We too could emotionally distance ourselves from a statement like that. We can picture faces in the crowd Peter is talking to who are recognizing their direct role in shouting “Crucify him.” And we sit at a distance both in time and space and ethnicity from those people: we aren’t Jews; we aren’t Romans. We weren’t even there. Surely we were not complicit in Jesus’ crucifixion?
But do you remember last week from Isaiah 53:6, “We all like sheep have gone astray. Each of us has turned to his own way. And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” The crucifixion was the laying on Jesus of all of our sins: those present at Peter’s sermon then, and those present for Peter’s sermon this morning here in western North Carolina. The text is speaking to you and I.
I don’t know what was in Peter’s mind as he preached that day. I do know that later on in his address to the crowd that he says this in v. 39, “The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off.” Peter may have just been thinking of Jews who were living a long way from Jerusalem—like some in the crowd that day.
But maybe this was the beginning of a seed that was already growing in his mind: that Gentiles would be welcome to come and gaze on this Messiah and Lord. But what Peter was thinking at the time is irrelevant because we know what transpired in Acts 10 when Peter shows up at a Gentile’s house. The gospel call is extended to all because all need to hear it. All have sinned. And all our sin was laid on Jesus. You and I are just as culpable for the crucifixion as those who shouted crucify him on that day.
And this quote from Psalm 110 reminds us of the authority of this Messiah to judge his enemies, for in verse 6 of that psalm we read that this Messiah “will execute judgment among the nations.” And so there is a gravity to this situation—for both the crowd in front of Peter and for us.
And the people’s response should be our response: “What must we do? How can we escape judgment?” Again, we’re going to look at this response in detail next week, especially the baptism part. But let me remind you about repentance. We talk, and rightly so, about repentance and faith. Is it important that, here, Peter leaves out the faith part?
The reality is that you can’t place faith in Jesus without repentance. And one can’t practice true, biblical repentance without directing their faith toward Jesus. Faith and repentance are two sides of the same coin.
You see we all have faith in something. The issue is whether we will transfer that faith to Jesus. Repentance is simply turning from one faith to true faith in Jesus. Repentance is not just dropping an old allegiance; it’s dropping the old allegiance and taking up a new one. We turn from one thing—maybe a good thing that we thought gave us life to who is life. So when Peter calls the crowds and us to repentance, he is calling us to stop placing faith in ourselves or the things of this world and repent, or turn, and face Jesus—taking in his full kingship, as he rules and reigns at God’s right hand.
We too are called to look carefully at Scripture and see in it our Savior, this Jesus, whom we crucified, ruling and reigning at God’s right hand. Is that where our faith is?
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