We'll read this one in the beginning,
but we'll of course be upon many other scriptures as well. Acts
2.36, our subject again, the Lordship of Christ. The Christ is Lord. Now you may
not believe it, but this is not much preached on in our day. You won't hear a lot about it.
But look what Peter said to that crowd of Jews gathered in Jerusalem
on the day of Pentecost. in the 36th verse of Acts chapter
2. Therefore, let all the house
of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus
whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now, that sets us on our way
for our study of the morning. Now, the events that are described
in Acts chapter 2 occurred on what we know as the day of Pentecost. And that answered one of the
very important feast days in the Old Testament. When in accordance
with the promise of God, the Holy Spirit of God was poured
out in a never before seen or done way. A member of the Lord
Jesus Christ said in the Upper Room Discourse in chapter 13
through 17 of the Gospel of John, he talked about the coming of
the Spirit and promised that it would be sent. In John 14,
16 through 17, the first part, and he said to them, I will pray,
that is, I will ask, I will request, I will beseech the Father, and
he will give you another comforter, literally, apparently, one come
along side that he might have, a consoler, because the same
word is rendered in 1 John chapter 2 and verse 1 as advocate, that
he may abide with you forever. even the spirit of truth whom
the world cannot receive." Now, at least three times in that
upper room discourse unto them, John uses the description, the
spirit of truth. I will send you the spirit of
truth. And the Lord promised them in
some of his last instruction unto them, that God would give
them another comforter. Those three places are in John
chapter 14, 26, 15 and 26, and chapter 16 and verse
7. And then in Acts chapter 1, some
of the last thing that he ever said to them while upon the earth. Now, the coming of the Holy Spirit
in the manner that it came or he came on the day of Pentecost
was contingent upon the Lord being crucified. And in John
chapter 7 and verse 39, except it was not given for Jesus was
not yet glorified. And then again in John chapter
16, verse 7 the Lord said to them if I go not away the Comforter
will not come unto you but if I go away I will send him unto
you so let's look now at Acts chapter 2 and verse 33 therefore
being by the right hand of God exalted and having received of
the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost or Spirit he has shed
forth this which ye now see and hear. It was the ascended Lord
Jesus Christ glorified and at the right hand of God and having
received the fulfillment of of the promise, that is, the promise
or the promise or the gift was the Holy Spirit of God then the
exalted Lord has poured out this which has just occurred. Now, I want you to pardon a short
digression on my part concerning the coming of the Holy Spirit
of God, because I believe that there are many eras and much
heresy that is born out of a misunderstanding or misapplication of the Spirit
of God on the day of Pentecost. Just a few things that I'd like
to say. Number one, the disciples did
not pray down the Holy Spirit of God. He did not come in answer
or in regard unto their prayer. The Spirit did not come because
they fulfilled certain conditions that had been set upon them. Nothing they did caused the Spirit
of God to come down on the day of Pentecost. For the Spirit
is called promise and is called a gift. And as the Lord gave
Nicodemus absolutely no condition in order that he might be born
again, neither did our Lord give the disciples any condition for
the coming of the Holy Spirit of God. All he said to them was
wait and wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father. So the Holy Spirit actually came
upon them unexpected but also unasked for on their part. They were not there praying for
the Holy Spirit to come and to fill them. It came upon a prescribed
time because of the Passover and the Feast of Pentecost and
such like, but that's another study of another time. For our
text and our subject today, see the opening word of verse 36
of Acts chapter 2. Therefore, therefore, The word
has a rather wide range of meaning as it is used in the scripture. For example, it can mean accordingly,
