Let us turn once again to the
Word of God in the chapter that we read in Acts. Acts chapter
2 and considering in particular this morning the words that we
find here in verses 22, 23 and 24. Acts chapter 2, 22 to 24. Ye men of Israel, 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, in
being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God, ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. Whom God hath raised up having
loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that he should
be holden of it. It's interesting how in this
record that we have of the preaching of Peter on that day of Pentecost
we see in a sense how very personal he is in his address to the congregation. in verse 14 where he begins we
read Peter standing up with the eleven lifted up his voice and
said unto them ye men of Judea and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem
and then here in the text that I've announced, verse 22, he
says, ye men of Israel, hear these words. And then again,
if we consider the language that he uses at verse 29, he addresses
them as men and brethren. And then finally, He speaks to
all the house of Israel. He is addressing them in a very
personal and a very particular fashion. And it's interesting
that we should have this record. We have very little in the way
of record with regards to the actual content of the sermons
that were preached by the apostles. But we do have this record concerning
Peter, in Acts chapter 2, similarly of course in chapter 13 we have
the record of a sermon preached by Paul at Antioch in Pisidia
and then also some detail in Acts 17 of Peter's preaching
at Athens. But here we have this record
then of Peter and in many ways it seems that he takes for his
text the prophecy of Joel. In verse 16 he speaks of that
which was spoken by the prophet Joel. And then he quotes an extensive
passage from the end of Joel chapter 2. And interestingly,
whereas at the end of that particular chapter, Joel uses the expression
afterwards as we have it in our authorized version. Whereas here
we see how Peter interprets that expression afterwards. Verse
17, he says it shall come to pass in the last days. He interprets the expression
afterward that we find in Joel 2.32 as the last days. He sees then
that what is spoken of by the Prophet there is actually being
fulfilled in his day. He's fulfilled with the coming
of the Lord Jesus Christ and his life, his death, his resurrection,
and now the outpouring of the Spirit. This is introducing us
to that last great period of history, the last days, the day
of grace. the Gospel day. All remember
the language of the Apostle Paul in 2nd Corinthians 6.2, I have
heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation away
succor thee. Behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. And how these Apostles, Peter
here in particular, is very mindful that this is that period that
great prophecy of Joel there at the end of that second chapter
in the book of Joel is now being fulfilled and these are indeed
the last days and so we find Peter preaching this remarkable
sermon and we see how the sermon really centers in the person
of Jesus of Nazareth. It centers in the man, Christ
Jesus. And that's what we have really
here in the words that I announced just now for our text. Verse
22, Ye men of Israel, 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 you yourselves also
know him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge
of God ye have taken him by wicked hands of crucified and slain
whom God hath raised up having loosed the pains of death because
it was not possible that he should be holden of it." Oh, it all
centers us this sermon when we read it, it centers in this particular
man in the man Christ Jesus now in the context of course we have
the coming of the Holy Spirit remember in the course of the
Lord's own ministry back in John chapter 7 where we see him preaching
there in the temple in Jerusalem. John tells us the Spirit was
not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified. That doesn't
mean there was no ministry of the Holy Spirit at that time
or previous to that. We know the Holy Spirit was there
in the Old Testament. Those holy men of God, the prophets,
they spake as they were moved by the Spirit. In Psalm 51, David
cries out, take not thy Holy Spirit from them. But what is
