Acts 2 36

Acts 2:36 kjv

Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Acts 2:36 nkjv

"Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."

Acts 2:36 niv

"Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah."

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."

Acts 2:36 nlt

"So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!"

Acts 2 verses

Acts 2 36 Meaning

Acts 2:36 serves as the climactic summary of Peter's Pentecost sermon, unequivocally declaring the divine appointment and supreme authority of Jesus of Nazareth. Despite the fact that the people of Israel orchestrated His crucifixion, God has sovereignly elevated this very Jesus to the positions of universal Lordship and the promised Messiah (Christ). This verse presents an irrefutable, divinely revealed truth intended to provoke conviction and bring about a fundamental shift in the audience's understanding of who Jesus is in relation to God's redemptive plan for Israel and the world.

Acts 2 36 Context

Acts chapter 2 records the day of Pentecost, a pivotal moment marking the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Christian Church. Peter, filled with the Spirit, stands before a crowd of devout Jews and proselytes gathered from across the Roman world for the feast. His sermon systematically demonstrates that the miraculous events they are witnessing (speaking in tongues, joy, and conviction) are the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy. He then shifts to testifying about Jesus of Nazareth, recounting His miracles, death, resurrection, and ascension, providing ample evidence from their own Scriptures (specifically Ps 16 and Ps 110) that these events were divinely foreordained. The sermon culminates in a direct and piercing confrontation, presenting Jesus as the promised Messiah who, despite being crucified by them, was exalted by God. Acts 2:36 is the decisive declaration, demanding an immediate and certain recognition of Jesus' identity and status, laying the groundwork for repentance and belief.

Acts 2 36 Word analysis

• Therefore (οὖν, oun): This conjunctive particle signifies a logical conclusion or summation. It links the preceding evidence (fulfillment of prophecy, Jesus' life, miracles, death, resurrection, ascension, and exaltation as demonstrated through scripture and witness) directly to the powerful declaration that follows. It signals the climax of Peter's argument.
• let all the house of Israel (πᾶς οἶκος Ἰσραήλ, pas oikos Israēl):
  • let know (γινωσκέτω, ginosketo): This is a present imperative verb, meaning it's a command to "continually know" or "recognize." It implies not just intellectual assent but a profound, experiential realization of truth.
  • assuredly (ἀσφαλῶς, asphalōs): This adverb means "safely," "certainly," or "with firm certainty." It emphasizes the absolute, undeniable nature of the truth being declared. It leaves no room for doubt or questioning.
  • all the house of Israel: This refers to the entire nation of Israel, representing both northern and southern kingdoms, unified in a common heritage and covenant. It speaks to a corporate identity and highlights the particular focus of Peter's message on God's covenant people.
• that God has made (ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὸν ἐποίησεν, hoti ho Theos auton epoiēsen):
  • God (ὁ Θεός, ho Theos): Emphasizes the divine initiative and sovereignty behind Jesus' exaltation. This is God's work, not merely a human designation.
  • made (ἐποίησεν, epoiēsen): This Aorist active indicative form of ποιέω (poieō) in this context means "appointed," "constituted," or "designated," rather than "created." It points to God's act of setting Jesus in a particular, exalted position, functionally constituting Him in a new sphere of authority following His resurrection and ascension. This is not about Jesus' essence or pre-existence, but His post-resurrection role and status.
• this Jesus (τοῦτον τὸν Ἰησοῦν, touton ton Iēsoun): This specific, demonstrative pronoun points to the very person they know, the one who walked among them, performed miracles, and was ultimately rejected and crucified. It brings the reality of the message to a deeply personal and convicting level for the hearers.
• whom you crucified (ὃν ὑμεῖς ἐσταυρώσατε, hon hymeis estaurōsate):
  • you (ὑμεῖς, hymeis): This pronoun is emphatic, highlighting the direct complicity of the audience in Jesus' death. It underscores their corporate responsibility for rejecting and executing their Messiah.
  • crucified (ἐσταυρώσατε, estaurōsate): This vivid and brutal act of execution serves as a stark contrast to God's divine action of making Him Lord and Christ. It accentuates the paradox and magnitude of God's redemptive plan overcoming human sin.
• both Lord and Christ (κύριον καὶ Χριστόν, kyrion kai Christon):
  • Lord (κύριον, Kyrios): A title of supreme authority and divine sovereignty. In the Greek Old Testament (LXX), Kyrios is used to translate the divine name YHWH. For Peter's Jewish audience, applying Kyrios to Jesus after demonstrating His fulfillment of Ps 110:1 (where the Son is addressed as Lord by the Father) strongly implies divine status, worship, and absolute authority, identifying Him as the promised "My Lord" whom YHWH Himself exalts.
  • Christ (Χριστόν, Christon): The Greek equivalent of the Hebrew "Messiah" (מָשִׁיחַ, Mashiach), meaning "Anointed One." This title signifies Jesus' fulfillment of all Old Testament prophecies concerning the Davidic king, prophet, and priest who would deliver Israel and establish God's eternal kingdom. This identifies Jesus as the divinely chosen, expected deliverer.

