14But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:

17“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
18even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
19And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
20the sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
21And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

22“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. 25For David says concerning him,

“‘I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
26therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
my flesh also will dwell in hope.
27For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One see corruption.
28You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’

29“Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 33Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,

“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
35until I make your enemies your footstool.”’

36Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” ESV

Peter was not in hiding. He stood up and was counted! What a transformation. This was the same man who had only recently denied Jesus. Now, here he was publicly identifying with Him, preaching a dangerous message. The people who had wanted Jesus dead (and who had hounded Him to death) were still out there. But Peter’s boldness is evident throughout (see, e.g. the uncompromising language in vv. 23/36).

In His Biblical sermon, Peter points to the fulfilment of Scripture. In particular he asserts that the outpouring of the Spirit was prophesied (by Joel), and so were the resurrection and ascension of Jesus (by David). The Holy Spirit was given to glorify Christ, and Peter, filled with the Spirit, does just that in this Christ-centred message. He points to Jesus throughout. The facts of the Lord’s life and ministry were well known, and Peter knew he could appeal to this knowledge among his ‘congregation’.

The question had been asked, ”What does this mean” (12). Essentially Peter says, ‘What this all means is that Jesus is alive. He was dead. You killed Him. But He could not be held by death. He’s back, and this Pentecostal miracle (this reversal of Babel) is His doing.