being said there in the seventh chapter of John concerning the
spirits not being given because Jesus was not yet glorified,
the reference is to that glorious coming, that great outpouring
of the Spirit that we have here in Acts chapter 2. The coming
in state, as it were, of the Holy Spirit after Christ had
accompanied His great work. Now, The detail of the coming
of the Spirit is of course covered here in the opening part of the
chapter from verse 1 through to verse 13 and we have this
remarkable manifestation in that these apostles who were really
unlearned men are able to speak in other languages. There are
a multitude of people there at Jerusalem. It is the the Feast
of Pentecost, or the Feast of Weeks. It's that feast that was
associated with the in-gathering of the harvest in Israel, and
Jews and Jewish proselytes have come together from various parts
of that Mediterranean area. Parthians, Medes, Elamites, dwellers
in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia
and so forth. A great multitude of people are
gathered together and as the Spirit is poured out upon these
apostles they are preaching, they are speaking to these people
in their own languages. Now, the detail is covered there
then in the opening 13 verses. But then, we observe how from
verse 14 through to verse 40 we have the
record in particular of the sermon that was preached by Peter really
twice as much time is given over to the account of Peter's sermon twice as much as was given over
to the account of the coming in state of the Spirit. And what is the subject matter
of Peter's preaching? It's not so much the Holy Spirit,
it's the Lord Jesus Christ, it's His man. Ye men of Israel, hear
these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you. Oh, when the Spirit comes, you
see, He has that self-effacing ministry, as the Lord says, there
in In John 16 when He has come He does not speak of Himself,
He takes of the things of Christ. The great emphasis then is upon
the preaching and the subject matter of the preaching is the
Lord Jesus Christ, this man. The reality of the incarnation
that God was manifest in the flesh, this remarkable person
called Jesus of Nazareth, a real man. Oh remember how there were
those not many decades later who would be denying the reality
of the human nature of the Lord Jesus and how The Apostle John
is that one who constantly asserts the truth of the human nature
as well as the divine nature in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. Think of the language that we
have there in 1st John chapter 4 and verse 3. He says, Every
spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh
is not of God and this is that spirit of Antichrist. O Jesus
Christ, the Christ, the Messiah is come in the flesh, Jesus of
Nazareth, the man, the proof of God. And how John knew the
reality of that human nature, that which was from the beginning,
he says, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes,
which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the
word of life. for the life was manifested and we have seen it
and declare unto you that eternal life which was with the father
and was manifested unto us the Lord Jesus how intimate John
was with him leaning there upon his bosom when Christ instituted
that holy supper of the Lord all the man Christ Jesus this
is what Peter also preaches and so as we come to consider in
particular this morning these verses 22 through to 24 I want
to mention three particular things now that the Lord Jesus Christ
is here seen to be that one who is approved of God how he was
approved of God owned and acknowledged by God and yet how he was delivered
up unto death and then thirdly how on the third
day he was raised again from the dead. Preaching then the
Lord Jesus Christ as we have him set before us in Peter's
sermon. First of all how he is that one
who is approved of God We read of 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. Here we see the significance
of the works of the Lord Jesus Christ. that ministry that he
exercises, that great compassion that he shows to men, who are
suffering, of course, all the consequences of sin. What is the result of Adam and
Eve's transgression there in the Garden of Eden? Or the awful
consequence, of course, is sickness, and ultimately death itself.