it can mean certainly, it can mean truly, it can mean verily,
and is often translated wherefore. So the word therefore. It also
can introduce a summation. It can draw a conclusion. It
can make a deduction. It can make an application. And
in this case, it can close a presentation that is being made based upon
what has already been said under them. And so the word therefore
or wherefore. F.F. Bruce wrote, the attested
facts point to one conclusion, and Peter is now making that
conclusion. Therefore, it is introduced by,
and those attested facts are these, and let's run through
them quickly. wherefore, or therefore, based
upon the attested facts that have been laid out in Peter's
preaching unto them. Number one, there is the Pentecostal
miracle itself, the coming of the Spirit, which Peter tells
them is by the promise of God, by the acquisition of the Lord
and Savior. And it bears repeating that the
Spirit came upon them unexpectedly, unasked for, and not as a result
of the recipient's activity or desire or prayers, but it was
the fulfilling of the promise of God that was made. Secondly,
in verse 14, through verse 21. Another fact, Peter discerns,
no doubt, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that the
fulfillment of Joel chapter 2 was the coming of the Spirit on the
day of Pentecost. Peter, very wisely, early in
the ministry, was able to discern how these things lined up with
the Old Testament Scripture. And in Joel chapter 2, verse
28 through verse 32, and the apostle says in verse 16 of Acts
chapter 2, This is not the influence of wine. No, these men are not
drunken, as you imagine and as you suppose, but this is that
spoken by the prophet Joel, who said, I will pour out my spirit
and so forth upon all flesh, and the Jewish Pentecost occurred
in Acts chapter 2, and the Gentile Pentecost occurred in Acts chapter
10, both of them under the ministry of the Apostle Peter. With this
promise attached to the coming of the Spirit, whosoever shall
call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. And then the
third fact, you'll find it in verse 22, through verse 24. And this begins the second part
of the Apostle Peter's address unto those Jews. And notice that
it concerns Jesus of Nazareth. This is the important one, Jesus
of Nazareth, that after all, he was not an ordinary man. He was a man approved of God
among you by signs and miracles and wonder. This word approved
is a word that appears at least four times in the New Testament. In Acts 25 and 7, it is translated
proved. 1st Corinthians 4 and 9 it is
translated set forth in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 4 it is Translated
that is in the King James as showing he was attested. He was accredited and He was
exhibited. He was proved by demonstration
as being approved of God among them. How was it that he was
approved of God among them? And the apostle Peter said, by
the mighty works of power which he did among them, and which
they knew they saw and they could not deny. They knew the mighty
things which he did, Quote, as ye yourselves also know, unquote. For they were done in the open.
They were done in the presence of many. God imminently distinguished
the Lord Jesus Christ as being approved of and by him. In the 23rd verse, He was delivered
by the determinant counsel and for knowledge of God. And though
you, by wicked hands, did crucify and slay him, God raised him
up again. You killed him. You had him put
to death. But God raised him up again. That also, by a timetable, after
three days and three nights. God not only raised him up again
out of death in the grave, but he has received him, exalted
him to the very right hand of God in heaven. And then the fourth
fact that we're looking at, verse 25 and following, the apostle
then brings in the testimony of the Old Testament. particularly
the words and the prophecy of David. Why does he do that? To
establish the point that Messiah, though he was put unto death,
yet the cords or the pang or the strings of death were loosed
because it was not possible that he be held under the power of
death, not be held there forever. held beyond the appointed time
of three days and three nights, and he would not see corruption. The impossibility of death, keeping
the Lord, lay in the purpose of God, the promise of God, and
the prophecy of David. But Peter makes the connection.
