Presumably having
had time to reflect upon the events recorded in this chapter, Peter, as a key -
if dishonourable and culpable - player in those events, gave his own
Spirit-inspired commentary to all that happened on the first 'Good Friday' when
preaching to the Pentecost crowd in Jerusalem: he said, "Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles,
wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.
This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and
you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the
cross" (Acts 2:22-23).
God's plan and
foreknowledge, but human, murderous intent and guilt of the most horrific and
sinful kind. This paradox cannot be untangled.
None of the characters on the stage of world redemption is without
excuse. Feeble Pilate (23:1-7),
frivolous Herod (v8-12), mutinous Israel (v13-25), not forgetting treacherous
Judas (22:3-4) or remorseful Peter (22:60-62) and the rest of the faithless
disciples (Mark 14:50). And me, and you,
if we had have been there… God's plan, but our salvation, our only hope.
And yet,
interestingly, Luke does not tell us this. He has no 'theology of the cross' to
explain the eternal significance of what Jesus was experiencing as he hung in
the morning light and then in the deepest darkness, the most important event in
all of human history. In fact,
curiously, he only mentions the 'cross' once (v26). Nevertheless, throughout
his Gospel, this is where Luke has been pointing and preparing his readers: in
his infancy, the cross is foretold (2:34-35); his disciples are repeatedly told
ahead of time what will happen, but they don’t believe, they don't understand
(for example - 9:22,31,51; 17:25; 18:31-33); the shadow of the cross hangs over
the ongoing storyline( 19:47); in a poignant parable, there is the cross
(20:9-15); and Old Testament prophecy must be fulfilled at the cross
(22:22,37).
Despite his
innocence, Jesus is taken and eventually crucified. For this is why He came -
to die, the innocent, blameless One for the guilty observers, for the readers,
for us, for our sin.
In Christ alone who took on flesh, Fullness of God in
helpless babe.
This gift of love and righteousness Scorned by the
ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died The wrath of God was
satisfied;
For every sin on Him was laid, Here in the death of
Christ I live.
There in the ground His body lay, Light of the world
by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day Up from the grave
He rose again!
And as He stands in victory Sin's curse has lost its
grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine, Bought with the precious
blood of Christ.
Luke's unique
contribution to the story of Jesus' death and resurrection includes the
encounter of the dispirited disciples with the risen but unrecognised Jesus
(24:13-32). Their hearts are warmed as
the Stranger opens up the Word and explains the whole of the Jewish scriptures
(the Old Testament) through the lens of the Gospel (v45-46). Now it all becomes
clear; now it makes sense. And still today, His words are still alive, and by
the Spirit, dead hearts will be resurrected as we share this Gospel of truth,
of hope, of life in Jesus (v47-49).
Luke's Gospel ends
where it began: with people in the Temple praising God (24:53; see 1:10). But everything has changed. For 'the Temple' - where God meets with
humanity, you and me - is no longer a grandiose building in Jerusalem: the
Temple is first and foremost Jesus Himself, for it is in Christ and only
through Christ's sacrifice that we may now - and indeed, can - draw near to God. Further, 'the Temple' - where God dwells
among His people - is now the community of Christ's own redeemed community, the
church (1 Corinthians 3:16). So we pray that many unbelievers will gather among us and, sensing
the presence of the risen and reigning Christ in the midst of our worship, declare "God is truly
among you" (1 Corinthians 14:23-25) as they come to know Him too.
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