And here is that one who comes as the last Adam. And what a ministry! And how
in that ministry, as the Lord is pleased to grant healings
to men and women and children, how we have a manifestation of
His Godhood. All His Godhead is revealed there
in the works that He performs, the miracles. I think for example
of what we are told concerning that occasion when he raises
to life the the widow of Nain's son recorded in Luke chapter
7 there we have the account how
they are taking that dead body to bury it and the Lord goes
up to the buyer and he speaks to the dead and raises that young
man to life again. And we're told there came fear
on all and they glorified God, saying that a great prophet had
risen up and that God had visited his people. Oh, they recognize
that God is there. God has visited his people This
is God approving of the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ by these
miracles. Why? In Him dwelleth all the
fullness of the Godhead bodily. And there is a manifestation
now in the performance of such a miracle as to raise a young
man to life again. And the people must acknowledge
it. Fear comes upon them. God is glorified. God is approving
then of the Lord by miracles, he says, and by wonders. Why, when the apostles here speak
to those who were at Jerusalem in their own languages, what
is it that they're speaking of? Well, they they tell us there
at verse 11 we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful
works of God the wonderful works of God the Lord Jesus is that
man approved of God not only by miracles but also by wonders
I suppose really these words miracles, wonders, signs they're
all synonyms, they're all speaking of that remarkable ministry that
was exercised by the Lord Jesus But as there were mighty works,
as there were miracles being performed, things that were above
what is the normal pattern of things in nature, so these were
wondrous things. But remember what we are told
in prophecy concerning this man of whom Peter is speaking in
his sermon? He is that one promised back
in Isaiah chapter 9, unto us a child is born, unto us a son
is given, and his name shall be called Wonderful. That's part and parcel of his
name, Wonderful. No surprise then that this man
who bears such a name should do such wondrous works. And God is in this, approving
by miracles and wonders and signs. Now, as you know, we've said
it many times there in John's Gospel, the particular word that
is constantly used and translated in our authorized version as
miracle, is really the Greek word for a sign. And so, when we read of the first
miracle, in John 2, this beginning of miracles, this beginning of
signs. Did Jesus in Cana of Galilee
and manifested forth His glory and His disciples believed on
Him. He is manifesting His glory,
this is a sign, this is pointing to the fact that He is that One
who is the Messiah. He is that One who is spoken
of back in Isaiah 9, the Child born, the Son, the Eternal Son
of God, given. In the fullness of the time God
sends forth His Son, made of a woman. He is that One who is
called, wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting
Father, the Prince of Peace. And His disciples believe when
they see that sign, that miracle of turning the water into wine. Why even one of the Pharisees
must acknowledge Him. Remember the words of Nicodemus
there at the beginning of John 3. We know, says Nicodemus, we
know that thou art a teacher come from God. No man can do
these works that thou doest except God be with him. And where were these works done? well look at the language here
at the end of verse 22 which God did by him in the midst of
you in the midst of you ye men of Israel as ye yourselves also
know when later in chapter 26 we find Paul before King Agrippa
he states quite boldly the This thing, he says, was not done
in a corner. All these things were done openly. Now, throughout the public ministry
of the Lord Jesus Christ, God is owning His Son. This is my beloved Son, He says,
that He's baptizing, in whom I am well pleased. And now the
Father owns Him and acknowledges Him. a man approved of God among
you by miracles and wonders and signs which God did buy him in
the midst of you as you yourselves also know. Or Peter could not
be any plainer as he sets before them those glories that belong
unto Jesus of Nazareth. Every evidence is there that
this is that one who is indeed the promised Messiah. but then
we see as he continues to speak of the man how that he was delivered
to death verse 23 him being delivered
by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God ye have
taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain And we observe two things here
with regards to the death of Jesus Christ. We have the deeds
of men and yet we also have the accomplishment of God's decree. How these two things come together.
And the fact that God is sovereign does not in any sense suggest
to us that these people who have crucified the Lord of Glory are
not culpable in their sin. Firstly, then, consider the deeds
of men. He says, "...ye have taken, and
by wicked hands have crucified and slain." Who is he speaking
to? when he says in verse 22, ye
men of Israel hear these words why remember the beginning of
the sermon verse 14, ye men of Judea and all ye that dwell in
Jerusalem, he is addressing himself in particular to the Jewish nation
and all those who are identifying with the Jewish religion not
only Jews but also proselytes, Gentiles who have converted and
profess the religion of Israel, they are there at Jerusalem on
the day of Pentecost. That's what we are told in those
opening verses, we have so much detail. There were dwelling at
Jerusalem, it says, Jews, devout men out of every nation under
heaven. Jews and proselytes we read there
at verse 10 and it sees it sees that Peter refers
to quite definitely at the end of this 23rd verse ye have taken
and by wicked hands have crucified and slain how favoured, how favoured this
nation was doesn't God say by the prophet Amos to Israel you
only have I know of all the families of the earth what a blessed people
they were how God had set his love upon them not because they
were more numerous than any of the other nations but it was
all an act of God's absolute sovereignty The psalmist says,
"...he showeth his word unto Jacob, his statutes, and his
judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any
nation. As for his judgments, they have
not known them." That is the other nations. Praise ye the
Lord. How blessed these people were. Paul says they were Israelites.
