Chris Katulka: Welcome to The Friends of Israel Today. I am your host and teacher, Chris Katulka. Steve Conover is out today. Hey, but don't worry, he'll be back next week. Have you visited our website, foiradio.org? Now, after this episode ends, visit us if you haven't been there yet. We have over eight years worth of programming on our site for you to listen to. Once again, that's foiradio.org. Now, we're actually wrapping up a series that we've titled Peter's Truth Bombs to Israel, and the reason that we've called it that is because Peter is actually ministering specifically to Jewish people directly after the birth of the church, directly after the Holy Spirit came down and was poured out on Jewish believers. This was Peter's opportunity to share the truth of the gospel with a Jewish audience all from Acts 2. And we're going to be wrapping up that series today.

But before we get there, first let's look at what's going on in the news. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will be making a state visit to China at the invitation of Chinese General Secretary Xi Jinping. China has expressed a desire to help facilitate Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. However, many believe this invitation is aimed at bolstering Beijing's credentials on the world stage rather than seriously attempting to revive the Israeli-Palestinian process. Well, here's my take. China is taking advantage of the situation in the Middle East after the Biden administration withdrew from Afghanistan. America's disappearance in the region is giving China the opportunity to fill the leadership vacuum by meeting with several Arab leaders. This ultimately will put Israel in a very tough position if the United States doesn't show some authority.

Chris Katulka: We're continuing our series on Peter's Truth Bombs to Israel, which is just another way of saying that Peter is speaking gospel truth to his Jewish brothers. In this series, which is wrapping up today, we're going to be taking a deep dive into Acts 2, when Peter was preaching strictly to a Jewish audience who just watched the moment the spirit was poured out and Jewish believers in Jesus received the Holy Spirit. They witnessed the moment the early church, full of Jewish believers, were now indwelt with the Holy Spirit. And those who were looking on were actually arguing that these new believers were simply drunk on wine for the way that they were acting as the spirit was being poured out. But Peter steps in and uses this opportunity as a platform to share the good news.

Here's what he says in Acts 2, starting in verse 22, "Men of Israel, listen to these words. Jesus the Nazarene, a man clearly attested to you by God with powerful deeds, wonders, and miraculous signs that God performed among you through him, just as you yourselves know this man, who was handed over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you executed by nailing him to a cross at the hands of the Gentiles. But God raised him up, having released him from the pains of death because it was not possible for him to be held in its power." Now, listen, let me tell you what Peter's saying to his Jewish audience. He's saying this, Jesus' death and resurrection were planned by God. It wasn't a mistake. It was all in God's plan. It wasn't a hiccup in God's program where he had to adjust on the fly to fix the problem. Jesus' death and resurrection were part of his plan from the very beginning.

It's what the Tanakh promised. You know what the Tanakh is? The Tanakh is the Hebrew Bible, or as Christians know it, the Old Testament, the word Tanakh is actually a combination of three Hebrew titles that make up the Old Testament: the Torah or the law, that's where we get the word Ta in Tanakh, the Nevi'im or the prophets, that's where we get the na in Tanakh, and the Ketuvim, the writings, that's where we get the kh at the end for Tanakh. So when you smash it all together, you get Tanakh, the Torah, the prophets, and the writings, every single component of the Old Testament.

Well, Peter is going to argue to these Jewish people that Jesus' death, burial and resurrection were no mistake. In fact, they were promised in the Tanakh. And Peter will use texts from the Tanakh, the Old Testament, to prove his point. He's already earlier on in our previous episode used Joel 2 from the prophets to show that the pouring out of the Holy Spirit was actually something that Joel had prophesied about. And now Peter's going to turn to Psalm 16, starting in verse 10, which says this, "I saw the Lord always in front of me, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken. Therefore, my heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced. My body also will live in hope because you will not leave my soul in Hades nor permit your holy one to experience decay. You have made known to me the paths of life. You will make me full of joy with your presence."

