Acts 2:37-38

Why did Peter’s words cut them to the heart?  Based on what Luke has written, most of them were not even in Jerusalem when the crowd called for Jesus’s crucifixion.  Many of them were hearing about Jesus for the first time.  Peter did not preached about Sin in its many different forms.  He preached about one specific sin.  He told them about the Jewish rejection of Christ as the promised messiah.  They had not personally rejected Christ, but Peter’s words filled their heart with guilt and pain.  Why did they feel guilty for what others had done?

The Jewish nation raised their people to believe that their salvation was corporate. The Jews believed baptism was a way to become a Jew.  Being a Jew saved you.  Jews did not need baptism.  They were God’s chosen people.  Even though they were from many nations, the people in the crowd that day were all Jewish.  Just as they believed in corporate salvation, they believed in corporate guilt.  When their leaders rejected Christ, their leaders spoke for the Jewish nation as a whole.  By rejecting Christ and having him crucified, their spiritual leaders had condemned all Jews.  Their hope of salvation was lost.  Their history had shown them that tragedy fell upon Israel whenever Israel turned from God’s will.  In a united voice, they cried out in despair to Peter, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Peter tells them they need to repent, and go in a new direction.  They need to ask Jesus for forgiveness of sins and follow him.  They need to make the visible and public demonstration of baptism to show that they are followers of Christ.  When they do this with faith, God will give them forgiveness of sins and the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

From this day forward, they could no longer depend upon their Judaism to save them.  Their salvation would depend upon a right relationship with Jesus.  Only Jesus could save them.  The same is still true today.  Salvation is personal.