Acts 2:14-41

14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

17 “‘In the last days, God says,
    I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
    your young men will see visions,
    your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
    I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
    and they will prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in the heavens above
    and signs on the earth below,
    blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness
    and the moon to blood
    before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21 And everyone who calls
    on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

22 “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. 25 David said about him:

“‘I saw the Lord always before me.
    Because he is at my right hand,
    I will not be shaken.
26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
    my body also will rest in hope,
27 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
    you will not let your holy one see decay.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
    you will fill me with joy in your presence.’

29 “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. 33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,

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

36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

-Acts 2:14-41

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What amazes me is the works of prophecy (prediction, foreshadowing) in the Bible. Verses 17-21 came from the book of Joel 2:28-32 in the Old Testament way before any of this happened. Another prophecy by David- verses 25-28 came from the book of Psalm 16 and verses 34-35 came from Psalm 110. God already predicted and planned for all of these events to happen by gifting certain believers and key figures from the Old Testament the ability to prophesy. Through the Holy Spirit, God gave them the vision for the future of His kingdom.

Fast forward and everything that we just read about in Mark and the beginning of Acts, about Jesus' death and resurrection was all planned by God. He sent these messages to the older figures of the Bible to let them know to trust God, that He will continue to be with them and protect them and to share that knowledge to others.

As Peter explains all this to the Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews) at the scene, Peter preaches the first message of the Gospel, explaining the good news of God's kingdom of righteousness and grace brought to us through Jesus Christ. Verse 19- "I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below," - God proves this prophecy by purposely sending Jesus down to earth so he can show us humans God's mighty miracles. He teaches us in verse 38 that if we accept Jesus as the Messiah and the one who died to forgive us for our sins, we will have the chance to receive salvation and the Holy Spirit. God invites us to find redemption and be with the Holy Spirit in this very moment. This is all through God's grace because He did this for us when He didn't have to. Why? Because He truly love us. 

Regarding this whole message of the Gospel that Peter preached, I would encourage you to ask your leaders for a deeper explanation because it points to the whole message of the Bible and why you believe certain things as a Christian. As you continue to read the New Testament, you will see many more prophecies from the Old Testament throughout the verses. This just shows how the whole Bible is connected not just by God and His Creation but the spoken truth in these verses, the characters, the themes, etc. The Bible is a whole testimony of God's miraculous power.