Jesus is both Lord and Messiah
Jesus Christ is my Lord. That is the greatest confession of faith you
can ever make. “Jesus is Lord.” He is not one of a variety of ways to get to
heaven; He is the only way because He is the risen Lord. When we confess faith in
Jesus we are saying Jesus is Lord because God raised Him from the dead (Rom. 10:9-10).
Why do followers of Jesus Christ believe He is Lord? The resurrection
of Jesus demonstrated beyond any doubt that He is Lord of all. Our faith is based on the
clear historical evidence of His resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus proved the
validity and reality of Jesus’ redemptive work on the cross and His sovereign
Lordship. Because Jesus is alive He is our Lord, and He invites us to join Him in the
resurrection life.
The apostle Peter gave four evidences of the resurrection of Jesus in
Acts 2:22-36.
The person of Jesus Christ is the first clear evidence that He is
risen from the dead (vv. 22-24). Jesus is a real historical person who lived in the
town of Nazareth (2:22; 3:6; 4:10; 6:14; 10:38; 22:8; 26:9). He performed many miracles
that were witnessed by multitudes of people on diverse occasions. There were eyewitnesses
who saw Him raise the dead (cf. John 11:38-44), and heal the sick (Matt. 9:35-38).
Peter declared in his greatest sermon, this was the person who was
crucified on the cross in Jerusalem (2:22-23). “Men of Israel, listen to these words:
Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which
God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know” (v. 22).
“. . . You nailed to the cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death”
(v. 23; cf. 3:13; Lk. 24:19-20). People knew Him and could identify Him. This man was seen
alive from the dead!
The crucifixion of Jesus Christ was no accident. It was God’s
“plan.” He was “delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of
God . . .” His very person testifies that He died and rose again.
The prophecy of David is fulfilled in the resurrection of Jesus
Christ. The king-prophet David foretold that the Messiah would not remain in the realm
of the dead and that His body would not decay in the grave. In Acts 2:25-31 Peter quoted
Psalm 16:8-11 with the clear knowledge that he could not be referring to the ancient king
David. He had been dead for a thousand years (2:29). We can visit his tomb this very day in Jerusalem.
It was impossible that this person who performed miracles and signs
and wonders among eyewitnesses could be held by the power of death (v. 24). Obviously,
David is referring to a greater David, “since it was impossible for Him to be held in
its power.”
David’s prophecy was fulfilled in the person of this risen
Christ. David “looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah (Christ),
that He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay (lit. see
corruption)” (v. 31).
God raised up Jesus to life, and exalted Him to the right hand of the
Father fulfilling David’s prophecy (Ps. 16:8-11; Acts 2:30; 3:13; Phil. 2:9; 5:30-31;
Eph. 1:20; Col. 3:1; Heb. 1:3; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2). Later on Peter would write of the risen
Christ in 1 Peter 3:22, “who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven,
after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.”
The third evidence of the resurrection of Jesus were the personal
witnesses who saw Him alive (v. 32). Great multitudes of trustworthy witnesses saw Him
alive. This is the steady pulse beat of the apostle’s witness of the
resurrection in the book of Acts (2:32; 3:15, 26; 4:10; 5:30, 32; 10:39-41; 13:30-31,
33-34, 37; 17:31; 26:23).
Jesus is the Messiah and Lord because it was impossible for death to
keep its grip on Him. “He must rise again from the dead” (John 20:9).
The fourth evidence Peter gives of the resurrection is the
presence of the Holy Spirit. Only the risen Christ could send the Holy Spirit (vv.
33-35). It would be impossible for the Holy Spirit to be present in such a great magnitude
if Jesus were not alive in heaven. God sent the Holy Spirit to do His miraculous work in
men’s lives (Joel 2:29-32; Luke 24:49; Jn. 14:26; 15: 26; Acts 1:4). The supernatural
events at Pentecost can only be explained by the resurrection of Christ.
It is imperative that Jesus be alive because He could not send the
Holy Spirit if He were still dead. Only the living Christ could send one like Himself to
continue His work on the earth. John 16:7 tells us Jesus had to return to heaven before He
could send the Spirit. “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go
away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send
Him to you.”
Again Peter quotes king David in Psalm 110:1 with the obvious
certainty that it could only refer to a greater David (Matt. 22:41-46).
The ascension of David’s greater Son is the most powerful
testimony of the resurrection (Acts 2:34-36). King David was not resurrected; Jesus was.
He did not ascend to heaven; Jesus did.
What can we learn from the greatest sermon Peter ever preached? Jesus
is the Messiah and Lord. To those present He declared powerfully, “Jesus is your Messiah;
the one you crucified is now alive!” You nailed Him to the cross; God raised
Him from the dead! This was no great accident, or poor judgment on the part of Jesus; God
delivered Him up “by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God” (v. 23).
God did it!
“This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses .
. .” (vv. 32-33). This is all the evidence we need. Jesus is alive! He is a real
person who lived at a specific time and place in history. He was murdered by crucifixion
in Jerusalem by the hands of godless men. But “God raised Him up again. . . . This
Jesus God raised up again to which we are all witnesses. Therefore having been exalted to
the right hand of God . . . . God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom
you crucified” (Acts 2:24, 32, 33, 36).
The noun “Lord” in v. 36, referring to “Christ”
is a reference to Yahweh and His Anointed One. When I compare “Lord” in vv. 21,
34 and 39 I am convinced it is a strong affirmation to the deity of Jesus Christ. God not
only raised Jesus up, but also “exalted” Him “to the right hand of
God” (v. 33).
What is your response to the evidence? Will you confess Him as
“My Lord and my God”? The apostle Paul concluded, “For this reason also,
God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name . . . Jesus
Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:9, 11).
At the conclusion of Peter’s great sermon three thousand people
came under the awesome power of the Holy Spirit and put their faith in Jesus Christ as
Lord of their lives. You can’t argue with success when God is at work. The results
were profound (Acts 2:37). They were “pierced to the heart,” or “smitten in
conscience.” It was like being struck violently; they were stunned. I pray you are
too. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you, too, will be saved.
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
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