to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants,
and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises,
whose are the Father's, and of whom as concerning the flesh
Christ came, who is over all God blessed forever." So highly
favored and blessed, and yet they were the very ones
who rejected Him. He came unto His own, and His
own received Him not. The deeds of men. They demanded
His execution, crucify Him, crucify Him. Or they would choose Barabbas,
the robber, the murderer, in preference to the Lord of glory. And yet, How strange it is that the Gospel must come first
to this people. This is the grace of God. This
is the grace of God. Think of the words of the Lord
Jesus at the end of Luke's Gospel, just previous to his ascension,
his work was completed, he was risen again from the dead, he
was about to ascend to heaven. And what does he say there to
his disciples, our repentance and remission of sins should
be preached in His name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem."
The Gospel is first preached to these who are guilty of the
death of the Lord Jesus Christ. That sermon of John Bunyan that
Jerusalem sinners say. All such is the grace of God.
that is the remarkable thing that God comes to those who are
most undeserving where sin abounds grace does so much more abound
the deeds of men than they were culpable they were guilty here
they were worthy of an eternal judgment They were the murderers
of the Lord of Glory. Ye have taken, and by wicked
hands have crucified and slain. They'll wonder as the Spirit
works in their hearts. They're brought to acknowledge
at the end. Men and brethren, what shall
we do? For how the Spirit, you see,
cut them. They heard this, they were pricked
in their heart, it says. They were convinced of what they
had done by that gracious ministry of God the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus Christ delivered
to death. But though it was those Jews
that were guilty, yet it's all part of the great purpose of
God. Him, it says, being delivered
by the determinate counsel and for knowledge of God. What do we say when we come to
read the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ? We have a fourfold gospel
in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. But of course the whole of the
New Testament is really all gospel. It all
centers in the Lord Jesus Christ, but not only the New Testament,
even the Old Testament. Christ is set before us there
in type, in figure, in prophecy. He says to the Jews, search the
Scriptures, these are they which testify of me, and he's referring
to the Old Testament Scriptures. But what is it that we see here? We have the outworking of the
eternal covenant of grace that's what we see when we come
to the Word of God that's what we come to when we turn in particular
to to the New Testament Scriptures it's God's purpose that eternal
purpose we're told quite clearly are we not there in Galatians
4 when the fullness of the time was come Or there was a time that God
Himself had ordained before the creation of the world, a very
particular and specific point in time, the fullness of the
time, and when that time came, God sent forth His Son, made
of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under
the law, that they might receive the adoption of sons. It's all
there you see in the language of the Apostle in Galatians 4
verses 4 and 5. The time of the Lord's coming
is for ordains. That He is to be born of a woman. He is the seed of the woman. We go right back to Genesis chapter
3. the seed of the woman and so he must be born of a woman
he has no human father because that conception in the womb of
a virgin is by the Holy Ghost the Holy Ghost shall come upon
them the power of the Highest shall overshadow them therefore
also that Holy thing that shall be born of the Ameren shall be
called the Son of God And as the time of his birth
is the fulfillment of God's purpose so, also with regards to the
hour of his death. There were those occasions, we
have them mentioned, particularly in John's account, John's Gospel,
in John 7.30 and 8.20, occasions when the Jews were so bent upon
his death They accused him of blasphemy because he made himself
the Son of God, they said. All they recognized to call himself
the Son of God was to claim equality with the Father. And this was
blasphemy in their eyes, and they would have stoned him to
death, but we're told his hour was not yet come. His hour was
not yet come. There was an hour. that God himself had appointed.
