35 Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ‘ 36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
2:35
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ‘
Continuing the quotation of Psalm 110:1, Peter added the thought that the enemies of Jesus will subordinate to Him as LORD. This phrase is the Father’s statement to the Son; the Messiah. Jehovah will subdue the Messiah’s enemies. Peter understood this prophecy as a prediction of Jesus as the Messiah.
2:36
“Therefore let all the house of Israel
The “house of Israel” refers to the entire nation of Jews. Peter wanted Israel to know the conclusion of his message that Christ is the Messiah. All that Peter set forth points to this settled resolution by God.
know assuredly
It is possible to have assurance or certainty that Jesus is both God and the Messiah.
that God
Israel needed to know that the whole plan of sending Jesus to earth to be crucified and resurrected from the dead is God’s. God is the principal person in Peter’s message (Acts 2:17, 22-24, 30, 32, 36).
has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord [Jehovah] and Christ.”
This verse summarizes Peter’s challenge to Israel that the nation can know for sure that Jesus is both “Lord and Christ.” He is both God Himself and the Messiah. This conclusion is the main argument of Peter’s sermon. This assertion by Peter shows the rejection by Israel of their Messiah ironically demonstrated the exaltation of Jesus as the Messiah.
PRINCIPLE:
The point of Peter’s argument is that Jesus of Nazareth was the Davidic Messiah.
APPLICATION:
Peter’s argument was not that Jesus is currently reigning as the Messiah at the beginning of His kingdom (as progressive dispensationalists and covenant theologians assert). The Messianic kingdom did not begin at Christ’s ascension. Our Lord is not ruling on David’s throne from heaven currently.
The Messiahship of Jesus was the message of the early church to the Jews. That message signified Israel’s hope of a coming Messiah, who would bring the nation Israel to fulfill God’s unconditional promises to them.
