On the day of Pentecost, there is no doubt that Peter preached Jesus to the multitudes gathered. In a previous post (Pentecost Preaching Was Christ-Centered in Thrust), we noted a six point development of Peter’s sermon in regard to Jesus. In another post (Pentecost Preaching Reached A Definitive Deduction and Conclusion), we pointed out Peter was not ambiguous in his conclusion that the very people he was addressing were guilty of the murder of the son of God! In fact he said to them “…ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain” (Acts 2:23).

Please observe carefully the reaction of the people on Pentecost when Peter preached Jesus to them. “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). Isn’t it ironic, in view of the way so many preach Jesus today, that those people would react the way they did? Their first reaction was not, “Wow, what a Savior!” No, their reaction was more akin to “Whoa, what have we done?” The fact that they had sinned so grievously by crucifying the Christ penetrated to the deepest recesses of their being—they were “pricked in their heart!” Had they at this point sung the dismissal song and had the closing prayer, surely these people would not have gone home “feeling good” about what they had done. They had sinned and now they were brought face to face with that fact.

Paul’s conclusion was that Jews and Gentiles alike had sinned when he quoted the Psalmist as saying, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Romans 3:10–12). In the same chapter he went on to say, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). That statement not only was true of those of his day but also of every person of ours. When we fall prey to our own lusts and desires, we become sinners (James 1:14-15).

Preacher friend, preaching Jesus is about more than making folks feel good about themselves. In a day when many only want “positive sermons” that pep them up, they still need heart-rending reproofs that will move them to repentance. The plain, simple fact is that we must never forget were it not for sin, we would not need saving. What’s more, had we not needed saving, there would have been no reason for Jesus to leave heaven and come here to suffer so much cruelty on our behalf. It is at the cross that we see the true heinousness of sin, and it is in our being convicted by sin to the point of being moved to turn from it that our most basic human need is met!