Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
God by mighty power raised Jesus up, loosing the pains of death and ending His imprisonment in the tomb by calling Him to come forth. It was not possible for death to hold Him because He was the divine Son of God in whom no sin tainted His character, so where righteousness reigns death loses its grip and Satan's claim on Him as prey was defeated as triumphant Conqueror. This is Peter's Spirit-inspired Pentecost proclamation to the multitudes assembled at Jerusalem, boldly testifying to those who rejected Jesus and demanded His crucifixion that His death within God's foreknown purpose and His resurrection are the decisive proof of salvation through the mercy and sacrifice of the Son of God. Peter shows it fulfilled both Jesus' own foretelling that He would be crucified and rise on the third day and David's prophecy that the Holy One would not be left among the dead to see corruption, which concerned Christ and not David who died and was buried. It guarantees hope for the faithful dead who sleep in their graves and will not be held forever but will be called out at Christ's return to rise to crowns of glory, while the same Spirit who brought three thousand souls to repentance in one day now sends believers to proclaim Him as the risen Prince of Life exalted at God's right hand.
Words and Pentecost Setting
The saying stands in Peter's Spirit-inspired proclamation on the day of Pentecost of the risen Saviour to the multitudes assembled at Jerusalem for a great religious festival. It was given after the disciples obeyed Jesus not to depart from Jerusalem until they received the promise of the Father, spending several days together with one accord confessing their sins and praying for the Holy Spirit. They were then filled with the Holy Ghost with power to be witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea, and to the uttermost parts of the earth, and Peter with the other witnesses testified that God had raised Christ from the dead.
It is bold testimony about Christ directed to those who had rejected Him and demanded His crucifixion. His death and resurrection are set forth there as the decisive proof, for God raised Jesus from the dead after He was crucified, and death could not hold Him. In that Pentecost preaching the mystery of the cross and other truths about the Messiah were explained, so that many became converts to Christ. The apostles proclaimed His teaching while unfolding the plan of salvation through the mercy and sacrifice of the Son of God.
His crucifixion took place through wicked human actions within God's foreknown purpose, and God raised Him from the dead and released Him from death's hold. Death could not keep Him because His resurrection was certain, following that foreknown purpose despite the people's crucifixion of Him, and fulfilling the prophecies of the Messiah. He Himself had told His disciples that He would be crucified and rise on the third day, so that refusal to believe the report of His rising is unbelief in what He had already foretold.
Peter joins the resurrection to David's prophecy that the Holy One would not be left among the dead or see corruption. He explains that this word concerned Christ and not David himself, who died and was buried. The disciples witnessed that God raised Jesus, and His resurrection is the foundation of their eyewitness testimony and their bold preaching of the truth about Him.
Christ's Victory Over Death
God by mighty power raised Jesus up, loosing the pains of death and releasing Him from death's hold, so that His resurrection was certain. The Father ended His imprisonment in the tomb by calling Him to come forth. It was not possible for death to hold Him because He was the divine Son of God, in whom sin was absent and no sin tainted His character. Where righteousness reigns and sin is gone, death loses its grip. He rose as triumphant conqueror, and His rising defeated Satan's claim on Him as prey, whereas had He sinned He would have remained in the tomb and the guilty world would have perished.
His enemies had sealed and guarded His tomb to prevent His body from being taken, yet His resurrection triumphed over death and was a public demonstration of God's power. At the Father's call a mighty angel rolled away the stone while the Roman guards witnessed the event and fell as dead men, having no power to stop it. Jesus arose and walked out as a victorious conqueror. Angels worshiped the risen conqueror with songs of victory and triumph, because death could hold its divine captive no longer.
The risen, crucified Jesus is thus confirmed to be the resurrection and the life, divine, the Prince of Life, now exalted at God's right hand. His resurrection gave the disciples gladness and triumph rather than sorrow and defeat. The empty tomb is evidence that the Saviour is alive, going before His people and working with them.
