EXALTED AS LORD AND CHRIST

Acts 2:33-36 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou on My right hand, until I make Thy foes Thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

In the verses preceding the lesson text we find reference to Jesus' crucifixion, burial, resurrection, and ascension back into Heaven from whence He came. Paul assured us that God was in complete control of the destiny of His Son while He sojourned here on earth. And after returning to Heaven, God seated Jesus in a position of power at His own right hand. We find in Mark's gospel account, that, immediately after Jesus was received up into Heaven, He was seated on the right hand of God (Mark 16:19). Paul gives us a more descriptive account of this event in his letter to the church of Christ in Ephesus. He wrote: the exceeding greatness of the power of God was demonstrated when He raised Him (Christ Jesus) from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all (Eph. 1:19-23).

In thisexalted position at the right hand of God, all power and authority was given to Jesus in Heaven and in earth (Matt. 28:18b). It was through the Holy Spirit of God that Jesus' authority was given to His apostles in order to establish His kingdom on earth, which is His church. This was Jesus' promise to them when He told His apostles, I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Matt. 16:19). And with this power of the Holy Spirit being promised, Jesus gave His apostles this commission: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen (Matt. 28:19-20).

Jesus promised His apostles that the things they were to teach would be given to them by the Holy Spirit of God. He told them that the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you (John 14:26). However, He told them that this would not take place until after His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension back into Heaven. He said, Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter (the Holy Spirit) will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you (John 16:7). Indeed, this promise was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles of Christ in a miraculous manner (See Acts 2:1-4). And having received the Spirit of God, the apostles, as recorded here in the second chapter of Acts, were now, for the first time, delivering God's message of eternal salvation in all known languages of the world (Acts 2:3-6) - He hath shed forth this (message), which ye now see and hear.

For as much reverence as the Jews placed on King David, salvation for all mankind did not come through him. For David is not ascended into the heavens. Rather it was Christ Jesus, the Son of God. It is He, not David, that is now seated at the right hand of God and ruling His kingdom. Although David was a great servant of God, he was not exalted to the extent that Peter and the other apostles teach us in this lesson text. However, David did foretell, in Psalm 110:1, the exultation of Jesus Christ to the all-powerful position given to Him by God. David wrote: The Lord (that is God) said unto my Lord (that is Jesus Christ), Sit thou on My right hand, until I make Thy foes Thy footstool.

With Jesus Christ established as sovereign of the kingdom of God, the apostles concluded their message of salvation through Christ Jesus by saying, Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. The same Jesus, whom the Jewish nation, only a few days before, had rejected as the Messiah, and by their overwhelming consent, had Him crucified by Roman authority - this same Jesus was now, on this Day of Pentecost, being miraculously declared by His divinely inspired apostles, in languages known to all nations, that He is both Lord and Christ. This fact was then, and assuredly is now, the foundation on which every gospel message of salvation is to be preached throughout the world. It was this same message that Peter and the other apostles, when imprisoned, used in their defense when brought before the Jewish high council. They said, The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, Whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey Him (Acts 5:30-32).

With undeniable proof the apostles, on this last day of the Jewish Passover feast, the Day of Pentecost, confirmed Jesus Christ to be the Son of God, the promised Messiah, both Lord and Christ. He was Lord - the promised King to whom God gave dominion over all things, and He was Christ - the Messiah; the anointed one; the Son of the living God. The one and only Savior sent by God to bring salvation to the world, the Jewish authorities, with overwhelming consent of the people, had crucified on Mount Calvary by the Roman authorities. This message of salvation was, by inspiration of Holy Spirit of God, designed to convict and pierce the hearts and minds of the Jewish nation of the sinful way they had rejected the Son of God - the Savior of mankind - the one chosen by God and was nowexalted as both Lord and Christ.