Let us turn to God's Word turning
again to the Acts of the Apostles in chapter 2 where we were this
morning in Acts chapter 2 and tonight I
want us to consider the verses 32 through to 35 Acts chapter 2, reading then
at verse 32. This Jesus hath God raised up,
whereof we all are witnesses, therefore being by the right
hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise
of the Holy Ghost, He has shed forth this which ye now see and
hear. For David is not ascended into
the heavens, but he said himself the Lord said unto my Lord sit
thou on my right hand until I make thy foes thy footstool. I want us to consider something
of what he said here concerning the exaltation of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Earlier we were considering a
former part of Peter's sermon, looking at those words, verses
22 through to 24. Ye men of Israel, he says, hear
these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you,
by miracles and wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst
of you, as ye yourselves also know. Him being delivered by
the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, he hath taken, and by
wicked hands have crucified and slain him. God hath raised up,
having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that
he should be holden of it. We remark this morning how that
so much of the chapter He's taken up with the content of that sermon
that was preached by Peter. Just the opening 13 verses record
that momentous event, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit when the day
of Pentecost was fully come, and as a result, how that those
apostles, so ignorant, unlearned men, were able to speak in many
different languages and there were a great multitude gathered
there at Jerusalem, Jews and proselytes come together for
the celebration of the feast of Pentecost and they heard these
men speak the wondrous works of God and speak those of those
works in their own languages as the Spirit gave them utterance. That was a great thing. And yet,
as I said this morning from verse 14 right through to 14, we have
the record of what Peter actually said, the content of the sermon
in summary. And it is a sermon that is full
of the Lord Jesus Christ Has not the Spirit come as the Spirit
of Christ? When He has come, says the Savior,
He shall not speak of Himself, though He be God. His ministry
is such a self-effacing ministry. Christ says, He shall take of
Mine and show it unto you. He shall testify of Me. That is the ministry of the Spirit.
And so, not surprisingly, as Peter, under that blessed unction
of the Spirit, preaches, how He proclaims the Lord Jesus. Ye men of Israel, hear these
words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man, approved of God among you. We consider then what He said
there, verses 22, 23, 24, concerning that man, the Lord Jesus Christ,
approved of God, and yet how he was crucified delivered by
God's determinate counsel and foreknowledge and they had with
their wicked hands crucified and slain the Lord of glory but
then how God raised him again from the pains of death it was
not possible that he should be holden of death he has broken
through the bars of the grave. We were thinking then this morning
of the Lord Jesus, and we're really continuing with the same
theme, because this is the scene that runs right through what
Peter has to say, he preaches Christ. Just as was the case
with the Apostle Paul when he tells the Corinthians, I determine
not to know anything among you, say Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And again he says, we preach
Christ crucified. and so too here with regards
to Simon Peter and in the words that I've read for our text verses
32 through to 35 he now speaks of the exaltation the exaltation
of the Lord Jesus Christ now he makes some reference of course
to the Old Testament As I remarked this morning, he quotes extensively
from the book of the Prophet Joel. Verse 17 and the following
verses is a quotation from the end of Joel chapter 2 concerning
the outpouring of the Spirit of God which shall come to pass
in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit
upon all flesh It's interesting there, as an aside, in verse
16 he says, this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel.
