Unstoppable! 'The Messiah's Resurrection' — Acts 2:29-31

Thursday, February 1, 2024

Merry Christmas!

We pray the Lord blesses you with the grace of Jesus' presence this Christmas!

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[Referring to David's prophecy he just quoted, Peter continued his sermon:] "Dear brothers, think about this! You can be sure that the patriarch David wasn't referring to himself, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is still here among us. But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised with an oath that one of David's own descendants would sit on his throne. David was looking into the future and speaking of the Messiah's resurrection. He was saying that God would not leave him among the dead or allow his body to rot in the grave."
— Acts 2:29-31 NLT

Key Thought

Before a once-skeptical crowd, Peter courageously announced not only that Jesus promised he would rise from the dead but that, centuries earlier, King David also prophesied the Messiah's resurrection. Peter stood before this crowd at Pentecost and offered four reasons to believe in Jesus' resurrection:
  1. The apostles and disciples had seen the resurrected Jesus in bodily form.
  2. The disciples changed from being afraid to being courageous.
  3. The Spirit came upon them and gave them the ability to speak in other languages, so people heard them in their native languages.
  4. King David prophesied that the Messiah's body would never see decay but would live again.
The crowd was not asked to believe in Jesus' resurrection without evidence. Neither are we. We can point to the reasons Peter gave and add our own: We've experienced Jesus' presence, we've read the testimony of Scripture, and we have seen the enduring power of Jesus' message!

Today's Prayer

O Father, I believe that you raised Jesus from the dead and that he still lives. Please be with those that I know who have a hard time believing. I ask, Lord Jesus, that you reveal yourself to these friends and open their eyes to your presence. I want them to experience what those who were saved on the day of Pentecost experienced. I want them to be saved and to live for you. I ask this because of your grace and for your glory. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

  • 1 Peter 1:3-11
  • 1 Corinthians 15:1-7

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Illustration

Illustration of Acts 2:29-31 NLT — [Referring to David's prophecy he just quoted, Peter continued his sermon:] "Dear brothers, think about this! You can be sure that the patriarch David wasn't referring to himself, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is still here among us. But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised with an oath that one of David's own descendants would sit on his throne. David was looking into the future and speaking of the Messiah's resurrection. He was saying that God would not leave him among the dead or allow his body to rot in the grave."

About This Devotional

Unstoppable! is a one-year devotional guide through the book of Acts. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage, a reflection and a prayer. The reflection opens up the day's scripture and shows how it challenges one to live for Jesus.

Unstoppable! is written by Phil Ware.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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