forgiveness and the Holy Spirit. But for this incredible change to happen God must call someone to himself. He must give them ears to hear and grant them repentance. John 6:37 tells us that Jesus said,
All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
If you are convicted of your sin and convinced that Jesus died for your sins, rose again, and ascended into heaven, then respond. Repent and be baptized. The Lord will not turn you away but will grant you repentance and the Holy Spirit.
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How do you know whether you have received the Spirit? It is guaranteed to those who follow Peter’s instructions. Accept why Jesus died. Believe that he rose. Confess him as Lord. Then repent and be baptized, and you will receive the Spirit.
In the final verses of Acts 2, we will see the evidence of the Spirit’s work in the church as a whole. We can also look at Galatians 5 to see the fruit that the Spirit produces in an individual life. If you would like to learn more about the Spirit’s work, that would be a good chapter to read.
If you have the Spirit in you, are you walking by him? Are you taking advantage of this great promise? Are you allowing him to teach you through the Scriptures that he inspired? Are you heeding his convicting work? Are you serving God’s purpose in his power? Are you testifying to his work and sharing with others the good news that we can be saved from this crooked generation?
May we be transformed by the Spirit!
Reflect
What are some reasons that Christians might neglect or minimize the work of the Holy Spirit?
How has this passage changed your understanding of the gospel?
How could the work of the Holy Spirit be shared in an evangelistic conversation?