David had not ascended to heaven and was not speaking of himself, but prophetically of the risen and ascended Jesus, his descendant according to the flesh yet his Lord in divine character, whom the Father, to whom Christ is equal as Lord, told to sit at His right hand until His enemies are made His footstool. Peter declared this boldly on the day of Pentecost after the ascension and the descent of the Holy Spirit to the men of Israel who had rejected Jesus and demanded His crucifixion. The crucified and risen Jesus is thus exalted in heaven at God's right hand as Lord and Christ, the Son of God and Prince and Savior who gives repentance and forgiveness, having received the promised Holy Spirit from the Father and poured it out with authority as priest and king over His people in heaven and on earth. Though His enemies remain opposed, their hostility cannot undo His exaltation, for God's power is at work on the side of redemption. By the Spirit that sermon glorified Jesus and pricked hearts, so that about three thousand who had condemned Him repented, were baptized in His name for remission of sins, received the gift of the Holy Ghost, and continued steadfastly in doctrine and fellowship and prayer, and that same converting power is to be sought now to humble hearts, teach deeper piety, and carry the Word to save the world.
Words and Pentecost Setting
The words are the Father's invitation to Christ to sit at His right hand until His enemies are made His footstool and made subject to Him, and the One so addressed is Himself Lord and equal with the Father. David had not himself ascended into the heavens and was not speaking of himself, but spoke prophetically of another, the risen and ascended Jesus. Though Jesus is David's descendant according to the flesh, David calls Him Lord in His divine character, and the prophecy points to Christ's ascension, exaltation, and authority as Lord and Christ.
The saying belongs to Peter's testimony on the day of Pentecost, after Jesus' ascension and the descent of the Holy Spirit, bearing witness of Christ and of a risen Saviour. It was declared boldly and without hesitation, not in a timid trembling style, to the men of Israel who had rejected Jesus and demanded His crucifixion. At that time special miracles were wrought while the Jews who had rejected Christ walked in darkness.
In that setting Peter appealed to David as a respected patriarch when establishing Christ's position, and traced Christ's lineage directly to David. He used David rather than Jesus' teachings because his hearers' prejudices would have made those teachings ineffective. Through this preaching the mystery of the cross and other mysteries concerning the Messiah were explained.
Christ's Exaltation and Authority
The crucified and risen Jesus entered heaven, ascended, and is exalted at God's right hand, where He remains until God puts His enemies under Him as His footstool. David himself had not ascended into the heavens but spoke prophetically of another, proving that the Jesus whom Israel crucified was raised and exalted by God and made both Lord and Christ. His exaltation is bound to His receiving from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and pouring it out, and that outpouring confirms He has received authority in heaven and on earth. He is David's descendant according to the flesh, yet David calls Him Lord in His divine character as He takes His place beside God. This was declared boldly and without hesitation to the men of Israel after Pentecost, not in a timid trembling style, while special miracles were wrought and those who had rejected Christ walked in darkness.
That exaltation identifies Jesus as the Lord and Christ whom God raised and exalted. The Father's word is addressed to Christ, who is Himself also Lord and equal with the Father, bidding Him sit at the right hand until His enemies are made His footstool, and the prophecy refers to the risen and ascended Jesus, not to David. The Pentecost gathering itself provided powerful evidence that Jesus is the Son of God. Though humiliated and killed by His enemies, He is now proclaimed as the divine Prince of Life. Exalted as Prince and Savior, He grants repentance and forgiveness of sins, and through Him three thousand were brought to repentance.
His place at God's right hand together with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit shows that He has received authority as priest and king over His people, as the Anointed One over His people in heaven and on earth. The Spirit's outpouring at Pentecost confirms that Jesus, rejected and crucified by the rulers, has received that authority after being humiliated and killed. Although His enemies remain opposed to Him after His humiliation and crucifixion, their hostility cannot undo His exaltation. The power of God is at work on the side of redemption.
Spirit's Power and Response
The Holy Spirit used Peter's sermon after Jesus' ascension to reveal and glorify Jesus, bringing about three thousand to repentance. On the day of Pentecost after the descent of the Holy Spirit, Peter bore witness of a risen Saviour whose one desire is the salvation of souls, concluding that God made the crucified Jesus both Lord and Christ. His preaching explained the mystery of the cross and other mysteries concerning the Messiah, so that many who had condemned Jesus were pricked in heart and became converts. They repented and were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost promised to all whom the Lord calls, for Jesus was exalted as Prince and Saviour to grant repentance and forgiveness of sins. Those added, about three thousand souls, continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers, continuing daily with one accord with gladness and singleness of heart. They were tender, thoughtful, self-denying and willing to sacrifice, revealing in word and deed the love Christ commanded in willing obedience to the new commandment to love one another as He loved, closely united to Christ and magnifying a Saviour who justifies by His righteousness.
The verse belongs to the day the Spirit came upon the disciples when they went out and preached the Word everywhere with thousands converted in a day, showing Spirit-given preaching power that converts sinners. That same power is needed now to make people hungry to hear the Word and to live the self-denying life of Christ. It is needed to take the Bible from house to house and to wake from stupor and indifference and be converted in the judgment hour to save the world.
As part of the second chapter of Acts, the verse is to be read and received and presented to others. It teaches deeper piety and the meekness of Christ. It calls every person to humble the heart and be converted daily.