He's referring to what's happening. There were those who were mocking
the disciples and saying that they'd been drinking new wine,
they were drunken men. Not so, says Peter, it is but. the third hour of the day, it
was nine o'clock in the morning. This is that which was spoken
by the prophet Joel, he says in verse 60. And then he quotes,
it shall come to pass in the last days, but he doesn't say
says Joel, he says says God. As he quotes from the book of
Joel, he acknowledges that that is not the word of Joel, that
is the word of God. here is the doctrine of scripture
you see, those holy men of God they spake as they were moved
by the Spirit of God Joel was a faithful servant of God writing
under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and so we have that lengthy quotation
from the end of Joel chapter 2 but then also he goes on to
refer to words spoken by David Verse 25, David speaketh concerning
him, concerning the Lord Jesus. I foresaw the Lord always before
my face. He's quoting now again, it's
Peter quoting from the 16th Psalm at verse 8 following, I foresaw
the Lord always before my face for He is on my right hand, and
I should not be ashamed. Therefore does my heart rejoice,
and my tongue was glad. Moreover also my flesh shall
rest in hope, because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, that
is, Hades, the realm of the departed. Neither wilt thou suffer thine
Holy One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the
ways of life. thou shalt make me full of joy
with thy countenance those are the words of David in Psalm 16
and then he says men and brethren let me freely speak unto you
of the patriarch David that he is both dead and buried and his
sepulcher is with us unto this day therefore being a prophet He is going on you see here to
point out how that David is speaking there in the psalm not of himself,
not of his own experience, ultimately he is speaking of the Lord Jesus
Christ. It is Christ who is that One
who was not suffered to see corruption. Neither wilt thou suffer thine
Holy One to see corruption. And so he says here at verse
13, How David, a prophet, knowing that God had sworn with an oath
to him that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh,
he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne, he seeing this
before, spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was
not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up,
whereof we all are witnesses." And so, we come to the words
that I want to center your attention upon for a while this evening. The exaltation the exaltation
of the Lord Jesus Christ, here in verses 32 through to 35. Four things. What does he speak
of here? How is the Lord Jesus Christ
exalted? Well, first of all, of course,
we see again how the Lord Jesus Christ is exalted in the resurrection
from the dead. Isn't this a fundamental truth
of our religion? Isn't this a fundamental truth
of the gospel of the grace of God? That Jesus Christ is risen
again from the dead. Now interestingly, that resurrection
of the Lord Jesus is linked back to the death, that he had died. There's a connection between
his dying and he's rising again from the dead and we saw that
this morning the connection between verses 23 and 24 remember verse
23 we have him as that one who is crucified, he's put to death
and why is he crucified? because this was God's purpose,
it was what God had determined what God had ordained that he
must die the just for the unjust to save sinners But how was he
crucified by the wicked hands of these men? They were culpable.
God's purpose. And the fulfillment of that purpose
doesn't excuse these men. They're still men who are guilty. You have taken them by wicked
hands and crucified and slain. There's the death, but then immediately,
whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death. There's
a connection between the cross, the cruelty of the cross, the
death of the cross and how Christ subsequently is exalted in the
resurrection, how the cross leads to the crown. Ought not Christ
to have suffered these things and entered into his glory? Oh, this is the Gospel, this
is that that the Apostle Paul so clearly defines as the Gospel. Remember the language there in
1 Corinthians 15. Verse 3, I delivered unto you
first of all that which I also received, that Christ died for
our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried and that
He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. His dying
is in accordance with what is written in the scriptures. He's
rising again. He's in fulfillment of what is
written in the scriptures. How these things are so intimately
connected. There's an association between
his dying. He must die. He must experience
a real death. The separation of body and soul.
He must descend into the realm of the departed. but he must
also rise again on the third day. But then also here, and we see
this in the words that we're considering tonight, there is
a connection between his resurrection and his subsequent exaltation. Verse 32, this Jesus as God raised up whereof we all
are witnesses, therefore being by the right hand of God exalted,
and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost."
The resurrection is not the end of His exaltation. Or the resurrection is the beginning
of that exaltation, but there are other steps that will follow.
But how important is that resurrection, the significance of it? In the
resurrection He is declared to be the Son of God. He is designated,
He is marked out as the Son of God. This is the importance of
the resurrection. He is made of the seed of David. According to the flesh, He is
David's son, David's greatest son. But He is not only the Son
of David, He is the Son of God. And He is declared to be the
Son of God How is He declared to be the
Son of God? In the resurrection. Romans 1.4 declared to be the
Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by
the resurrection from the dead. The Lord Jesus then is exalted
to begin with in the resurrection this is the commencement of his
glorification as he is raised again from the dead and it must
be so as we see in verse 31 his soul was not left in hell
not left in the realm of Hades, the departed, neither his flesh
did see corruption. He could see no corruption at
all because there was nothing of sinful corruption in him. Remember what was conceived in
the womb of the Virgin Mary, though she herself was a sinner.
