How does Acts 2:22 connect with Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah? Acts 2:22—God’s Public Endorsement of Jesus “Men of Israel, listen to this message: Jesus of Nazareth was a Man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God performed among you through Him, as you yourselves know.” (Acts 2:22) Miracles, Wonders, and Signs in Old Testament Expectation • Isaiah 35:5–6 — “Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the mute tongue will shout for joy.” • Isaiah 61:1 — “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor; He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives …” • Isaiah 42:6–7 — The Servant would “open eyes that are blind” and release the prisoners from darkness. • Psalm 146:8 — “The LORD opens the eyes of the blind; the LORD lifts those who are weighed down.” • Malachi 4:2 — The “sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings.” These texts pointed Israel to a Messiah whose ministry would be packed with unmistakable healings and acts only God could do—exactly what Jesus displayed before their eyes. Accredited by God—Echoes of Deuteronomy 18 • Deuteronomy 18:15, 18–19 — Moses promised, “The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to Him.” • Just as God validated Moses with signs before Pharaoh and Israel (Exodus 4:1–9, 30–31), Acts 2:22 shows the Father validating Jesus with greater signs before the whole nation. • Peter’s phrase “as you yourselves know” reminds the crowd they had personally witnessed the very proofs Scripture said would accompany the Prophet-Messiah. Healing the Broken—Isaiah’s Vision Realized in Galilee and Judea • Blind eyes opened: John 9; Luke 18:35–43. • Deaf ears unstopped: Mark 7:31–37. • Lame walking and leaping: Matthew 11:4–5; Acts 3:1–10 (continuing through the apostles). • Good news preached to the poor: Luke 4:16–21 cites Isaiah 61 and declares its fulfillment “today.” Every scene lines up point-for-point with Isaiah’s predictive portrait. Wonders as God’s Signature—Psalms and Prophets Fulfilled • Psalm 72:18 — “Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds.” • Daniel 6:27 — God “performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth.” By performing those same “marvelous deeds,” Jesus unmistakably bears the divine signature foretold in Scripture. Public, Verifiable Proof to Israel • “Among you” (Acts 2:22) highlights that the miracles weren’t hidden; multitudes saw them (John 11:47–48). • Isaiah 53:1 asks, “Who has believed our message?”—Peter answers: the evidence was visible to all; unbelief now rests on hardened hearts, not lack of proof. Bringing the Prophecies Together Acts 2:22 stitches Old Testament expectation to New Testament fulfillment: 1. The Messiah would be a true man sent by God (Deuteronomy 18:15). 2. He would be publicly accredited through miraculous works (Isaiah 35; 42; 61). 3. Those works would bear God’s own signature of “wonders” (Psalms; Daniel). 4. They would happen in Israel’s midst so the nation could respond in faith (Malachi 3:1). Peter’s sermon therefore rests on the rock-solid, literal reliability of Scripture: what God promised, Jesus performed—openly, perfectly, and undeniably. |
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