Chapter

Acts 2:36

ESV Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
NIV Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.'
NASB Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.'
CSB "Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah."
NLT So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!'
KJV Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

What does Acts 2:36 mean?

Peter finishes the first sermon of the church age by presenting three incredible truths: Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah sent by God to save the Jews; the Jews killed Him; God raised Him from the dead, giving the Jews hope for their own resurrection. As Jesus promised, the apostles and other Jesus-followers will spread variations of this message "in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Peter's message is directed to the Jews in Jerusalem, but Jesus has already said the message is for everyone on earth (John 10:16). Because, the truth is, Jesus came to save all of us; we all, with our sin, killed Him; and God raised Him from the dead to give us all hope.

The truths in Peter's message in Acts 2:14–36 carried his audience through an extraordinary range of ideas. The crowd gathered in the first place because the Holy Spirit came on 120 Jesus-followers who started speaking different languages and dialects (Acts 2:4–13) as Joel prophesied (Acts 2:17–18). Joel also wrote that those who do not pay attention to these signs will be counted as God's enemy and treated as such (Acts 2:19–20). But there is yet time to turn to Him (Acts 2:21).

Then Peter shows his audience how this relates to Jesus. Peter's Jewish audience, either directly or through proxy by being of the Jewish nation, took a Man who was also marked by God's miracles and crucified Him (Acts 2:22–23). But God not only raised Him from the dead, His resurrection brings hope for theirs, as well (Acts 2:24–35).

After such a speech of signs, condemnation, and hope, it's no wonder Peter's audience responds, "Brothers, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37). Fortunately, when Jesus called His followers to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8), the message they were given was never just to convict others of sin; it was always to lead to repentance, as Peter tells them, "for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).
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