Peter Preaches at Pentecost
On the Day of Pentecost, fifty days after Jesus’s resurrection, Peter—the fisherman who had denied Jesus three times—stood up and delivered Christianity’s first public sermon. His bold proclamation that Jesus was both Lord and Messiah led to 3,000 baptisms and the birth of the church.
The context:
The 120 disciples had been praying in the upper room when “suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house.” Tongues of fire rested on each of them, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages. Jerusalem was filled with Jewish pilgrims from across the Roman Empire for the festival, and they heard Galilean fishermen speaking in their native tongues—Parthians, Medes, Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, and beyond.
Some mocked: “They have had too much wine.”
Peter stands up:
Peter, empowered by the Spirit, addressed the crowd with newfound boldness—remarkable for the man who had cowered before a servant girl seven weeks earlier.
His proclamation:
This is the prophesied Spirit: “This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people’” (quoting Joel 2:28-32). The strange phenomena weren’t drunkenness but prophetic fulfillment.
Jesus authenticated by God: “Fellow Israelites, 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.”
You killed him: “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.”
But God raised him: “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.”
David prophesied resurrection: Peter quoted Psalm 16: “You will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay.” David died and was buried—his tomb is here. So he must have been speaking of the Messiah’s resurrection.
We are witnesses: “God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it.”
Jesus is exalted: “Exalted 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.”
Jesus is Lord and Messiah: The climax— “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
The response:
“When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’”
Peter 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. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
With many other words he warned them and pleaded: “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”
The result:
“Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”
Significance:
Transformation: Peter went from denier to bold proclaimer—demonstration of the Spirit’s power
Gospel message established: Peter’s sermon set the template for Christian preaching:
- Jesus authenticated by works
- Crucified according to God’s plan
- Raised from the dead
- Exalted as Lord
- Testified by witnesses
- Call to repent and be baptized
Church birth: 3,000 baptisms in one day—the church exploded from 120 to 3,000+ believers
Inclusive promise: “For all who are far off”—foreshadowing Gentile inclusion
Peter’s leadership: Established Peter as spokesman for the apostles (though Jesus had already commissioned him in John 21:15-17, “Feed my sheep”)
This sermon marked the transition from Jesus’s earthly ministry to the apostolic age, from a small group of frightened disciples to a movement that would transform the world. The fisherman who couldn’t acknowledge Jesus before a servant girl proclaimed Him as Lord before thousands—and they believed.