Acts 2:23

Acts 2:23. Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. This was not man's work, St. Peter says; but all this was done strictly in accordance with God's own design all had been settled, had been foreseen by Him.

Foreknowledge of God. This indirectly appeals for support to the Old Testament prophecies which, with an awful minuteness, had described the very details of the tragedy of Calvary (see such passages as Isaiah 52:13-15, and Isaiah 53, and Zechariah 11:12-13; Zechariah 12:10; Acts 13:7).

Ye have taken. There could have been no public condemnation and crucifixion of Christ, had not the PEOPLE acquiesced, some passively, some even with noisy approval, in their rulers stern decision to get rid at all hazards of the hated reformer whom they feared with a strange and nameless terror. The Roman magistrate was quite indifferent, rather indisposed to proceed to extremities with this poor winning Jewish Teacher. He would, no doubt, gladly have dismissed the accusation of the priestly party, had not the PEOPLE shown by their behaviour, that in this case condemnation would be a popular act; and doubtless some of the very men who, perhaps without much thought, had joined in swelling the cruel shout, ‘ Crucify Him,' were among that Pentecost crowd listening to Peter (see Ewald, who has a good note here).

By wicked hands have crucified and slain. More accurately rendered, ‘By lawless hands,' that is, through the instrumentality of Pilate and the Roman soldiers employed in the crucifixion. But these lawless hands were only instruments, almost unconscious ones, by means of which the deed was done. The guilt of it is yours.