How does Acts 5:30 connect with Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah? Acts 5:30 — A Snapshot “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging Him on a tree.” Unpacking the Core Elements • God of our fathers • Raised up Jesus • You killed Him • Hanging Him on a tree Each phrase carries echoes of specific Old Testament passages about the Messiah. “Hanging Him on a Tree” — Deuteronomy’s Curse • Deuteronomy 21:22-23: “Anyone hung on a tree is under God’s curse.” • Peter links the crucifixion to this curse language, underscoring that Jesus bore the covenant curse in the place of sinners (Galatians 3:13 amplifies this). • The very method of death fulfills the prophetic pattern that the Messiah would be treated as accursed for others. Foreshadowed Suffering — Psalm 22 & Isaiah 53 • Psalm 22:16-18: “They pierce my hands and feet… They divide my garments among them.” • Isaiah 53:5-9: “He was pierced for our transgressions… He was cut off from the land of the living.” • Acts 5:30’s mention of deliberate killing fits these portraits of an innocent sufferer who is executed yet remains within God’s saving plan. The Promise of Resurrection — Psalm 16 • Psalm 16:10: “You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.” • Peter already used this psalm in Acts 2:25-32; he echoes it again here. “Raised up Jesus” signals that the prophetic promise of a Messiah who would conquer death has come to pass. Covenant Continuity — “The God of Our Fathers” • Exodus 3:6; 1 Kings 18:36 highlight “the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” • Peter roots Jesus’ mission in the very covenant promises to the patriarchs (Genesis 12:3; 22:18), showing fulfillment, not departure. Reigning Son — Psalm 2 and Psalm 110 • Psalm 2:7: “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father.” • Psalm 110:1: “Sit at My right hand…” • Resurrection (“raised up”) launches Jesus into the royal enthronement those psalms predict. Big Picture Connections • Method of death: Deuteronomy 21 — cursed tree. • Details of suffering: Psalm 22; Isaiah 53. • Triumph over death: Psalm 16; Hosea 6:2; Jonah 1:17–2:10 as typology. • Royal vindication: Psalm 2; Psalm 110. • Covenant faithfulness: Genesis promises echoed in “God of our fathers.” Why It Matters Acts 5:30 is more than a historical statement; it is a compact fulfillment formula. The apostles declare that every major prophetic thread—cursed death, substitutionary suffering, bodily resurrection, and messianic kingship—has converged in Jesus. The verse thus anchors New Testament proclamation firmly in the literal, trustworthy prophecies of the Old Testament. |
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