She was a sinful daughter of Adam. she sinned in Adam, she
had sinned in her own person and yet when the Holy Ghost comes
upon her, when the power of the Highest overshadows her, though
a sinner what is conceived in the womb of the Virgin, that
holy thing that holy thing that is the human
nature of the Lord Jesus Christ a sinless human nature, an impeccable
human nature. He is declared to be holy and
harmless and undefiled and separate from sinners and made higher
than the heavens. Oh, he is a man. But what sort
of a man is this? Again, the language of verse
22, a man approved of God. God approves of him. God is well
pleased with him. He is that one who is all together
without any sin. There is no corruption at all
in his human nature. And so, though he dies, he cannot
see any corruption at all in the grave. Death cannot hold
him. As I said, he breaks through
the very bars of the grey. And this is that man. Oh, that
sinless man. The first man is of the earth
to earth. The second man is the Lord from heaven. Paul tells
us the first man, Adam, was made a living soul. We know that.
When God created that man, when he comes pristine from the hand
of his Creator, How does God create him? He forms his body
out of the dust of the earth. He breathes into his nostrils
the breath of life. He becomes a living soul. The first man
Adam was made a living soul. The last Adam is made a quickening
spirit. And God sees just these two men.
The first Adam, the last Adam. And as I've said many a time,
we must be in that last Adam by the grace of God otherwise
there is no salvation all by nature in the first Adam he is
the father of the race but ought to be by the grace
of God found in that last Adam to be in Christ the blessing
of that union to be those who are bone of his bone, flesh of
his flesh But here we see how this man
is to be exalted and is being exalted in the resurrection. It's interesting what Peter says
there at verse 32. This Jesus hath God raised up
whereof we all are witnesses. Who are the we all? We all are
witnesses. Who are these witnesses? It's
the apostles. It's the apostles to whom showed himself alive
after his passion by many infallible proofs being seen of them 40
days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of
God. How the Lord time and again reveals himself to them after
his resurrection from the dead. And again remember how Paul speaks
of these various witnesses to the blessed truth of the resurrection
of the Lord Jesus. That 15th chapter in 1 Corinthians
15. He rose again the third day according
to the Scriptures. He was seen of Cephas, then of
the twelve. After that he was seen of above
five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain
unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. after that he
was seen of James and of all the Apostles and last of all
he was seen of me also as of one born out of Utah all these
are they you see who are the witnesses a great multitude of
witnesses to the truth of his resurrection from the dead what
a precious truth it is and having risen from the dead, he is now
ascended. He is ascended on high. If you go and look at the language
that we have here, therefore being by the right hand of God
exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of
the Holy Ghost, he has shed forth this which he now see and hear.
