Miracles of Jesus

Signs, wonders & miracles of Jesus

ACTS 2 COMMENTARY ◄
Acts 2:16-21 I will pour out of My Spirit

Acts 2:22-30 Miracles of Jesus

ACTS 2:22 22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know -

Who did the miracles of Jesus?
"God": "miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him" (Acts 2:22).

Did God the Father do the miracles of Jesus?
Jesus said, "the Father who remains in Me does the works" (John 14:10), so yes.

Did God the Holy Spirit do the miracles of Jesus?
Jesus said, "I cast out demons by the Spirit of God" (Matthew 12:28), so yes.

Did Jesus do the miracles of Jesus?
The Bible says "Jesus" walked on water (see John 6:19), "Jesus" raised the dead (see Lazarus, come forth!), "Jesus" turned water into wine (see John 2), granted miraculous catches of fish (see Jesus), fed thousands with a kid's lunch (see Jesus feeds 5000), opened the eyes of the blind (see John 9), healed the sick (see Capernaum) and the lame (see John 5), cast out demons, calmed the storm, etc., so yes.

So who did the miracles of Jesus?
God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, and God the Son.

How can that be made easier to understand?
Remember that “the LORD our God, the LORD is one!" (Deuteronomy 6:4). Given this "one"ness of our triune God (see the diagram in this page), miracles of Jesus = miracles of the Father = miracles of the Holy Spirit.

Why does Peter say Jesus was attested by "miracles, wonders, and signs" (Acts 2:22) instead of just "miracles"?
Jesus' miracles are signs that point to His deity.

Which miracle of Jesus is the biggest sign to that effect?
His resurrection.

Who resurrected Jesus?
See Who raised Jesus from the dead?

ACTS 2:23-24 23 “Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; 24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.

What does Peter accuse his audience of?
Committing murder by illegally - "by lawless hands" (Acts 2:23) - having "crucified and put" Jesus "to death" (Acts 2:23).

Was God surprised by that?
No, the sacrificial death of Jesus was according to "the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God" (Acts 2:23) the Father and Jesus, who said, “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep... No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again" (John 9:14-15,18, see I Am the Good Shepherd).

ACTS 2:25-28 25 “For David says concerning Him: ‘I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. 26 Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; moreover my flesh also will rest in hope. 27 For You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. 28 You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’

What is Peter citing?
Psalm 16:8-11, including "For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption" (Psalm 16:10).

What are "Hades" (Acts 2:27) and "Sheol" (Psalm 16:10)?
Hades (Greek) and Sheol (Hebrew) both refer to the realm of the dead.

To what does "corruption" (Acts 2:27, Psalm 16:10) refer?
The decomposition of a dead body.

What is Peter telling the crowd?
That God the Father did not leave the soul of Jesus in the realm of the dead or allow His body to decompose, and that this was prophesied by none other than King David, whom all Jews, including those in the crowd, revere.

ACTS 2:29-30 29 “Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne,

Why does Peter mention that David is "both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day" (Acts 2:29)?
He is drawing a contrast with the resurrection of Jesus by reminding the people that while David died and stayed dead, Jesus stayed neither dead nor buried, and His tomb is empty (see stone rolled away).