Hope and Present Calling
Because He was raised and death could not hold Him, the faithful dead have sure hope in their own resurrection. They do not go at once to heaven when they die, but sleep and rest in their graves for a time until Christ returns to raise them and call them out. Sin was absent in Him, and where righteousness reigns and sin is gone death loses its grip, so as death could not hold Him it will not hold them forever, for their deliverance and resurrection are near. Even if believers lose their lives as the disciples did, they will rise from the dead through Christ and receive crowns of glory.
Belonging to the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and they went out and preached the Word everywhere, the verse sets forth Jesus lifted up and exalted by God. The Spirit unfolded and glorified Him before eyes that before saw no beauty in Him that they should desire Him, and that great and mighty subject, preached with tremendous effect in the demonstration of the Spirit, brought three thousand souls to repentance in one day. That preaching carried power to give repentance and forgiveness of sins, and explained the mystery of the cross and other truths about the Messiah so that many became converts to Christ and thousands were converted in a day. His glorious inner beauties of work and character are not discerned with natural eyes but only as the Spirit quickens.
As part of the second chapter of Acts it is to be read and received and presented to others, teaching deeper piety and the sincere meekness of Christ. It calls each person to humble the heart and be converted daily. Believers are to cherish that apostolic love in tender, thoughtful, self-denying communion with saints and willing sacrifice for the truth, to go forward in willing obedience united closely to Christ, and to magnify the power of a Saviour who justifies them by His righteousness. After the descent of the Holy Spirit the disciples went forth to proclaim Him as a risen Saviour with the one desire of saving souls, revealing in holy words and deeds the love Christ commanded in order to awaken that love in other hearts. The empty tomb is evidence that the Saviour is alive, going before His people and working with them as they share the Scriptures and proclaim freedom and the Word of life. Sinners are to be converted and believers have a part in it by receiving the self-denying life of Christ, taking the Bible from house to house and reading to people, awake from stupor and indifference and active in this judgment hour.
God by mighty power raised Jesus up, loosing the pains of death and ending His imprisonment in the tomb by calling Him to come forth. It was not possible for death to hold Him because He was the divine Son of God in whom no sin tainted His character, so where righteousness reigns death loses its grip and Satan's claim on Him as prey was defeated as triumphant Conqueror. This is Peter's Spirit-inspired Pentecost proclamation to the multitudes assembled at Jerusalem, boldly testifying to those who rejected Jesus and demanded His crucifixion that His death within God's foreknown purpose and His resurrection are the decisive proof of salvation through the mercy and sacrifice of the Son of God. Peter shows it fulfilled both Jesus' own foretelling that He would be crucified and rise on the third day and David's prophecy that the Holy One would not be left among the dead to see corruption, which concerned Christ and not David who died and was buried. It guarantees hope for the faithful dead who sleep in their graves and will not be held forever but will be called out at Christ's return to rise to crowns of glory, while the same Spirit who brought three thousand souls to repentance in one day now sends believers to proclaim Him as the risen Prince of Life exalted at God's right hand.
Words and Pentecost Setting
The saying stands in Peter's Spirit-inspired proclamation on the day of Pentecost of the risen Saviour to the multitudes assembled at Jerusalem for a great religious festival. It was given after the disciples obeyed Jesus not to depart from Jerusalem until they received the promise of the Father, spending several days together with one accord confessing their sins and praying for the Holy Spirit. They were then filled with the Holy Ghost with power to be witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea, and to the uttermost parts of the earth, and Peter with the other witnesses testified that God had raised Christ from the dead.
It is bold testimony about Christ directed to those who had rejected Him and demanded His crucifixion. His death and resurrection are set forth there as the decisive proof, for God raised Jesus from the dead after He was crucified, and death could not hold Him. In that Pentecost preaching the mystery of the cross and other truths about the Messiah were explained, so that many became converts to Christ. The apostles proclaimed His teaching while unfolding the plan of salvation through the mercy and sacrifice of the Son of God.
