Acts 2:36, commentary and pictures

On the day of Pentecost Peter closed his witness to the gathered house of Israel with certain testimony that God had raised and exalted the same Jesus they had crucified and appointed Him both Lord and Christ. Lord and Christ means Messiah and ruler, divine in character, the Prince of Life and Son of God, seated at God's right hand with authority as priest and king over His people. This fulfilled David's word that his descendant after the flesh would yet be his Lord in divine nature, bidden to sit at the Father's right hand until His foes were made His footstool. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit then seen and heard was the visible proof of His resurrection, exaltation, and heavenly authority. Spoken by united believers in holy boldness after prayer and confession, the message lifted up Jesus as exalted Prince and Saviour to give repentance and forgiveness, so that thousands who had seen no beauty in Him were convicted that the crucified Jesus is the Messiah and three thousand were added in one day.

Pentecost Setting and Witness

Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly is Peter's concluding witness to Christ on the day of Pentecost, declaring the crucified Jesus to be both Lord and Christ. It was given as the message of the risen Saviour to the multitudes assembled at the great religious festival in Jerusalem, to Jewish pilgrims gathered there, to persuade fellow Jews who had come for the festivals. The Jerusalem demonstration and Peter's sermon identified the very Jesus the people had crucified as the Christ, whom God had made both Lord and Christ, the promised Messiah exalted and enthroned. Peter's preaching advanced the work, and three thousand people were added.

It was spoken after the descent of the Holy Spirit, when the promised Spirit came upon the disciples after Jesus' resurrection and ascension and empowered their witness. The believers were united, together in one place and in one accord, and the Spirit worked mightily through them. Peter bore firm, bold testimony to those who had rejected Jesus and demanded His death, giving decided and unhesitating testimony rather than addressing them in a timid and trembling style. He spoke before thousands with holy boldness, showing he had been restored from his own denial and was no longer morally insensible.

The argument leading to the conclusion set forth Jesus of Nazareth as approved of God among the people by miracles and wonders and signs. He was taken and by wicked hands crucified and slain by the determinate counsel, then raised up by God and exalted by the right hand of God. Having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He shed forth what was then seen and heard. David did not ascend into the heavens but said his Lord was told to sit at the right hand until his foes were made his footstool, and therefore all the house of Israel was to know assuredly that God had appointed the same crucified Jesus as both Lord and Messiah.

The disciples who gave this witness had prepared by obeying Jesus' command not to depart from Jerusalem until they received the promise of the Father. They spent several days together confessing their sins and praying for the Holy Spirit, so they would receive power to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth. They had seen the risen Christ and His ascension, and before a great crowd gathered in Jerusalem they boldly testified to Christ despite false reports about His resurrection. They performed miracles in Jesus' name as His instruments, so that honor and praise belonged to Him and not to them. The message of repentance and forgiveness in His name was then carried by hearers to many places.

Exalted Lord and Christ

Let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God raised and exalted the same Jesus whom the people had crucified and appointed Him both Lord and Christ. The crucified Jesus has been established and enthroned as both Lord and Christ, the Messiah. Israel is therefore to recognize this assuredly.

Lord and Christ means Messiah and ruler. He is divine in character, the Prince of Life and Son of God, seated at God's right hand. There He holds authority as priest and king, the Anointed One over His people. Sincere hearers were thus convinced that the crucified Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God.

This fulfills David's prophecy concerning the promised descendant of David according to God's purpose. The Messiah is David's descendant in human lineage yet David's Lord in divine character. Equal with the Father, He was told to sit at the Father's right hand until His foes were made His footstool, then raised and exalted to that place. David himself did not ascend into the heavens but spoke this of his Lord.

The outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost is visible evidence of His exalted position. It confirms His divine origin, resurrection, exaltation, and messianic office and authority. By sending the Spirit and shedding forth what was then seen and heard, He showed He had received authority in heaven and on earth. The Spirit's work gave powerful evidence that Jesus was the Son of God, had risen from the dead, and had ascended to heaven.

The apostles supported the message with prophecy to persuade their fellow Jews who had come to Jerusalem for the festivals. Israel's prophecies and expectations, including the promised descent from Abraham and David, were fulfilled in His life, ministry, and death. The sacrifices and ceremonies of the law pointed forward to Him, His priesthood, and His sanctuary ministry.

The recent humiliation and crucifixion did not defeat Him. The humiliated and crucified Jesus is the divine Prince of Life, whom God raised and exalted to God's right hand. God exalted and enthroned the very Jesus whom the people had crucified.

Conviction and Calling

The Spirit-empowered preaching at Pentecost unfolded Jesus and glorified Him before eyes that before saw no beauty in Him to desire Him, for the glorious inner beauties of His work and character are not discerned with natural eyes but only as the Spirit quickens. Jesus was lifted up as the exalted Prince and Saviour to give repentance and forgiveness of sins, and beheld as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, preached with tremendous effect in demonstration of the Spirit and with power while the Lord Jesus stands at the helm. That preaching explained the mystery of the cross and other mysteries concerning the Messiah, so that thousands who had been convinced that Jesus was no pretender became converts to Christ. The very Jesus the people had crucified was identified as the Christ, and Peter's preaching advanced the work until three thousand people were added in one day. Sincere hearers were convinced by the declaration that the crucified Jesus was the Messiah and the Son of God. The Spirit's work gave powerful evidence that Jesus was the Son of God, had risen from the dead, and had ascended to heaven, and people who had been convinced but afraid to acknowledge Him were moved to act fearlessly on their convictions.

Israel's rejection of Jesus had been caused by deception from priests and rulers, and the people were urged not to wait for these leaders to acknowledge Christ before accepting Him, because their ambition for earthly riches and glory kept them from coming to Christ for light. The words about the One whom they had crucified warn against rejecting and denying Christ through a wrong course of action and call people to understand their relation to God and their responsibility as His messengers. God established the crucified Jesus as both Lord and Christ, and the house of Israel is called to recognize this with certainty. This calls for fuller recognition of His authority and place as Saviour, to whom homage and obedience are due, with growth in faith in Him and a clear sense of what God is and of the responsibility of those who serve as His messengers.

The second chapter of Acts is to be read and received and presented to others, for it teaches deeper piety and the sincere meekness of the Great Teacher. It is a lesson for Washington, D.C., and for all, calling each individual heart to humble itself and be converted daily. The preaching at Pentecost under the Holy Spirit that converted thousands in a day proves sinners are still to be converted. Believers have a part to do in it by getting the self-denying life of Christ, cherishing the same tender, thoughtful, self-denying love that filled the apostles, and going forward in willing obedience so closely united to Christ that they can fulfil His requirements and magnify the power of a Saviour who justifies them by His righteousness. That part is done by proclaiming a risen Saviour out of one desire for the salvation of souls, in love revealed in words and deeds to awaken love in other hearts, making people hungry to hear the Word, taking the Bible from house to house and reading to them to bring souls to the knowledge of the truth, and shaking off stupor and indifference to arouse and be converted and give the message to a world to save in this judgment hour. The early history during and immediately after Pentecost, when believers united together in one place and in one accord saw the Holy Spirit working mightily through them, and when disciples who had seen the risen Christ and His ascension boldly testified despite false reports about His resurrection so that the message of repentance and forgiveness in His name was carried by hearers to many places, is to be studied because God's people today will pass through similar experiences.