The Unbreakable Net In Which You Are Caught

The net has been cast. The people have come.

The rushing sound from heaven, the praises given to God in a miraculous way–the people themselves are becoming witnesses of these things.

And when Peter explains that this is what the prophet Joel foretold, that the Scriptures are being fulfilled and the day of the Lord is drawing near, it’s as though he is beginning to describe the individual cords of the net and how God has woven them together.

“Men of Israel, listen to these words:

Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know–this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.

The miracles, wonders and signs–you recognize these things as being done by God, and you witnessed Jesus doing them yourselves.
Yet God’s plan was to have you kill Jesus, and you did that too. Not only are you witnesses of events, your hands have been involved in God’s plan. Open your eyes to see what God is doing.

But God raised [Jesus] up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.

For David says of Him [Jesus],

‘I saw the Lord always in my presence; for He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken.

Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue exulted; moreover my flesh also will live in hope; because You will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.

You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of gladness with Your presence.’

Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. And so, because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants on his throne, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay.

The prophet Joel is one witness.
The prophet David is another witness.
We know the writings of these two men in the Scriptures. The men are witnesses themselves, but so also is the God-given Scripture. A third witness.
God Himself swore an oath to David to seat one of his descendants on the throne. God Himself is witness.
David prophesied that the Christ would die, but not decay (therefore be Jesus must be resurrected)
and in the same breath David prophesied that God would not abandon him (David) to death either (therefore David could live with the hope that his own flesh would one day also be resurrected)

This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.

For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says:

‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”‘

Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ–this Jesus whom you crucified.”

All of us–not one, not two, not three, but a much more than sufficient number of us–are witnesses to the fact that Jesus has been raised to life again.
David prophesied that Jesus would be exalted to the right hand of God, which Jesus now is,
and Jesus said He would send the Father’s promise of the Holy Spirit, which He now has done,
and you yourselves are witnesses to this arrival of the Holy Spirit as well as us.
Therefore you are to know that Jesus, who is seated at God the Father’s right hand, is both Lord and Christ.

All these Scriptures, events and witnesses declare Jesus to be Lord and Christ!

So see this net in which you are caught, for it is woven by God and has been graciously tossed over you to draw you into hope!