Acts 2 36 Bonus section

• Theological Climax: This single verse encapsulates the essential Christian confession of Christology, merging His human identity ("this Jesus, whom you crucified") with His divine-appointed status ("both Lord and Christ"). It establishes the central theological framework for understanding Jesus as Messiah and God.
• Foundational for Early Church Confession: The declaration "Jesus is Lord" (Kyrios Iēsous) became the foundational creedal statement of early Christianity (e.g., Rom 10:9, 1 Cor 12:3). This verse shows its emergence directly from the Pentecost event, stemming from divine revelation and Peter's inspired preaching.
• Shift in Perspective: The verse calls for a radical paradigm shift for the Jewish audience. They perceived Jesus as a cursed man who died on a cross (Deut 21:23). Peter proclaims that God inverted this human judgment, vindicating Jesus by elevating Him to the highest possible position of power and authority.
• Messianic Expectation Challenged: Peter refutes the common Jewish expectation of a conquering military Messiah. Instead, he presents a Messiah who was despised and executed, yet whose death and subsequent exaltation were part of God's preordained plan for redemption.
• From "Dead Man" to "Living Lord": Acts 2:36 powerfully transitions Jesus from the subject of a human crime ("whom you crucified") to the object of divine appointment and ultimate worship ("made both Lord and Christ"). This underscores the transformational power of the resurrection and ascension.

Acts 2 36 Commentary

Acts 2:36 is the powerful apex of Peter's sermon, delivering a shocking yet salvific truth to his Jewish audience. It states, without equivocation, that the same Jesus whom they, by their actions, put to a shameful death on a cross, is the one God has definitively and authoritatively established as both universal Lord and the long-awaited Messiah.

The phrase "God has made" emphasizes divine appointment and declaration rather than ontological creation. God appointed Jesus to this elevated status in fulfillment of His sovereign plan, post-resurrection and ascension, validating His unique identity and mission. The title "Lord" (Kyrios) carries immense weight, especially in light of Peter's immediate reference to Psalm 110:1, where "the LORD" (YHWH) addresses "my Lord." By declaring Jesus as Lord, Peter ascribes to Him a divine authority that resonated with the highest possible honor for a Jew. Simultaneously, declaring Jesus as "Christ" (Messiah) directly challenges and corrects their national misconception of the Messiah; He was not merely a political deliverer, but one who achieved redemption through suffering, death, and resurrection, exalted by God.

This verse serves as a declaration of Jesus' complete triumph and exaltation over sin and death, including the very human sin that led to His crucifixion. It confronts the audience with their direct culpability ("whom you crucified") but immediately offers the redemptive solution: acknowledging God's vindication of Jesus and His universal Lordship. This profound truth laid the foundation for the Christian gospel—a crucified man is now the exalted God-man—demanding a response of repentance and belief, as evidenced by the immediate reaction of the crowd (Acts 2:37).