Lord, Do Not Charge Them With This Sin

24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: "Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, 25 who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: 'Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things? 26 The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the Lord and against His Christ.' 27 "For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. 29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus." 31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

In our last study we left off at the imminence to kiss the Son. We briefly studied His second return; and the need to submit to His first coming in peace, because He is soon to come again in His wrath. In this study we will look a little closer at Israel’s rejection.

"For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.

For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus . . .

Again, as a reminder the apostles were gathered together rejoicing and praising God for suffering in name of Jesus Christ. They went to their brothers, as “countrymen”, to call them to repentance; not for ‘fellowship’, but because the kingdom of God had been taken from them (Matt.21:43). The kingdom was taken from them because Israel was against God’s holy ‘slave’ Jesus Christ. Israel remains an ‘anti-Christ’ to this day. They have become an apostate fellowship who do not know Father, because they have rejected the Son; and do not know the Son, because they are without the Spirit. They believe in one God, yes, but even the demons believe and they tremble (James2:19).

. . . whom You anointed, . . .

Jesus is the Christ whom the Father anointed to preach the gospel to the poor.

Luke 4:17-21

And He was handed the book, He found the place where it was written: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.’ Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’

Jesus Christ went about doing good and teaching the kingdom of God without charge (Acts10:38). Jesus performed many miracles, and when I say miracles, I mean miracles; not some cheesy story that people have died and come back to life through resuscitation or CPR. That is not a miracle. A miracle is being literally dead for three days, sealed in a tomb, and raised to life through three simple words, “Lazarus, come forth”. That is a miracle. It may be a good work done and an act of love, but it is not a miracle simply to resuscitate or perform CPR. When miracles are the center of discussion, and not the Lord Jesus Christ; it not the Lord one seeks, but the benefits. Most people just want what God can give them, not for who God is. We don’t worship God for what He does, but for who He is. This is true love.

John 6:26

Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.

. . . both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, . . .

This statement confines all under sin (Rom.3:9). These are those who are against the Lord’s anointed. Both Jew and Gentile possess the “anti-christ” spirit (1Jn.4:2-3). The Jews have not yet confessed that the Son of God has come in the flesh and the Gentiles have created gods in their own image apart from the special revelation of Jesus Christ. All the while, the Jews and Gentiles remain enemies against one another; both come together in union against the Christ. They act as one in their hatred of Him and work together to rid the earth of His presence, as if that were possible. Because they shared in their mutual hatred of Him, they were able to agree and have peace to destroy the temple of God together (Jn.2:17). Israel later reaps the reward of the destruction of their own temple made by human hands by the Gentiles in A.D. 70.

. . . were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.

It was God who brought both, Jew and Gentile, together to crush His own Son and it was God who purposed the destruction of the Jewish temple. God had purposed this before He sent His Son into the world, and the Son agreed to live and die for them, and the Spirit’s hand brought it to pass, so that Christ might have the preeminence in all things. The Spirit watched over the word of Christ to perform it and Christ was in submission to His Father’s will to the very end. It was in love for His creation that Christ was sent into the world to live and die under the curse and condemnation of God’s law. But Christ died as a sinless man who loved His Father with His whole heart, soul, mind, and strength because His Father loved His enemies; enemies who murdered His Son, cursed Him to His face, and vainly used His gift of life. In love God predestined this to come to pass to save those who have ears to hear and a heart to believe (Eph.1:4-5). May the Holy Spirit grant you the power, to hear His call and voice, to live in His Name, and in the fear of His power and strength. Father, grant them life to answer Your call to turn from sin and trust in Your Son.

. . . Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus."

In light of the persecution the apostles did not hold back their rejoicing in God. By all means, they had every reason to “shut up” and stop speaking for the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ because of the threats and persecutions; but they rejoiced in God all the more and clung tighter to salvation in Christ alone. They asked for greater boldness to withstand the enemies “threats”, and because the Jews in particular always needed a “sign”, they requested more of the Spirit’s power to heal and validate the message of salvation in Christ alone. They were not seeking glory and honor for themselves, or to benefit themselves through miracles; but that the miracles would truly help those in need, and to bring glory an honor to the person and work of Jesus Christ.

And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

The apostles were strengthened together because they all had one purpose; the glory of Christ. God reaffirms their prayers in a remarkable providence that shakes the ground upon which they stand, to assure them that He is holy, and that He will be with them, as they continue in the boldness and faith of Jesus Christ. It was the Holy Spirit that comforted them because providences can be misinterpreted. One could quickly think because the ground shook that God was angry at them, but the apostles continued in the awe of God, and took this to be a sign, that God was filling them with more power and assurance to stand face to face with God’s enemies, for their good and the hope of salvation. The apostles loved their countrymen in spite of their threats. It would have been unloving to back down in the face of persecution as Stephen prayed on “his death bed”:

Acts 7:60

Then he knelt down and cried out with a load voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he died.

The Holy Spirit is what continued to give the apostles and prophets like Stephen the love and strength to die in the face of persecution and fulfill the command of the great commission starting with their own countrymen. Later we will discover why the Gentiles have come to faith in Christ due to Israel’s rejection. But the gospel always starts with the Jews, because salvation came through the Jews, for our Lord was a Hebrew, but He was God’s Son first and a husband to the church second.