Are You Covered? (Acts 2:14-39)

 

Peter Addresses the Crowd

 ¹⁴Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. ¹⁵These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! ¹⁶No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 
 ¹⁷” ‘In the last days, God says, 
      I will pour out my Spirit on all people. 
   Your sons and daughters will prophesy, 
      your young men will see visions, 
      your old men will dream dreams. 
 ¹⁸Even on my servants, both men and women, 
      I will pour out my Spirit in those days, 
      and they will prophesy. 
 ¹⁹I will show wonders in the heaven above 
      and signs on the earth below, 
      blood and fire and billows of smoke. 
 ²⁰The sun will be turned to darkness 
      and the moon to blood 
      before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 
 ²¹And everyone who calls 
      on the name of the Lord will be saved.’^[a]

 ²²“Men of Israel, listen to this: 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. ²³This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men,^[b] put him to death by nailing him to the cross. ²⁴But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. ²⁵David said about him: 
   ” ‘I saw the Lord always before me. 
      Because he is at my right hand, 
      I will not be shaken. 
 ²⁶Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; 
      my body also will live in hope, 
 ²⁷because you will not abandon me to the grave, 
      nor will you let your Holy One see decay. 
 ²⁸You have made known to me the paths of life; 
      you will fill me with joy in your presence.’^[c]

 ²⁹“Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. ³⁰But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. ³¹Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ,^[d] that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. ³²God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. ³³Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. ³⁴For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, 
   ” ‘The Lord said to my Lord: 
      “Sit at my right hand 
 ³⁵until I make your enemies 
      a footstool for your feet.” ‘^[e]

 ³⁶“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

 ³⁷When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

 ³⁸Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”