In Discipleship Lesson 8 on March 11, 2026, Garrett Bookout opened with prayer and reviewed prior studies on the Great Commission, Limited Commission, and Luke 14’s call to count the cost of discipleship before diving into Peter’s Pentecost sermon in Acts 2:14-36. Peter first refutes the crowd’s drunkenness charge by quoting Joel 2, showing the Holy Spirit’s outpouring as the sign that God is dramatically turning the world’s structures upside down. The heart of the message then proves Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah—crucified by God’s foreordained plan, raised because death could not hold Him (Psalm 16), and exalted at God’s right hand as both Lord and Christ (Psalm 110)—so that “this Jesus whom you crucified” is now the reigning King.

Garrett carefully walked the class through the first gospel sermon, helping them see why the original Jewish audience would have instantly recognized the Old Testament threads Peter wove together. He explained that the Joel quotation signals the arrival of the “last days” and the Spirit’s outpouring as the dramatic reversal of history, then showed how Peter connects Jesus directly to the Davidic covenant: the very promises God swore to David (a descendant forever on the throne, one whose body would not see corruption) could not refer to David himself (who died and whose tomb still existed), so they must point to the Messiah. Using Psalm 16 to establish the resurrection and Psalm 110 to establish lordship—highlighting the two different Hebrew words for “Lord” (Yahweh and Adonai)—Peter concludes with the punch line that God has made this crucified Jesus both Lord and Christ, fulfilling every Old Testament expectation and placing Him at the center of God’s eternal plan rather than starting a brand-new religion.

I. Opening (Prayer & Review)
- Prayer for discipleship and outreach
- Quick recap: Great Commission, Limited Commission, Luke 14 commitment

II. Context of Pentecost (Acts 2:14-21)
- Accusation of drunkenness
- Peter quotes Joel 2:28-32 – outpouring of the Spirit on all flesh, signs, “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved”

III. The Core Gospel Sermon (Acts 2:22-36)
A. Jesus of Nazareth – attested by miracles, delivered up by God’s plan, crucified by lawless men
B. God raised Him – “it was not possible for Him to be held by death”
C. Proof from Psalm 16 (David’s words cannot refer to himself)
- David died, tomb still known
- Therefore the psalm speaks of the Messiah’s resurrection
D. Proof from Psalm 110
- “The Lord (Yahweh) said to my Lord (Adonai)” – David’s descendant is actually his superior
- Exalted to God’s right hand, pouring out the Spirit
E. Climactic conclusion (v. 36)
- “Let all the house of Israel know… God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified”

IV. Closing Remarks
- Emphasis that the crucifixion and resurrection were never a “plan B” but the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose
- Transition to next week’s continuation (Acts 2:37-47)