It was not possible for him to be held by death since David
a prophet predicted the resurrection of God's Holy One. You'll find
that in Psalm chapter 16 and verse 8 through verse 10. John
12 and verse 39 said they could not believe because Isaiah said. And now Peter said it is not
possible for him to be held in death because David spoke of
his resurrection. And in Acts 2 and 26, a quote
from Psalm 16, my flesh also shall rest in hope. Because verse
27, thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, that is in Hades, nor
suffer thine holy one to see corruption. Now the question
is, does David speak this of himself or of some other? Well, not of himself, Peter reasons,
for David died, David was buried, David saw corruption, and in
fact he said, his sepulcher is with us, his grave is known even
unto this day. In verse 31 of Acts chapter 2,
David was speaking of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was
not left in hell, Hades, neither did his flesh see corruption. Verse 32, this Jesus hath God
raised up whereof we are witnessing. Now the apostle and disciple
saw him after the resurrection and saw him not once but again. Saw him in his resurrected body. They accompanied with him. He's
spoken to them. They conversed with him. and
they had seen the empty tomb where once the Lord lay. They
saw the print of the nail in his hand and in his feet. They saw him with their own eyes
ascending back up again into heaven. Yes, they were witnesses
of the resurrection Christ but then Peter cites another prophecy
this one also from David in verse 34 and 35 this one is taken from
Psalm 110 and verse 1 and it said this the Lord said unto
my Lord sit thou upon my right hand until I make thine enemy
to thy footstool." Again, David spoke not of himself, for he
is not ascended into heaven, verse 34, but Christ is ascended
into heaven and the right hand of God. Now we come to verse
36. our principal point of focus,
both our subject and our text for the morning. And it contains
the summing up. Peter is now summing up what
all these facts mean that he has given. And these facts have
been presented, he said, and now this is the sum. This is the conclusion. What
is? God hath made that same Jesus
Lord and Christ. This is the conclusion. This
is the crux of the whole matter. This is what all of these facts
substantiate and lead to. But the Apostle fleshes out,
if you will, the great truth. He adds something. Therefore,
let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made
that same Jesus, and he interjects, whom you crucified, both Lord
and Christ. Again, F.F. Bruce wrote, on verse
36, quote, the apostolic witness and testimony of prophecy had
combined to give assurance of the proclamation, unquote. Jesus has been made Lord and
Christ. Again, one wrote, the attested
facts point to one conclusion, which is this. House of Israel,
which is the same Jesus that you crucified, God hath made
him to be Lord and Christ, exalted him into heaven at his right
hand. Now, let's be careful. Let's
note those addressed and admonished on this particular occasion.
They are who? All the house of Israel. This is a very common phrase
in the Old Testament for a description of the Jews. Some 300 times or
more, You will find this expression used in the Old Testament, the
house of Israel, and six times at least in the New Testament. Now the two most frequent terms,
I believe, in the Old Testament to refer to Israel or to describe
them are these two, the house of Israel and the children of
Israel. Hundreds and hundreds of times
they are referred to by this in the Old Testament. So we read
of the household of faith in the New Testament, Galatians
6 and verse 10, the house of Christ. in Hebrews chapter 3
and verse 6. The house of Israel are or were
the descendants of Jacob who became Israel by name in Genesis
32 and verse 28. Thy name no more shall be Jacob,
but Israel, for as a prince with God, thou hast prevailed." Now,
the ones that God separated from the other nations of the world,
the ones that waited for a blessed deliverer, and yes, even the
ones that put our Lord unto death. If any among them waited for
the consolation of Israel, as he did in Luke 2 and verse 25,
as did Simeon, and even the murderers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let
them also know what God has done in regard to Christ. Peter says,
let them know. And the apostle used a word,
assuredly, in our English and in the King James. Let them,
that is, let the house of Israel know, and let them know assuredly
Alexander called this a qualifying adverb, unquote. It qualifies
no. Let them know assuredly, or let
them assuredly know. Now the apostle might simply
have said unto them, let all the house of Israel know, but
he interjects that word Let them know assuredly. He interjects
here a qualifier. Assuredly know. It modifies or
defines the extent of what they are to know and the degree to
which they are to know it. Let them know assuredly that
this is so. Linsky notes the tense of this
word is durative present. That is, that all the house of
Israel be realizing. Let them be realizing and realizing
assuredly and that the word assuredly is two more time in the New Testament. Mark 14 and 44 and Acts 16 and
verse 23. Both times There, the word is translated
safely. So let them know safely. Wycliffe translated the word
most certainly. Tyndall translated it for a surety. Let them know for a surety. James Alexander is saying let
them know infallibly. Let them infallibly know this
without error, without any possibility of error, and without any fear
in trusting in this as a settled fact. In other words, let them
know it for certain. Let them know it as a truth that
cannot be overthrown or contradicted. It was and it is. beyond all
question, clearly true, and as Gill put it, a matter that may
be depended upon, that Jesus is made Lord and Christ. So sure was it that they could
stake their soul upon this very fact that Jesus is made Lord
and Christ. Why? Well, because it matched
or answered to the prophecies made about him in the Old Testament. It fulfilled the prophecy. How many were met together? A prophecy in the death of our
Lord, his suffering and death. One prophecy one after another,
fulfilled in the suffering, the life, and the death of our Lord. Now here's the thing that is
beyond question. That God hath made Jesus both
Lord and Christ. And this phrase here, affords us a reason for a study
of some names and some words that are relevant to this matter
this morning. First of all, the word made.