For David is not ascended into the heavens, It's not David who was ascended
into the heavens. David's sepulcher, as Peter says, is still with them. He was the one who was ascended
into heaven. It is the Lord Jesus Christ. And now, we read of that ascension
in the previous chapter. Look at what he says there in
verse 8 in chapter 1. The Lord speaking to them in
verse 8, You shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is
come upon you. You shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and
in all Judea, and in Samaria, and under the uttermost part
of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they
beheld, he was taken up. And a cloud received him out
of their sight now he ascends bodily into heaven and what then? well there he is in heaven it
says at the right hand of God he is exalted by the right hand
of God And the right hand of God, of course, in his exaltation
speaks of the power of God, the right hand. Normally that hand
that does the work, that demonstrates the strength of a man. But he's
not only raised by the power of God, but he is also that one
who is exalted to that place of great favor and blessing. He is at God's right hand. the language of Mark 16 19 so
then after the Lord had spoken unto them he was received up
into heaven and it says sat on the right hand of God or when
he ascends he is received into heaven in the language of Psalm
24 and he sits at God's right hand and all Authority is His. Oh, remember what He says to
His disciples there at the end of Matthew's Gospel, All power,
all authority is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye
therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them
to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. In love
I am with you always. even to the end of the world. All power belongs to him as he
is now that one who is ascended into the heavens and there at
God's right hand. He has that power, that authority
for and on behalf of His people, head over all things to the church,
remember? You know the language of Ephesians
chapter 1? Far above all principality, and
power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named,
not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. And
hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the
head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness
of Him that filleth all in all. What a comfort this is! to the
church of Jesus Christ that poor, that afflicted people that very
little remnant that the Lord Jesus who is their head is that
one who is over all things everything in this world is subject to his
government and he's there at God's right
hand he has power as well as authority the Swami says thou
hast a mighty arm strong is thy hand and high is thy right hand
oh this is that one you see spoken of here in our text by the right
hand of God exalted Again, the psalmist says, the right hand
of the Lord doeth valiantly, the right hand of the Lord is
exalted, the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly. And this
is the Lord Jesus Christ, not only risen but ascending. And
there we see Him in the highest heavens and He is not only at
God's right hand, that place of favour and blessing, He is
also that One who is seated. he sits. verse 34 David is not
ascended into the heavens but he said himself the Lord said
unto my Lord sit thou on my right hand sit thou on my right hand
and how significant is that posture why is he seated because his
work is finished Now I know he ever lives to make
intercession but let us not think that the Lord is there in heaven
as it were constantly on his knees before the throne of God
pleading for his people. That's not his intercession,
his very presence. The fact that he is there and
he is there as the God-man he came from heaven, the eternal
son of the eternal father but he has taken to himself a human
nature, a human body, a human soul and now he has returned
to heaven and he has returned as that God-man and his very
presence there in heaven is a constant prayer on behalf of his people
That great work of redemption that he came to do has now been
accomplished. Again, think of how the Apostle
Paul speaks of the glories of the person of the Lord Jesus
here in Hebrews chapter 1. We read of Him who being the
brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person,
and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had
by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the
Majesty on high. There's the connection you see.
He has done the work. By Himself purged our sins, made
the great sacrifice, accomplished all that the Father had given
Him to do, to redeem His people and now having accomplished that
work He is seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Or did He not utter those words
from the cross, it is finished. It is finished and even previous
to that in John 17 He could say to the Father, I have glorified
Thee on the earth, I have finished the work. which thou gavest me
to do." All that work that was given to him by the Father to
finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make reconciliation
for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness. The exaltation of Christ risen
from the dead, ascended on high, seated at the Father's right
hand. Thirdly, isn't this part of His exaltation when we consider
the gifts that He bestows? All the gifts that He bestows.
Therefore, being by the right hand of God exalted and having
received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath set
forth this which ye now see and hear. What is the Holy Ghost?
When we think of the Holy Spirit He is God of course. He is the
third person in the Trinity we say. But when we think of the
great work of salvation He is the gift of Christ. He is the
gift of Christ. here is that that Christ received
from the Father look at the language in verse 33 having received of
the Father it says the promise of the Holy Ghost we know that
there is that equality in the Godhead three persons God the
Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit the three are one
and they are co-equal there is no priority or inferiority, though
we speak in terms of the first and the second and the third
persons, how else can we speak of three? But we're not suggesting
in any sense that the Son is subordinate to the Father and
that the Spirit is subordinate to the Father and the Son. No,
they are co-equal as they are co-eternal, one God. in three
blessed persons. And here we see the Lord Jesus
Christ as that one whom David clearly recognized to be God. What does he say? He quotes Peter
quotes from the 110th Psalm in verse 34 the Lord said unto my
Lord he is David's Lord or he is David's
son but when we think of him as the eternal son of God he
is also David's Lord and you remember how the Lord Jesus silences
the Pharisees at the end of Matthew 22. Jesus asks them, What think ye
of Christ, whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of
David. That's the Messiah, the Son of David. He saith unto them,
Have end of David in spirit, call him Lord. Saying, The Lord
said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine
enemies thy footstool. If David then call him Lord,
how is he his son? No man was able to answer him
a word, neither does any man from that day forth ask him any
more questions. Now they were always questioning
him, wanting to catch him out as it were, how he silences them.