Now, listen, Peter is going to use this psalm, Psalm 16, which is a psalm of confidence that Peter uses to support Jesus' individual resurrection. Jewish people in Jesus' day believed in resurrection, but they believed in a resurrection for everyone at the end times, a general bodily resurrection. However, they didn't have an expectation of an earlier, immediate or special resurrection for anyone. This new idea of a resurrection before the end was revealed by Jesus' resurrection himself. And Peter is arguing from this text in Psalm 16 that scripture predicted Jesus' special resurrection.

The psalm is a psalm of confidence, confidence that the Lord will always be before him. And God's presence at the psalmist's right hand means that he will not be shaken. And ultimately, it was Jesus' confidence that God would not permit his body to experience decay but instead would be raised up to life that enabled him to endure, enabled Jesus to endure the brutality of the cross and death itself. This is going to become very important for Peter as he shows this text is specific to Jesus' resurrection. In fact, Peter will call it a Psalm of David, and David, remember, is the father, if you go back, to Jesus himself, connected to the Davidic covenant.

Peter then moves on in Acts 2, starting in verse 29, he says, "Brothers, I can speak confidently to you about our forefather, David, that he both died and was buried and his tomb is with us to this day. So then because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants on his throne, David, by foreseeing this spoke about the resurrection of Christ, that he was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did his body experience decay. This Jesus God raised up, and we are all witnesses of it. So then exalted to the right hand of God and having received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, he has poured out what you both see and hear."

Did you hear what Peter said in verse 32? He said, "This Jesus God raised up, and we are all witnesses of it." The theme of witnesses is extremely important to Peter's message to his Jewish brothers. The idea of witnessing the resurrection actually reaches back to Luke 24:48 and Acts 1:8. And Peter's point is that the resurrection, it's not an idea that was conjured up in the minds of the disciples and the apostles, nor was it a fable or myth or fabrication. The resurrection is something the apostles witnessed and experienced themselves. They know it to be true because they saw it happen before their very eyes. Therefore, they know it to be true, and so they can speak to its reality.

All the gospel accounts, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, as different as they are, they all speak about the account of Jesus' resurrection to show that the disciples did not anticipate or immediately believe it. In fact, they were all surprised to see the resurrected king. 1 Corinthians 15, starting in verse 3 is actually the earliest available source testimony to the resurrection. And in that passage, the resurrection is treated as an event equal to Jesus' death and burial, with the proof being Jesus' post-resurrection appearances to others. To put it another way, Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 is saying that the resurrection is a historical fact like the death and burial of Jesus.

And as one commentary put it, the resurrection is not a symbol or a metaphor for anything. It was a real event that changed the direction of the witnesses' lives. As Peter is preaching to his Jewish brothers, the message he's bringing isn't merely pie in the sky. He and the other apostles were witnesses. They exist to stress the resurrection's reality. And for Peter and the apostles, their argument in using these Old Testament passages is to show something significant. One, the Messiah will rise from the dead, as the scripture shows, Psalm 16, but it was God who raised Jesus and therefore Jesus is the Messiah.

Just so you know the severity of being a witness, there are later Jewish texts that would argue that Heaven watches over what witnesses say. Even the Old Testament has laws of severity concerning witnesses, eyewitness testimony. It was nothing to be taken lightly, and that's why Peter concludes his message with the results of the resurrection. He says this in Acts 2, starting in verse 32, "This Jesus God raised up, and we are all witnesses of it. So then exalted to the right hand of God and having received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, he has poured out on what you both see and hear. For David did not ascend into Heaven, but he himself says, 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."'" Now, when we come back, we're going to look at this text Peter uses from Psalm 110, and then we'll see how his Jewish audience responded to his message of hope. 

Chris Katulka: But before we go there, hey, listen, we have a new two-day nationwide conference called our PROCLAIM Conference that we want to share with you. We want you to be a part of it. It's actually a conference that focuses on biblical truth about Israel and the Messiah. We're going to be diving deep into topics that should ignite the Christian's heart for God's chosen people and his plan for Israel. Our passionate Bible teachers will expound on God's word, leaving the listener encouraged and full of hope.

