The Meaning of Acts 2:36: Jesus: Lord and Christ

Pentecost and the Turning Point of God's Plan

The outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost marks a pivotal moment in God's story, launching the church and empowering believers to proclaim Jesus as Lord to all nations.

Moments before, the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking in languages they didn’t know, drawing a stunned crowd who heard the wonders of God declared in their own native tongues. This miraculous event fulfilled the prophecy of Joel 2:28-32, where God promised, 'I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.' Peter stands with the eleven, seizing this moment to explain that what they’re witnessing isn’t drunken chaos but the dawn of God’s promised age.

He walks the crowd through Scripture, showing how David foretold the resurrection of the Messiah in Psalm 110:1: 'The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”' Jesus, whom they crucified, has been raised and exalted to the highest place - not in spite of the cross, but because of God’s perfect plan.

God has made Jesus both Lord of all and the promised Christ, the long-awaited Savior of Israel. This declaration is personal and urgent, calling everyone to recognize the truth about Jesus and respond. Its significance extends beyond theology.

The resurrection and exaltation of Jesus are the foundation of the Christian message, and now, empowered by the Spirit, the disciples begin their mission to proclaim it to the world.

The Explosive Meaning of 'Lord' and 'Christ' in Acts 2:36

Peter’s declaration that God has made Jesus both 'Lord' and 'Christ' is far more than a title drop - it’s a seismic theological claim rooted in Jewish Scripture and identity.

The title 'Lord' (Greek: *kyrios*) was the word Greek-speaking Jews used for YHWH, the personal name of God revealed to Moses. When Peter says Jesus is 'Lord,' he places Jesus on the throne of God’s own presence, not merely calling Him a master or teacher. This echoes Psalm 110:1 where David speaks of 'The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand.' This wasn’t a casual phrase. In a culture where the name of God was too holy to speak, calling a crucified man 'Lord' was either blasphemy or earth-shaking truth.

And 'Christ' - from the Greek *Christos*, meaning 'Anointed One' - is the Jewish hope for a king like David who would rescue Israel and restore God’s kingdom. For centuries, Israel waited for this Messiah, expecting a political liberator. But Peter proclaims that this promised Christ is the very Jesus they crucified - God’s Anointed, not in power and conquest, but in suffering, resurrection, and exaltation. He fulfills the role not by overthrowing Rome, but by defeating sin and death.

These titles together - 'Lord' and 'Christ' - collapse the boundary between human hope and divine reality. Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s covenant promises, the one through whom God’s Spirit is now poured out on all flesh. He is not merely a prophet or teacher. This is the heart of the gospel: the crucified man is the living Lord.

To call Jesus 'Lord' was not just respectful - it was a divine claim, echoing the sacred name of God Himself.

This bold claim demands a response of repentance and faith, not merely agreement. The next step in Peter’s message shows how this truth leads directly to the call for baptism and new life in Christ.

Repentance and Baptism: The Response to Jesus as Lord and Christ

Now that Peter has shown Jesus is both Lord and Christ, he calls the crowd to respond with repentance and baptism, marking a decisive turn from sin to new life in Him.

When the people hear Peter's message, they are 'cut to the heart' and ask what they should do. Peter tells them plainly: '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' (Acts 2:38). This is a change of direction, turning away from rejecting Jesus to embracing Him as Lord. It is more than merely feeling sorry. Baptism is the public step that shows this inward change, a visible sign of being washed clean and joined to Christ.

This response fits God’s bigger story of calling people to Himself - not through rituals or heritage, but through personal faith and surrender. It echoes the promise in Joel that 'everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved' (Acts 2:21). Now, that call is answered through repentance, baptism, and receiving the Spirit.

Repent and be baptized - this was the clear, urgent call to turn from sin and publicly align with the risen Jesus.

This moment opens the door to the next part of the story: how these new believers begin living together as the church, shaped by teaching, fellowship, and the Spirit’s power.

The Linchpin of Scripture: How Psalm 110 and the Davidic Covenant Reveal the Crucified Lord

Peter's climactic declaration in Acts 2:36 is the key that unlocks the whole Bible, showing how Psalm 110 and God’s promise to David converge in the crucified and risen Jesus. It is more than merely bold preaching.

Quoting Psalm 110:1 - 'The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool”' - Peter makes a stunning argument: David, a king himself, spoke of a future Lord greater than any earthly ruler. If David calls this coming King 'Lord,' how could He be only his human descendant? Only someone divine could sit at God’s right hand, the place of supreme authority. Jesus, raised from the dead and exalted, now occupies that very throne.

This fulfills the Davidic covenant in 2 Samuel 7:12-13, where God promised David, 'I will raise up your offspring after you... and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.' Jesus, as David’s descendant and yet his Lord, is that eternal King - His kingdom not limited to Israel but open to all nations through the Spirit.

The resurrection proves Jesus is the one through whom God’s ancient promises are finally kept, not merely another failed messianic claimant. He is the Christ who reigns, the Lord who pours out the Spirit, and the Savior who calls all people to repentance.

The one they crucified is the same one David called 'Lord' - the divine King who reigns from heaven and pours out the Spirit on all who turn to Him.

This moment marks the beginning of the church’s mission: to proclaim that the long-awaited King has come, not in military might, but in sacrificial love, and now offers forgiveness and new life to everyone who calls on His name.

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