Act 2:29-32 “Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.”
Peter, knowing that his audience was comprised of Jews like himself, called their attention to one of their great ancestors. He was not going to mince words with them about David and where he was. He presented this in contrast to what David knew by prophecy. Then, he contrasted David’s condition with that of Christ.
It was (and is) a plain and simple truth that David was dead. He was a great king, and he had a promise from God that he would always have a descendent on his throne. Yet David himself was both dead and buried. The Jews gathered there that day know they could visit David’s tomb if they wished to.
The scripture tells us that David was a man after God’s own heart. We also see that David, like us, was a sinful man. He must have been amazed at God’s promise that the very Christ would be the descendent (according to the flesh) that God was promising him. God’s only begotten Son was prophesied to be the great King that would rule God’s covenant people.
Peter proves to those Jews gathered there that this Jesus was expected. David had seen Him by prophecy and told of His coming. David understood that Jesus would sit on the throne as long as God had a people on the earth. He was certain that Christ would live despite being crucified and laid in a tomb. He saw it before it ever happened.
David declared that the soul of Jesus would not remain in hell. According to Strong’s, this word that was translated as “soul” did not apply to that immortal part of Him that He commended to God from the cross. Rather, this word pointed to the humanity of the Son. The word hell used here comes from the Greek word hades, which is also defined as the grave.
God was not going to leave His only Begotten Son in the grave. He was not going to see Him lay there long enough for His human body to decay. Jesus was raised up from the dead on the third day. He walked out of that tomb immortal and incorruptible.
God raised Him up, and we are all witnesses. As the Holy Spirit works in a child of grace, one of the things that we are blessed to know in our hearts is there is an empty tomb where they laid Jesus. Although David’s sepulchre is still with us today, Christ is alive and has no need of a sepulchre. Just as God promised to David, Christ sits on his throne.
God raised Jesus from the dead before He could see corruption, and He is alive forever more. Being raised in Christ, we are certain that this mortal MUST put on immortality, and the corruptible MUST put on incorruption. We are further assured of the resurrection as we live and serve God here in a body of flesh. The very same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead has quickened our mortal bodies.
May God bless us to give honor and glory to the King of kings and Lord of lords as long as we have breath!