David had not ascended to heaven and was not speaking of himself, but prophetically of the risen and ascended Jesus, his descendant according to the flesh yet his Lord in divine character, whom the Father, to whom Christ is equal as Lord, told to sit at His right hand until His enemies are made His footstool. Peter declared this boldly on the day of Pentecost after the ascension and the descent of the Holy Spirit to the men of Israel who had rejected Jesus and demanded His crucifixion. The crucified and risen Jesus is thus exalted in heaven at God's right hand as Lord and Christ, the Son of God and Prince and Savior who gives repentance and forgiveness, having received the promised Holy Spirit from the Father and poured it out with authority as priest and king over His people in heaven and on earth. Though His enemies remain opposed, their hostility cannot undo His exaltation, for God's power is at work on the side of redemption. By the Spirit that sermon glorified Jesus and pricked hearts, so that about three thousand who had condemned Him repented, were baptized in His name for remission of sins, received the gift of the Holy Ghost, and continued steadfastly in doctrine and fellowship and prayer, and that same converting power is to be sought now to humble hearts, teach deeper piety, and carry the Word to save the world.
Words and Pentecost Setting
The words are the Father's invitation to Christ to sit at His right hand until His enemies are made His footstool and made subject to Him, and the One so addressed is Himself Lord and equal with the Father. David had not himself ascended into the heavens and was not speaking of himself, but spoke prophetically of another, the risen and ascended Jesus. Though Jesus is David's descendant according to the flesh, David calls Him Lord in His divine character, and the prophecy points to Christ's ascension, exaltation, and authority as Lord and Christ.
The saying belongs to Peter's testimony on the day of Pentecost, after Jesus' ascension and the descent of the Holy Spirit, bearing witness of Christ and of a risen Saviour. It was declared boldly and without hesitation, not in a timid trembling style, to the men of Israel who had rejected Jesus and demanded His crucifixion. At that time special miracles were wrought while the Jews who had rejected Christ walked in darkness.
In that setting Peter appealed to David as a respected patriarch when establishing Christ's position, and traced Christ's lineage directly to David. He used David rather than Jesus' teachings because his hearers' prejudices would have made those teachings ineffective. Through this preaching the mystery of the cross and other mysteries concerning the Messiah were explained.
Christ's Exaltation and Authority
The crucified and risen Jesus entered heaven, ascended, and is exalted at God's right hand, where He remains until God puts His enemies under Him as His footstool. David himself had not ascended into the heavens but spoke prophetically of another, proving that the Jesus whom Israel crucified was raised and exalted by God and made both Lord and Christ. His exaltation is bound to His receiving from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and pouring it out, and that outpouring confirms He has received authority in heaven and on earth. He is David's descendant according to the flesh, yet David calls Him Lord in His divine character as He takes His place beside God. This was declared boldly and without hesitation to the men of Israel after Pentecost, not in a timid trembling style, while special miracles were wrought and those who had rejected Christ walked in darkness.
That exaltation identifies Jesus as the Lord and Christ whom God raised and exalted. The Father's word is addressed to Christ, who is Himself also Lord and equal with the Father, bidding Him sit at the right hand until His enemies are made His footstool, and the prophecy refers to the risen and ascended Jesus, not to David. The Pentecost gathering itself provided powerful evidence that Jesus is the Son of God. Though humiliated and killed by His enemies, He is now proclaimed as the divine Prince of Life. Exalted as Prince and Savior, He grants repentance and forgiveness of sins, and through Him three thousand were brought to repentance.
His place at God's right hand together with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit shows that He has received authority as priest and king over His people, as the Anointed One over His people in heaven and on earth. The Spirit's outpouring at Pentecost confirms that Jesus, rejected and crucified by the rulers, has received that authority after being humiliated and killed. Although His enemies remain opposed to Him after His humiliation and crucifixion, their hostility cannot undo His exaltation. The power of God is at work on the side of redemption.
Spirit's Power and Response
The Holy Spirit used Peter's sermon after Jesus' ascension to reveal and glorify Jesus, bringing about three thousand to repentance. On the day of Pentecost after the descent of the Holy Spirit, Peter bore witness of a risen Saviour whose one desire is the salvation of souls, concluding that God made the crucified Jesus both Lord and Christ. His preaching explained the mystery of the cross and other mysteries concerning the Messiah, so that many who had condemned Jesus were pricked in heart and became converts. They repented and were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost promised to all whom the Lord calls, for Jesus was exalted as Prince and Saviour to grant repentance and forgiveness of sins. Those added, about three thousand souls, continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers, continuing daily with one accord with gladness and singleness of heart. They were tender, thoughtful, self-denying and willing to sacrifice, revealing in word and deed the love Christ commanded in willing obedience to the new commandment to love one another as He loved, closely united to Christ and magnifying a Saviour who justifies by His righteousness.
The verse belongs to the day the Spirit came upon the disciples when they went out and preached the Word everywhere with thousands converted in a day, showing Spirit-given preaching power that converts sinners. That same power is needed now to make people hungry to hear the Word and to live the self-denying life of Christ. It is needed to take the Bible from house to house and to wake from stupor and indifference and be converted in the judgment hour to save the world.
As part of the second chapter of Acts, the verse is to be read and received and presented to others. It teaches deeper piety and the meekness of Christ. It calls every person to humble the heart and be converted daily.