Now, this year's topic for our PROCLAIM Conference is called The World on Edge, and you're going to get a chance to discover how the sweeping global changes that we are witnessing right before our very eyes relate to God's ongoing conflict with Satan and his ultimate plan to triumph over the evil one once and for all. You'll be strengthened in your faith and grow in the hope that endures during these troubling days. Now, you're going to have three opportunities to join us in person. The first one is July 28th and 29th in Winona Lake, Indiana at Grace College. The second opportunity is in Tampa, Florida at the Word of Life Bible Institute, September 29th and 30th. And finally, in the Fall you'll be able to join us for our PROCLAIM Conference at Lancaster Bible College, October 13th and 14th. Now, listen, if you want to register to join us for this free conference, then please visit us at foiradio.org, and there you can register. Again, that's foiradio.org.

Chris Katulka: Welcome back, everyone. We're wrapping up our series here on Peter's Truth Bombs to Israel, which again is just another way of saying that Peter is speaking gospel truth to his Jewish brothers. And in this series we've been taking a deep dive into Acts 2, when Peter was preaching strictly to a Jewish audience who just witnessed the moment the spirit was poured out on Jewish believers in Jesus. And he's using this opportunity to connect his Jewish audience with the resurrected Jewish king, Jesus. After Jesus' resurrection, which Peter and the other apostles were eyewitnesses to, Jesus was exalted to the right hand of the Father. He ascended into Heaven, which, again, Peter and the apostles were witnesses of. Just go back to Acts 1. Peter and the other apostles were astonished when they saw Jesus ascend, just as they were as astonished when they saw Jesus resurrected.

But now Peter had a better understanding of these Old Testament texts in light of Jesus' resurrection and ascension. Peter turns to Psalm 110 and used it to prove Jesus' ascension into Heaven when it says, "The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.'" In these verses, Peter makes the point that Jesus' resurrection indicates his position at the Father's right hand as the one who is seated at God's side, a position of authority. See, it's from this place of honor and unique glory that Jesus mediates the blessing of the spirit and salvation in accordance with the promise of God's plan. His position at the right hand of the Father reveals who Jesus really is. He's Israel's king, he's the Messiah promised in the Old Testament, he's the one God granted all authority, dominion and power to rule over every nation, tribe and tongue.

That's why Peter ends his message by saying, "Therefore, let all the House of Israel know beyond a doubt that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." Or we might even say both Lord and Messiah. After Peter was finished preaching, that text says this in Acts 2, starting in verse 37, "Now, when they heard this, they were acutely distressed speaking about the Jewish audience Peter was just preaching to and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'What should we do, brothers?' And Peter said to them, 'Repent, and each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call to him himself.' With many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, 'Save yourselves from this perverse generation.' So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about 3,000 people were added."

It's interesting because that Greek word for people there is actually souls, "3,000 souls were added." When the text says that the Jewish people were "acutely distressed" after what they heard, the Greek actually says they were "pierced to the heart." What Peter said cut deep for them so much so they said, "What should we do?" And that's when Peter screamed out, "Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the Holy Spirit." All of these things, as the Tanakh had promised, the Torah, the prophets, and the writings. As a result of Peter's truth bombs to Israel, that Jesus' death was no accident and that his resurrection is proof of God's working and vindication, and that the apostles were eyewitnesses of it, plus he ascended into Heaven in a position of power and authority, all of these things led to 3,000 Jewish people placing their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus.

My friends, the gospel that we share isn't a mistake. The gospel that we share wasn't fabricated or conjured up by the apostles. The gospel we share was communicated long ago in the Tanakh, in the Old Testament, and it became a reality in the person and work of Jesus Christ. And we stand on the eyewitness testimony of those who saw his death, of those who saw his burial and his resurrection and his ascension. My friends, it's a message of hope that we must continue to share.

Steve Conover: Israel, on the verge of becoming a state, a teenaged Holocaust survivor arrives on her shores alone. His name is Zvi Kalisher. Little did he know his search for a new life in the Holy Land would lead him to the Messiah. Zvi, enthusiastic to share his faith, engaged others in spiritual conversations, many of which can be found in our magazine, Israel My Glory. While Zvi is now in the presence of his Savior, his collected writings from well over 50 years of ministry continue to encourage believers worldwide. Now, Apples of Gold, a dramatic reading from the life of Zvi.

