Sunday School Lesson

1. Acts 2:22-47
Witnessing to Jews: Peter’s Methods
March 20, 2016
First Baptist Church
Jackson, Mississippi
USA

2. What’s the number one thing?
http://kwhite75.com/websites/fbcodenville/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/glory.jpg

3. 1 Corinthians 10:31 NKJV
31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to
the glory of God.

4. March Memory Verse
Isaiah 6:8
8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
"Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?"
Then I said, "Here I am! Send me.“

5. REFERENCES
•The ESV Study Bible, Crossway Publishing, 2008.
•The NIV Study Bible, Zondervan Corporation, 1985.
•Website of Jews For Jesus www.jewsforjesus.org.
•Missler, Dr. Chuck: The Book of Acts. Chapter 2.
YouTube Video.
•Hobbs, Herschel H., Fundamentals of our Faith:
Nashville, TN, Broadman Press, 1960.

6. Introduction to The Book of Acts
•Acts is considered to be a continuation of the Gospel
of Luke.
•Mostly about Peter and Paul, not the acts of apostles.
•Acts ends with Paul’s appeal to Rome:
•Acts thought to be documents prepared for Paul’s
defense in Rome.
•Documents had to precede your case presentation.

7. Introduction to Acts 2
•Both Luke and Acts addressed to “Theophilus”.
•Theophilus means “one who loves God”.
•May be a title for a Roman official instead of a name.
•Could be symbolic name for a Christian convert.

8. Setting for Acts 2
•Acts 1:1-5 Apostles told to stay in Jerusalem after
resurrection and Jesus ministers to them.
•Acts 1:6-11 Jesus promises the Holy Spirit and then
ascends into heaven.
•Acts 1:12-26 The apostles elect Matthias to replace
Judas as the 12th apostle.

9. Acts 2:1-21 Summary
•Jesus sends the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost.
•Tongues of fire rest on the believers in the upper
room.
•They speak “Praising God” in the languages of the
foreign Jews in Jerusalem celebrating Pentecost.
•Peter addresses the crowd explaining how the
Prophet Joel predicted this “pouring out of the Spirit”
in Joel 2:28-32.

11. Introduction to Acts 2:22-41
•Peter has just explained what the crowd has
witnessed with the speaking in languages.
•Peter now begins to explain the role of Jesus in this
miraculous event.
•Pentecost was just 50 days after the Crucifixion of
Jesus.

12. Peter gives us the 7 important points about
Jesus in witnessing to the Jews (Acts 2:22-41).
1. Name.
2. God attested Jesus to you.
3. You killed Jesus.
4. God raised Jesus from the dead.
5. Jesus is now exalted at the right hand of God.
6. Jesus has received the promise of the Father.
7. The Holy Spirit is poured out before your eyes.

13. Acts 2:22-24 ESV
22 "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— 23 this Jesus, delivered
up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of
God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless
men. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death,
because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

14. 1. The title (proper) name: Jesus of Nazareth.
Acts 2:22
22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth…”
• Identified by hometown of Nazareth.
• Nazarenes were not held with great respect.
• “Nazareth” is Greek form of the Hebrew word for “shoot” or
“sprout”.
• Isaiah 11:1
1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.

15. 2. God attested Jesus to you.
Acts 2:22
22 “…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—…”
•Attested = proven or with clear evidence.
•Jesus exhibited God’s power by the miracles He
performed for all to see.
•Miracles were signs of Jesus as Messiah.

16. 3. You killed Jesus!
Acts 2:23
23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan
and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by
the hands of lawless men.
•Peter combines a clear affirmation of God’s
sovereignty over world events, and human
responsibility for evil deeds.

17. Paradox
Definition: A statement that appears senseless, logically
unacceptable or self-contradictory.
Example: Less is more.

19. The Holy Paradox
Isaiah 53:10 NIV
10 Yet it was the Lord 's will to crush him and cause
him to suffer,
and though the Lord makes his life an offering
for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.

20. The Holy Paradox
Acts 3:17-18 NIV
17 "Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in
ignorance, as did your leaders. 18 But this is how God
fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets,
saying that his Messiah would suffer.

21. Who put Jesus on the cross?
I did!
My sins put Jesus on the cross!

22. 4. God raised Jesus from the dead.
Acts 2:24
24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death,
because it was not possible for him to be held by it.
•Peter is now going to use Psalm 16:8-11 to explain
why death could not hold Jesus.
•The Jew thought this Psalm applied to King David.

23. Acts 2:25-26
25 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;
26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
my flesh also will dwell in hope.

24. Acts 2:27-29
27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One see corruption.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’
29 "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.

25. King David’s Tomb on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem

26. King David’s Tomb on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem

27. Acts 2:30-32
30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had
sworn with an oath to him (David) that he would set
one of his descendants on his throne, 31 he foresaw and
spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was
not abandoned to Hades (death), nor did his flesh see
corruption. 32 This Jesus, God raised up, and of that we
all are witnesses.