And so what do we read when the time was come? Oh, look at the language there,
Luke 9, 51. When the time was come that he
should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem. There was such a determination.
He knew these things. Oh, he knew these things. To
everything there is a season, a time to every purpose unto
heaven, a time to be born, a time to die. Oh, there was a time
when He must die. He would be obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross. This was the whole point and
purpose of His coming into this world. He is made of a woman,
He is made under the law. He must answer to the Lord of
God, and He must answer that Lord of God in terms of all His
commandments. He must fulfill it, He must obey
all the precepts of God. He must live that life of complete
and utter obedience in thought, in word and deed, and so He did.
Holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, made higher than
the heavens, all he's made under the law, he's subject to that
law how he magnifies it, how he honours it but not only in
respect to the precepts the obedience of a sinless life but also in
respect to all its terrible terrible penalties he must suffer you
see as that substitutes He must bear in his own person that punishment
that the Lord demands us all that sinners shall die. The wages
of sin is death. Oh, he's no sinner at all, he's
the sinless one, but he is the sinner's substitute. And he'll
die in the sinner's place. This is what's being worked out
here. All those things that were foreshadowed
and prophesied in the Old Testament. In every detail, everything must
have its accomplishment in Him. And remember, how he does speak
of these things in that 24th chapter of Luke's
Gospel, speaking to those two on the road to Emmaus. Oh fools, he says. O fools and
slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken!
Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into
His glory? And beginning at Moses and all
the Prophets, He expanded unto them in all the Scriptures the
things concerning Himself." Moses and the Prophets, that's all
the types all the Levitical sacrifices as well as all the prophecies
and then later to the rest of the disciples there in verse
44 of Luke 24 He says, these are the words which I spoke unto
you while I was yet with you that all things must be fulfilled
which were written in the law of Moses and in the Prophets,
and in the Psalms concerning mercy. Then opened he their understanding,
that they might understand the Scriptures. And said unto them,
Thus it is written, And thus it behold Christ to suffer, and
to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and
remission of sin should be preached in his name among all nations,
beginning at Jerusalem. And that's what we have, the
fulfillment of verse 47. What is it that Peter is preaching? Repentance and the remission
of sins. It all begins at Jerusalem. For thou, the Lord, you see,
must open their understandings. Oh, that the Lord would open
our understandings, friends. That we might really understand
these things. Not just in that intellectual
way. in the very depths of our being
to know that we have an interest in these things to know that
this one Jesus of Nazareth a man approved of God is that one who
is our Saviour and we confess him as our Lord and our God or
we see him then as that one who is delivered to death, and delivered
to death in fulfillment of the purpose of God, but delivered
to death for sinners, even Jerusalem sinners. And then finally we
see Him also as that one who is raised again from the dead. Verse 24, Whom God hath raised
up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible
that He should be holden of it. Oh, it was not possible that
he should be holden of it. Ought not Christ to die, he says,
and to enter into his glory? Why, the cross is the way to
the crown. The cross is the way to the crown.
He must first suffer and bleed and die and then For when he
has accomplished all that great work of redemption, then the
resurrection, then the ascension, then the session at the Father's
right hand, and then again in the fullness of the time is coming
again in power and glory, when he will present to his Father
that church that is complete, entire in every part, no spot,
no wrinkle, no blemish, or we must enter into His glory. Whom God hath raised up. What
we have here in this sermon of Peter's is the
first preaching of the resurrection of the dead. This is that great
message you see that the apostles must proclaim. Whom God hath
raised up. Look at what we're told in the
previous chapter. Remember how that Judas Iscariot
was one of the twelve, he had betrayed the Lord and there must
be one to replace him. That's what we see there at the
end of that opening chapter of the Acts. And there are these
two men Joseph called Barthabas, Sir
Nanjustus and Matthias and they pray and then the choice falls upon
Matthias with the casting of the lot but why is it significant? what is the point and purpose
of the ministry of these twelve Well we're told, verse 21, Wherefore
of these men which have accompanied with us all the time that the
Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism
of John unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must
one be ordained to be a witness with us of the resurrection.
