The Great Question

No one has ever been guilty of a more serious sin than the killing of the Son of God. We have all sinned and had a part in making it necessary for the Son of God to die for those sins. But, standing before the newly inspired Peter on the day of Pentecost of Acts chapter two were thousands of Jews who had just fifty days before lent their voices to the cry "Crucify him." Three days later they began to hear rumors that Jesus of Nazareth had come out of the grave alive...and the reports persisted. Here in Acts chapter 2 is recorded the crowning blow. The prophecy of Joel concerning the outpouring of the Holy Spirit had found its fulfillment upon the very men who had accompanied this same Jesus...and no one could refute that fact. In a very audible and visible display the Spirit had descended upon these men and here they were speaking in all the different languages of the people around them. Peter stood up with the other eleven apostles and began to prove through the Old Testament prophecies that everything that had happened to Jesus had been prophesied, particularly His resurrection from the grave and ascension to the right hand of God. The proof that Jesus had returned to the Father in heaven was, not only the words of the prophets, but the very fact that the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon these twelve men. The only conclusion that could be reached, if they were to believe the prophets, and the testimony of their own eyes and ears, was that they had crucified the Son of God. The effect of such a conclusion was expressed in the question, "Men and brethren what must we do?" The answer was simple, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins..." It was that simple. That very day about 3,000 people did just that. Now, if they can obey such a simple commandment and receive forgiveness for actually crucifying the Son of God, what do you suppose you and I ought to do about our sins? The only conclusion that we can rightly reach is that we should do the same thing.