He is David's Lord. He is God the Eternal Son and
there is God the Eternal Spirit. There is equality in the Godhead,
we are not to forget that and yet What do we see here in the
New Testament? We have the outworking of that
great covenant of grace. Now the Father has purposed the
salvation of sinners. He has made the appointment,
you know the language there in Ephesians chapter 1. Now the
Father has purposed all these things. and it is the Son, who
in that covenant willingly becomes the servant of the Father. And
so in the fullness of the time God sends forth His Son, made
of a woman. And the Son is that One who is
incarnated, it's not God the Father, it's not God the Holy
Spirit, it's God the Son, who becomes a man. And as a man, what does he do?
He purchases, he procures the great blessing of salvation. He comes to serve the Father. My meat is to do the will of
Him that sent me, he says, and to finish his work. Oh, and he
has finished that great work, and then when He has finished
the work, when He has risen from the dead, when He has ascended
on high, when He has entered heaven as the God-man. Now you
see He receives from the Father the promise of the Spirit and
He will shed abroad the Spirit, that's what He is doing. And
the Holy Spirit is to come as that One who is the Spirit of
Christ. Oh, didn't the Lord say as much? It is expedient for you that
I departs if I go not away the Holy Spirit shall not come if
I depart I will send him unto you he was expedient he must
go he must return to heaven this is all the outworking of the
purpose of God this is a great covenant of redemption that is
being worked out and so having received this great gift, he
sheds abroad the Holy Spirit. Now he comes now as that Spirit
of Christ. I love those words that we have
there in that 16th chapter of John where the Lord speaks of
his ministry, the self-effacing ministry of God, the Holy Spirit. What a blessed thing. Verse 13,
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide
you into all truth. For he shall not speak of himself,
but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will
show you things to come. He shall glorify me, for he shall
receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. all Christ you see
received that promise from the Father and so the Lord Jesus
Christ is that one who bestows that that he had received we read Psalm 68 as a lesson earlier
What do we read there concerning Christ? Verse 18, They was ascended
on high. They was led captivity captive.
They was received gifts for men. Yea, for the rebellious all,
so that the Lord God might dwell among them. Blessed be the Lord,
who daily loatheth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah. Oh the Lord is that one
you see, He has ascended on high, He has led captivity captive,
He has vanquished sin and Satan, He has destroyed the power of
death and the grave. That's what He's done. Oh death
where is thy sting? Oh grave where is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin. The strength of sin is the law,
but thanks be to God. O thanks be to God, who giveth
us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Ascending then,
He has led captivity captive, but more, Thou hast received
gifts for men. Yea, for the rebellious also."
Now, the words are taken up in the New Testament. As I'm sure
you're aware, there in Ephesians chapter 4, The Apostle tells
us that that scripture speaks directly concerning the Lord
Jesus Christ. He is the one who was ascended
on high. And for whom has he received gifts? For the rebellious.
For the rebellious, for sinners. And as we said this morning,
even for these Jerusalem sinners. O ye men of Israel! Ye men of Judea! ye that dwell
at Jerusalem ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified
and slain the Lord of glory and yet here is the gospel the first
apostolic preaching of the gospel after the resurrection and the ascension
of the Lord Jesus Christ and to whom Is this gospel being
preached to these sinners? He came unto his own, his own
received him not, and yet the gospel comes to them first. This is just as the Lord had
said back in chapter 1 verse 8, You shall receive power after
that the Holy Ghost is come upon you and you shall be witnesses
unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and
unto the uttermost part of the earth. It all begins at Jerusalem.
gifts received for rebellious men, for sinners, great sinners
can know the salvation of the Lord. And so the Spirit comes. And what does He do when He comes?