28. Peter gives us the 7 important points about
Jesus in witnessing to Jews (Acts 2:22-41).
1. Name.
2. God attested Jesus to you.
3. You killed Jesus.
4. God raised Jesus from the dead.
5. Jesus is now exalted at the right hand of God.
6. Jesus has received the promise of the Father.
7. The Holy Spirit is poured out before your eyes.

29. Acts 2:33-35
33 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. 34 For David (body) did not ascend into the
heavens, but he himself says,
"'The Lord said to my Lord,
"Sit at my right hand,
35 until I make your enemies your footstool."'

30. Jesus exalted at the right hand of God
1 Peter 3:21-22
21 …. Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the
right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers
having been subjected to him.
Hebrews 10:12-13
12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice
for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting
from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool
for his feet.

31. Acts 2:36 (The Closing Statement)
36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain
that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus
whom you crucified.”
•Full authority given to Jesus.

32. “…God has made him both Lord and Christ…”
Matthew 28:18
18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in
heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Romans 14:9
9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he
might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

33. Acts 2:37
37 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?”
•The crowd was convicted of their sins.
•The Holy Spirit was fully at work immediately upon
arrival.

34. Acts 2:38-39
38 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. 39 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.”
•The message of Jesus is universal – Jews & Gentiles.

35. Acts 2:40-41
40 And with many other words he bore witness and
continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves
from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received
his word were baptized, and there were added that day
about three thousand souls.
•3,000 accepted Christ that day!!

36. A Closer Look
How would Jews respond to this sermon today?

37. Jewish Population Today is 13 – 14 Million.
•USA has 6.5 M (46%)
•Israel has 4.95 M (37%)
•Europe has 1.6 M (12%) Mostly France
•Other 5% scattered

38. Judaism’s Views of Jesus of Nazareth.
•He was one of many who have claimed to be Messiah.
•Judaism forbids the worship of a person (idolatry).
•Reject that Jesus fulfilled the messianic prophecies.
•Believe that the Messiah will return Jews to their
homeland, rule as King, rebuild the Temple and usher
in an era of peace.
•Central belief in the absolute unity and singularity of
God (monotheism or one God).

39. Suggestions on Witnessing from “Jews For Jesus”.
•For many Jews today, their identity is more cultural
than religious.
•Find out what they believe about God and the Bible.
•Judaism is considered the opposite of Christianity.
•Accepting Jesus would mean losing your Jewish
identity.
•Most Jewish people have limited knowledge of the
scriptures (preservation of the Hebrew language).

40. Pointers for Witnessing to Jews from “Jews For Jesus”.
1. Make friends with the person.
2. Be up front.
3. Ask questions.
4. Give a personal testimony.
5. Use scripture.
6. Be prayerfully persistent.
7. Ask for a decision and follow-up.

41. Acts 2:42-44
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles'
teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread
and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and
many wonders and signs were being done through the
apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and
had all things in common.

42. Acts 2:45-47
45 And they were selling their possessions and
belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any
had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple
together and breaking bread in their homes, they
received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47
praising God and having favor with all the people. And
the Lord added to their number day by day those who
were being saved.

43. God’s Sovereignty in Salvation in Acts 2.
Acts 2:39
39 “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.”
Acts 2:47
47 And the Lord added to their number day by day those
who were being saved.

44. God’s Call to Salvation in Jesus.
•Role of the Holy Spirit in Salvation.
•Conviction of sin (greatest sin is unbelief in Jesus).
•Shows man the righteousness of God which is not
by works but by faith in Jesus.
•Works in a person’s believing on Jesus.
•God gives man the “free will” to accept or reject the
movement of the Holy Spirit to come to Jesus.

46. A Challenge to Christians.
•There are estimated to be 2 Billion people in the world
who have never been given a clear presentation of the
Gospel message of Jesus Christ.
•International Day for the Unreached (IDU) sponsored
by the Alliance for the Unreached.
•May 15, 2016 is Pentecost Sunday – Share the Gospel
message.

47. Acts 2:37 “Brothers, what shall we do?”
Pray
Share Your Story
Psalm 16:8
I will keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

48. The Plan of Hope & Salvation
John 3:16 NKJV
16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting
life.”
John 14:6 NKJV
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one
comes to the Father except through Me.”

49. The Plan of Hope & Salvation
Romans 3:23 NKJV
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23a NKJV
23a For the wages of sin is death,
• Death in this life (the first death) is 100%.
• Even Jesus, the only one who doesn’t deserve death, died in this life to pay
the penalty for our sins.
• The death referred to in Romans 6:23a is the second death explained in
Revelation 21:8.

50. The Plan of Hope & Salvation
Revelation 21:8 NKJV
8 “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually
immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the
lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
Romans 5:8 NKJV
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we
were still sinners, Christ died for us.

51. The Plan of Hope & Salvation
Romans 6:23b NKJV
23b but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Revelation 21:7 NKJV
7 “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and
he shall be My son.”
• Romans 10:9-10 explains to us how to be an overcomer.

52. The Plan of Hope & Salvation
Romans 10:9-10 NKJV
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in
your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the
mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:13 NKJV
13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”

53. The Plan of Hope & Salvation
If you have questions or would like to know more, Please, contact First
Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or
http://firstbaptistjackson.org/contact/