God had made that same Jesus, Lord Christ. This word has two
characters in the New Testament being the word and I'll try my
best to pronounce it, poieo. It is used many times in the
New Testament two ways. Number one, it is used many times
in the New Testament. Number two, it has a whole wide
range of meaning such as did, Bring forth, made, done, purposed
in Ephesians 3 and verse 11. And it's the same word in 2 Corinthians
5 and verse 21. God has made him to be sin for
us. He had made him to be sin for
us. In Acts 2 and verse 36, the word
made is a verb. And in the case at hand, it could
have a couple of meanings in regard to our Lord. Number one,
as to the purpose of God in regard to the Son being constituted
as the mediator of the new everlasting covenant. Number two, as the
manifestation of that great fact, the Lord being entered into that
high office. Now, both of them are true as
to the person and the work of Christ. Both of them are gospel
truth and are to be proclaimed far and wide wherever Christ
and the gospel is preached. But there is also a contrast
here. There's a contrast here between
the house of Israel and what they had done to Emmanuel, and
to God and what he had done unto Emmanuel. They and God viewed
him in altogether different lights. They as an imposter and a blasphemer,
and God as the divine one he had sent. Now on their part,
the house of Israel, what did they do? They crucified him. They slew him. They hanged him
up on a tree, Acts 5.30 and 10.39. They killed the prince of life. Acts 3 and 15, they desired a
murderer to be released unto them. Luke 23, 25, Barabbas by
name. And again in Acts 3 and verse
14, they desired a murderer when Pilate stood before them and
offered. Now while it is true They did
not, that is the Jew, the house of Israel, they did not actually
and they did not personally slay him with their very own hands. They did not by their own hand
put him to death. They did not by their own hand
scourge the Lord. Pilate ordered that from his
soldiers, John 19 and 1. The Jews did not with their own
hand plait the crown of thorns and put it upon the head of the
Lord. The Romans did that, Matthew
27, 29. They did not personally drive
the nails in his hand and in his feet. The Roman soldiers
took care of that. Nevertheless, Peter repeatedly
and harshly charges them with the slaying of the Lord. In our text, Acts 236, whom you
crucified. He does not say whom the Romans
crucified, but whom you crucified. Now, by the way, I thought Let's
think about that. This is a fact we need to kind
of look at. And I found and thought there
is a precedent for Peter's laying the guilt of Christ's death upon
the Jew, even though they use the Romans to carry out that
dastardly deed. Take David and Uriah back in
the Old Testament, 2 Samuel chapter 12 and verse 9. The prophet Samuel
comes and he confronts David for all of his sin. And he tells
the king these words, quote, Thou has killed Uriah the Hittite
with a sword, unquote. Those words are laid upon David
by the prophet Samuel. But the end of the verse says
this, and have slain him with a sword of the children of Ammon,
unquote. And he charges David with the
actual murder and death of Uriah. Now he did that even though David
never wielded the sword in his own hand or lifted it and killed
actually Uriah. In fact, David was far away when
that death occurred in battle. So Peter charges the Jews with
using the Romans as surrogate killers of the Lord of Glory,
the Lord Jesus Christ. Still, says the Apostle, God
has made him both Lord and Christ, in that he was raised from the
dead, seated at the right hand of God, and made mediatorial
sovereign over all the works of God's hand. Now, another word
study, the dual designation which is ascribed here unto the resurrected
and glorified Lord. Two names. Number one, Lord,
and number two, Christ. Hath made him Lord and Christ. And they're not the same name
or the same word. Both Lord and Christ. These are two ways of naming
or describing the same person. Made him, Jesus, whom you crucified,
Lord and Christ. Now, let's remember that the
same two titles are used of the incarnate son in the angelic
