Gospel in a Minute
Peter declared that his hearers had done the unthinkable – killed the Messiah.
But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. Acts 2:23 (NLT)
The Jews not only rejected God’s Son, the long awaited Messiah; they murdered him. Peter let the full weight of what they did fall squarely upon their shoulders.
Principle: Jesus’ Crucifixion Was the Ultimate Betrayal
Adam and Eve betrayed their Creator and Friend in the Garden by choosing to follow Satan down the path of a self-directed life. Faithlessness is at the root of all sin, which climaxed at the cross. Nothing man will ever do can compare to killing God’s only begotten Son! When we share the gospel, we should bring people face to face with our sin of betrayal of God’s Son, the Messiah King.
The gospel calls us to admit our betrayal and rebellion, ask forgiveness, and declare unqualified allegiance to the risen Messiah King of Israel, Jesus the Lord.
When we confess Jesus as the Lord, the Gospel has begun to accomplish its purpose in our lives. Water baptism, our formal declaration of allegiance, is the next step, followed by the baptism in the Spirit and a lifetime of loving and serving the King.
