Acts 13:32-37 – “We tell you the good news: What God promised our ancestors 33 he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm:
“‘You are my son; today I have become your father.’ 34 God raised him from the dead so that he will never be subject to decay. As God has said, “‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.’ 35 So it is also stated elsewhere: “‘You will not let your holy one see decay.’ 36 “Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed.37 But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay.
““We tell you the good news: What God promised our ancestors 33 he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: “‘You are my son; today I have become your father.’” What Paul told those listening to him is the same message that we tell to the uninformed. We tell them that since the fall of mankind God has been revealing to all people that He, who created all people, loves them and would provide a way back to being in communion with Him.
Paul refers to Psalm 2:7 – I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father. This verse is used by cults and false religions to, in error, claim to show that Jesus is a created being and not an eternal member of the triune God. However the error is in absence of understanding. I. Howard Marshall in his commentary on the Book of Acts (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries) explains “…this refers to the way in which God legitimates the king as his son, in the same way as a father would accept his wife’s child as being really his son and so promise him loving care and protection; the ideas of begetting is purely metaphorical.” Jesus was always the Son, before the incarnation, during His time on earth, and for all eternity. It was not at any point that Jesus became something that He was not or that His person or identity changed, it was that the Lord revealed the identity of Jesus as being his very own. God proudly told the world “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17) When each of my sons were born, as soon as I could I carried them into the night and under the stars I held up my sons above my head. I professed to God and to all of creation that God had given me a son. I wanted the universe to know that I had been given sons. I held them up high and said (both times) with great thankfulness, humility and fatherly pride “I have a son!” My heart swelled with love and joy. God told the world that Jesus, who would be an offering for the sins of the world, was His Son, and that Jesus would reveal the greatness of God’s love and unlimited power to accomplish our salvation through the blood of His Son. A most worthy offering for a most unworthy world.
“God raised him from the dead so that he will never be subject to decay. As God has said, “‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.’ 35 So it is also stated elsewhere: “‘You will not let your holy one see decay.’ 36 “Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed.37 But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay.” These verses are very clearly speaking of a descendant of David, which Jesus was, and not David Himself. For David died and the Jews knew where he was buried. David, though a treasure of Israel and a beloved servant of God, died and his body decayed, as do the bodies of all people naturally do. However, the body of Jesus did not stay dead. In three days, as Jesus said would happen, He came back to life by the power of God. 2 Samuel 7:16 was speaking of the Messiah “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’” These words were spoken by Nathan the prophet to David, but we know that David and Solomon died. So this verse, when speaking of the “Holy One” was not speaking of them, or any of his descendants who lived and died. The only one that this could be said of is Jesus, whose earthly body did die but did not see decay because He rose from the dead in three days. Therefore the Kingdom of Jesus, as Messiah, is one that He will never lose due to dying and thereby losing. Pastor Greg Laurie often says that he has never seen a U-Haul trailer being towed by a hearse to the graveyard to be buried with the deceased. When we die, we lose all earthly possessions, or they are passed on to the living. Jesus did die, but He rose from the dead and all that was given to Him by the Father still belongs to Him. His Kingdom, spiritual and the physical one to come, are His and cannot be lost or taken. Again let us strengthen ourselves with the Word that declares “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, He appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-8) Jesus indeed rose from the dead and revealed Himself as the prophesied Savior. He did it in front of witnesses and that is an undeniable fact.
What Paul spoke of that day is the reason for our confident declaration that Jesus alone is the Savior of the world. Praise God! Let’s, like Paul and the rich history of believers before us, tell the world that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead and in Him alone is eternal salvation and satisfaction. Thank You Jesus! Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.