There is the apostolic ministry they are those who are witnesses
of his resurrection. Or did he not show himself alive
after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty
days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of
God? Verse 3 there in chapter 1. The apostles are witnesses
to the truth of his resurrection. And in many ways we see that
as the great theme of the apostolic ministry. Even Paul, when he
comes to defend himself, because there were those at Corinth who
were opposed to him, there were those false teachers who had
moved in and turned the hearts of so many from the apostles.
And when he appeals to his authority there in 1 Corinthians 9, what
does he say? Am I not an apostle? Have I not
seen Jesus Christ our Lord? And remember the language that
we have also at the beginning of chapter 15 in 1 Corinthians? He with those other apostles
is a witness to the resurrection, he says, as is one born out of
due time. Time and again we see these apostles
speaking of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. In chapter 4, as they spoke unto
the people, the priest and the captain of the temple and the
Sadducees came upon them, being grieved that they taught the
people and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. Again, verse 33, with great power
gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord
Jesus and great grace was upon them all. All constantly then
we see them preaching, proclaiming that Jesus of Nazareth died,
yes, but Jesus of Nazareth also rose again from the dead and
the record that we have there in Acts 17 concerning Paul's
preaching in Athens, "...he seemeth to be a set-aforth
of strange gods," they said, "...because he preached unto
them Jesus and the resurrection." What do we read here in the verses
that follow? Verse 24, whom God hath raised
up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible
that he should be holden of it. For David speaketh concerning
him. And then we have that quotation
from Psalm 16. I foresaw the Lord always before
my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved. Therefore did 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, neither wilt thou
suffer thine holy one to see corruption. Thou hast made known
to me the ways of life, and thou shalt make me full of joy with
thy countenance. So he quotes the psalm and then
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. Well, David is not speaking of
himself. David is speaking of his greatest son, Psalm 16, his
Messianic. Thou wilt not leave my soul in
hell, that is, in Hades, in the place of the dead, neither wilt
thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. It was not possible. It was not possible that he should
be holden of death. He could see no corruption at
all. that human nature that was conceived
in Mary's womb by the Holy Ghost was perfect and impeccable, it
was impossible that you should ever see him. He could never
see any corruption at all. Oh, the first man is of the earth,
earthy, the second man is the Lord from heaven. And this is the man, you see,
that is being preached. a man. The men of Israel hear
these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God. Oh, this is that sinless man. Oh, what does Pilate say at that
mock trial? Behold the man. Oh friends, he
is the man, the first was made a living soul, the last
Adam was made a quickening spirit, he is that one declared to be
the son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by
the resurrection from the dead he is risen, he is ascended all
power, all authority belongs unto him look at the language
that we find later Chapter 5, verse 30, the God of our fathers
raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath
God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour,
to give repentance to Israel and the forgiveness of sins.
How we have to look to Him. A Prince, a Saviour. Oh, where
do we obtain repentance? Where do we obtain faith? It's
all Jesus, looking on to Jesus, the author and finisher of our
faith. You want faith, you want repentance, we have to come to
Him. Even this man, Christ Jesus, the one approved of God, the
only name under heaven given amongst men, whereby we must
be saved. This is the great subject matter,
I say to you, of the apostolic preaching. Ye men of Israel,
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, ye have taken, and by
wicked hands have crucified and slain, whom God hath raised up
having loosed the pines of death because it was not possible that
he should be olden of it. May the Lord bless his word to
us. Amen. We're going to omit verses 5
and 6. And the tune is Diademata, number
77. Christians, dismiss your fear,
let hope and joy succeed, for great good news, with gladness
here, the Lord is risen indeed. Now, 487 omitting verses 5 and
6.