Mike Kellogg: For many years Israelis have been singing about the Messiah’s coming. Not many are aware he has already come. That is why I go to the Western Wall every Monday and Thursday when 13-year-old boys celebrate their Bar Mitzvahs. One recent Monday I decided to give Bibles containing both testaments to all of the boys. I knew they would receive prayer books from family and friends, but there is no divine presence in those books. Before leaving home that day, I prayed, asking God to guide me and give me the words to say. In Israel, you must go slowly and carefully when you approach people with the Word.

When I arrived at the Wall, I approached a few young Ethiopian boys after the ceremony and I said, "I want to give each of you a gift in honor of your Bar Mitzvah." And at first they were afraid to accept the Bibles, but I explained, "There is a big difference between these Bibles and the prayer books you have received. Your prayer books were written by men, great rabbis, to be sure, but nevertheless just men. The Bible was written to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God."

After a while, an ultra-orthodox man carrying a large shofar approached us. I asked, "Why have you brought a shofar? It's not a holiday." He said, "You are right." I then told him, "The Scriptures say the shofar is symbolic of announcing the salvation of the Lord." He replied, "When the Messiah comes, I will blow this shofar." I opened my Bible and I read Isaiah 53:5-6. "He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed. All we, like sheep, have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way. And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."

I asked, "This passage shows the Messiah has already come, and someday he will come again." The man was very interested and read for himself the remainder of this chapter. All of a sudden his countenance changed. He began to smile and was full of joy saying, "Now is the time to announce the salvation of the Lord. He has come, and now he must come back." And then he blew the shofar loudly. Many came over to see what was happening. Some rabbis heard the shofar, and one came over to ask what I was selling to these unsuspecting people. When he realized I believe in Christ, he asked to see my Bible. I gave it to him and pointed out portions in the Old Testament, but he quickly turned to the back and upon seeing the New Testament asked, "Do you think this belongs in our Holy Bible?" "Yes," I replied, and to my amazement, he seemed very interested and looked through it. Finally, he put the Bible in his pocket and walked away. What a wonderful day. I pray the Ethiopian boys will read the Bibles and come to faith in the Lord Jesus. I pray that ultra-orthodox man who blew his shofar will understand the things I told him and surrender his life to the Lord. I pray the rabbi will read the Bible and his long blinded eyes will be open to the Messiah.

Chris Katulka: The impact of Zvi's life in ministry in Israel, it didn't end when he went home to be with the Lord. In fact, Zvi's legacy lives on. Our Friends of Israel ministry representatives continue to share the gospel in Jerusalem, Israel, and really all throughout the world. We also serve Holocaust survivors and their families. We provide free food, medicine and clothing, and we even promote the safety and security of the state of Israel and the Jewish people everywhere. So when you give to The Friends of Israel, your donation actually allows us to advance the gospel of our Messiah Jesus. You can give online by visiting foiradio.org. Again, that's foiradio.org. You can click right there on our donate link. Also, be sure to let us know where you listen when you contact us.

Thank you so much for joining us this week. For the next month, we're going to be airing some of your favorite past series that we've done. And so next week we'll start with Angels and Demons. Today's program was produced by Tom Gallione, edited by Jeremy Strong, who also composed and performs our theme music. Mike Kellogg read Apples of Gold. Steve Conover is our executive producer, and I am your host and teacher, Chris Katulka. Our mailing address is FOI Radio, PO Box 914, Bellmawr, New Jersey 08099. Again, that's FOI Radio, PO Box 914, Bellmawr, New Jersey 08099. And one last quick reminder, be sure to visit us at foiradio.org. The Friends of Israel Today is a production of The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. We are a worldwide evangelical ministry proclaiming biblical truth about Israel and the Messiah, while bringing physical and spiritual comfort to the Jewish people.