His crucifixion took place through wicked human actions within God's foreknown purpose, and God raised Him from the dead and released Him from death's hold. Death could not keep Him because His resurrection was certain, following that foreknown purpose despite the people's crucifixion of Him, and fulfilling the prophecies of the Messiah. He Himself had told His disciples that He would be crucified and rise on the third day, so that refusal to believe the report of His rising is unbelief in what He had already foretold.
Peter joins the resurrection to David's prophecy that the Holy One would not be left among the dead or see corruption. He explains that this word concerned Christ and not David himself, who died and was buried. The disciples witnessed that God raised Jesus, and His resurrection is the foundation of their eyewitness testimony and their bold preaching of the truth about Him.
Christ's Victory Over Death
God by mighty power raised Jesus up, loosing the pains of death and releasing Him from death's hold, so that His resurrection was certain. The Father ended His imprisonment in the tomb by calling Him to come forth. It was not possible for death to hold Him because He was the divine Son of God, in whom sin was absent and no sin tainted His character. Where righteousness reigns and sin is gone, death loses its grip. He rose as triumphant conqueror, and His rising defeated Satan's claim on Him as prey, whereas had He sinned He would have remained in the tomb and the guilty world would have perished.
His enemies had sealed and guarded His tomb to prevent His body from being taken, yet His resurrection triumphed over death and was a public demonstration of God's power. At the Father's call a mighty angel rolled away the stone while the Roman guards witnessed the event and fell as dead men, having no power to stop it. Jesus arose and walked out as a victorious conqueror. Angels worshiped the risen conqueror with songs of victory and triumph, because death could hold its divine captive no longer.
The risen, crucified Jesus is thus confirmed to be the resurrection and the life, divine, the Prince of Life, now exalted at God's right hand. His resurrection gave the disciples gladness and triumph rather than sorrow and defeat. The empty tomb is evidence that the Saviour is alive, going before His people and working with them.
Hope and Present Calling
Because He was raised and death could not hold Him, the faithful dead have sure hope in their own resurrection. They do not go at once to heaven when they die, but sleep and rest in their graves for a time until Christ returns to raise them and call them out. Sin was absent in Him, and where righteousness reigns and sin is gone death loses its grip, so as death could not hold Him it will not hold them forever, for their deliverance and resurrection are near. Even if believers lose their lives as the disciples did, they will rise from the dead through Christ and receive crowns of glory.
Belonging to the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and they went out and preached the Word everywhere, the verse sets forth Jesus lifted up and exalted by God. The Spirit unfolded and glorified Him before eyes that before saw no beauty in Him that they should desire Him, and that great and mighty subject, preached with tremendous effect in the demonstration of the Spirit, brought three thousand souls to repentance in one day. That preaching carried power to give repentance and forgiveness of sins, and explained the mystery of the cross and other truths about the Messiah so that many became converts to Christ and thousands were converted in a day. His glorious inner beauties of work and character are not discerned with natural eyes but only as the Spirit quickens.
As part of the second chapter of Acts it is to be read and received and presented to others, teaching deeper piety and the sincere meekness of Christ. It calls each person to humble the heart and be converted daily. Believers are to cherish that apostolic love in tender, thoughtful, self-denying communion with saints and willing sacrifice for the truth, to go forward in willing obedience united closely to Christ, and to magnify the power of a Saviour who justifies them by His righteousness. After the descent of the Holy Spirit the disciples went forth to proclaim Him as a risen Saviour with the one desire of saving souls, revealing in holy words and deeds the love Christ commanded in order to awaken that love in other hearts. The empty tomb is evidence that the Saviour is alive, going before His people and working with them as they share the Scriptures and proclaim freedom and the Word of life. Sinners are to be converted and believers have a part in it by receiving the self-denying life of Christ, taking the Bible from house to house and reading to people, awake from stupor and indifference and active in this judgment hour.