announcement at his birth in Luke chapter 2 and verse 11. It says this, Because was born
to you this day a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. Same word, same two title. Now
the word of, or the title, Lord. Let's look at it a moment. You
have the word back in verse 34. where the apostle quotes from
David. Psalm 110 and verse 1. Listen to this carefully. The
Lord said unto my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your
enemies your footstool. Now this verse is also quoted
by the Lord Jesus in a confrontation that he had with a Pharisee in
Matthew 22 and verse 44. It's quoted also by the author
of Hebrews in chapter 1 and verse 13, which is intended to show
how Christ is superior unto the angel. Now, the Lord in Matthew
22, 43 said this to the Pharisee, David in spirit called him Lord. That is, by the Spirit. David,
speaking by the Spirit, said this of the Lord. Mark 12 and
verse 36. That is, David, when he said
or wrote this, was inspired by the Holy Spirit of God when he
called Jesus Lord. Now, the word Lord is hundreds
and hundreds and hundreds of times in the Old Testament. And
we should notice that in Psalm 110 and verse 1, that the two
words, Lord, the Lord said unto my Lord, are two different words,
or should I say names. Two different names. And the two names are, and let's
look at them. Number one, Jehovah. Jehovah. We say Jehovah. This is that name that is you. And it means the eternal, uncreated,
and self-existent one. And this was the national name
of God. And Brother Baker brought us
a very good lesson on the names of God the other Sunday. This,
in this one, God Jehovah is the speaker, the Lord Jehovah. Now the second name is Adonai,
a sovereign controller, Lord, master, owner. This is the one
spoken to. in Psalm 110 and verse 1. So that Jehovah said to our,
call this special son of David, Adonai. As Spurgeon wrote in
Matthew 22 and verse 24, quote, Jehovah said unto my Adonai. And in Psalm 110 and verse 1,
what did the Lord, that is Jehovah, say unto David's Lord? For Christ was not only David's
Lord, but he was David's son. Or he was not only David's son,
but he was also David's Lord. And what did he say to him? Sit
thou on my right hand. Now this is a place of honor
and of glory in the scripture, of majesty and of power. It is what one called a celestial
seat. that our Lord has taken, where
is it? It is in the heavenlies at the
right hand of God. Thus in Acts 2.36, God has made
the same Jesus whom you killed, both Lord and Christ. Just as David foretold, sit thou
on my right hand until I make thine enemy thy footstool. Now,
let's notice the significance of Peter telling the Jews, the
same Jesus is Lord. And the word he uses, as well
as the effect that it had upon some of them, to hear that name
applied to the one they had put to death, to hear this magnificent
name ascribed to the one that they had put upon the cross. To the Jews there was one name
above every name, so sacred that it was not pronounced by them,
as Brother Baker said, was abbreviated by the letters YHWH. So they say Adonai, or when Peter
or other apostles used this name in reference to the Lord Jesus
Christ, it was not merely a courtesy title or to be nice about him,
but they used the name as having a title of the highest meaning. In fact, they used it to express
his divinity and his equality with the Father. Made Lord and
Christ, an affirmation of his deity. Christ meaning the anointed. and Christ being the anointed
and the Christos. He is that. Nowhere is this more
powerfully set forth than in Philippians chapter 2 verse 9
through 11. that after, or because, or having
suffered the death of the cross, quote, God also highly exalted
him and given him a name that is above every name, that at
the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue should
confess. And the Lord of glory he is. Now that the Lord Jesus Christ
is the Lord and the sovereign of all. He's the mediator between
God and men. There is none other. He is Lord
of all. He has all power in heaven and
in earth. He has power or authority over
all flesh, John 17, Will reign until his enemy are crushed and