Oh, He comes as a convincing Spirit. He comes to work conviction
in the soul of the sinner. That's His office. When He has
come, He will reprove the world of sin and of righteousness,
and of judgment. Oh, there will be that great
work of conviction, you see. Sinners must be brought to see
what they are, where they are, and their needs of the grace
of repentance, the forgiveness of sins. And isn't the Lord Jesus
Christ that One who is exalted? Him has got exalted with His
right hand. It says to be a Prince and a
Saviour to give repentance to Israel. and the forgiveness of
sins. All these things you see that
are bestowed by the Lord Jesus Christ. From where do we obtain
saving faith? From Christ. You want faith tonight,
you tell me I need to know that I've got that faith that is the
genuine faith of God's elect. I want to know that my faith
is true, it's saving faith. you can only obtain it from the
Lord Jesus looking on to Jesus the author and finisher of our
faith by grace are you saved through faith and that right
of yourselves it is the gift of God it is given in Christ,
it is given through Christ you want repentance you must go to
that same person the Prince, the Saviour who gives repentance
to Israel you want the forgiveness of sins you must go to Him but
you see in giving the Holy Spirit oh in giving the Holy Spirit
He gives us all these things He gives us all these things
and this is what we have here in the text having received of
the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost He has shed forth
this which ye now see and hear what is to die? It's the gospel
day, it's the dispensation of the Holy Spirit. When the day
of Pentecost was fully calm, they were all with one accord
in one place and suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of
a rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house where they
were sitting and there appeared unto them cloven tongues like
as a fire and it sat upon each of them and they were all filled
with the Holy Ghost. and began to speak with other
tongues as the Spirit gave the mutterance." Oh, the Spirit has
come. And what is the Spirit? It's
the gift. He is the gift of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ, that
One who is now exalted, that One who has risen from the dead,
ascended on high, who gives gifts to man. but then also we have
mention of the judgment of Christ because Christ who came to be
the savior of sinners is that one who will come again and when
he comes a second time without sin unto salvation it will be
to sit as the judge of men. Verse 35 it says, until I make
thy foes thy footstool. Sit thou on my right hand until
I make thy foes thy footstool. Oh how God hath highly exalted
him and given him a name which is above every name that at the
name of Jesus every knee shall bow of things in heaven and in
earth and things under the earth. and every tongue confess that
He is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. In that day, that
great day of judgment, all will confess Him. And those who are
in unbelief, they will confess and acknowledge Him to be God. But they'll know nothing of that
great salvation that is in Him. He will then come to make that
final separation between the sheep and the goats. Has not
the Father committed all the judgment into His hands? Isn't that what the Lord Himself
declares in John 5? Verse 22, The Father judges no
man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son. Verse 26, As the Father hath
life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself,
and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because
he is the Son of Man. The Father judgeth no man. It
is Christ who is to come in that great, that notable day
of the law. and then he will make the final
separation. Well surely friends the vital
thing is that we know we know him in this day of grace that
we know that blessed ministry of God the Holy Spirit him coming
to us as that Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ coming to bear testimony
in our souls to the Lord Jesus when he is calm says Christ he
will testify of me he will take of mine and will show them unto
you not enough is it that we we see these things written on
the page of holy scripture and we study the word of God and
we believe the word of God all we want these things to be written
on the tables of our hearts we want God the Holy Spirit to come
and to reveal Christ to us and Christ in us what is all our
religion except we know the Holy Spirit that glorious third person
in the Godhead when he comes as the Spirit of Christ and opens
not only our understanding but open our hearts and works that
saving faith in us and we come to trust even in this man, this
one who is the great subject matter of Peter's preaching,
of the preaching of all the apostles. They preach Christ, Christ in
his person, Christ in his work, Christ crucified, Christ risen
again from the dead, Christ ascended on high. Christ, that One who
in heaven is yet and always the only Saviour of sinners, the
only Name under heaven given amongst men, whereby we must
be saved. O God, grant that we might know
more and more in that gracious, Christ-exalting ministry of the
Holy Spirit. Amen.