are put under his feet and then by the way one of the fuller
types of the Lord is that of Joseph in the Old Testament in
the book of Genesis you remember the story sold by his brothers
cast down into the bottom of the dungeon and then brought
out and and exalted and made the prime minister over all of
the land of Egypt. So that when Joseph went out
in the public, they cried before him, bow the knee, bow the knee. And as Joseph went about being
the second in the command in all of the land of Egypt, bow
the knee, bow the knee. Genesis chapter 41 and verse
43. And it was so that none could
act in Egypt without the permission of Joseph. So extensive was his
authority and power that having gone from the dungeon to being
the prime minister, none could lift a hand or foot without the
permission of Joseph. None could get in the storehouses
and get bread. Joseph had the key under that
storehouse. And Joseph would later tell his
brothers, God it is that made me come here. It is God that
had brought me here that I might save much people alive. What a disturbing it was to his
brothers when they were brought into Egypt and Joseph was there
alive and was their master and had the say and the power over
them. You can imagine how these Jews
felt on the day of Pentecost when Peter said, this one whom
you crucified has been made Lord and Christ. Now he's not merely
an ordinary man. And any that treat with God must
do so through the Lord Jesus Christ. And any that treat with
Christ must do so as Lord. He is Lord of all. You know, I've been sick for
years of hearing this little saying they have in the churches,
take Jesus as a personal Savior. What they mean is a fire escape
from hell. And the teaching is rampant that
you can take Jesus as Lord and be saved and put off making Him
Lord for 40 years. That's a heretical doctrine in
our day. But there is an official dispensatory
lordship that belongs to Him. Sure, He's Lord by nature. He's
Lord forever. He's Lord before the incarnation. But then He has an official dispensational
lordship and it belongs to the execution of the eternal purpose
of Almighty God because he purposed that purpose in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 3 and verse 11. And that brought about or necessitated
the incarnation. And there was born a Savior Christ
the Lord. He was Lord at birth and in spite
of being put to death and the rage of the heathen and the kings
and the rulers of the earth taking counsel against him to break
his bands asunder and do as they please. In effect saying, we
will not be subject unto him. However, God has made him Lord
and Christ. And the Spurgeon in that second
psalm wrote something that I wrote down to share with you, quote,
O ye kings, do you think yourself as mighty Samson and the bands
of omnipotence as but green wisps before you? Do you dream to destroy
the mandates and the decrees of the Most High?" But that was
their intention. God raised up Christ. He has
power over all flesh. He is Lord and Christ. He has you in His hand. He has
the ability, the power, the authority to save or to damn whom He will
according to the purpose of God. That power and authority belongs
to Christ. And don't you ever forget it. Well, I'll close with this. There
is a fresh rebellion in our day that has broken out again, the
same attitude, the same view of Christ. We're not going to
have Him to reign over us. We're not going to submit to
these Bible principles. We're going to do as we please
and live as we please. But think on this as a closing
thought. If that be your attitude, think
on this. Someday you will die and you
must stand before Christ. He will have the last say. You
will stand before Christ. All will fall into His hands,
whether they will or not. They will fall for all judgment
is given unto Him. He will judge the world by this
man, Acts 17. So remember the extent of this. He is made Lord and Christ. Let all know that. And this is
the message. This is the person of Christ. He's not some little sissy wringing
his hands, worrying about how it's all going to come out. He
is Lord of all. He's master. He's sovereign. He has all power given into his
hands. Think on that.