Submitted by Dr. GP

In Acts 10:36-43 Peter preaches a very simple message to Cornelius about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ in which he exalted Jesus   

1. Peter lifts up Jesus as the Bringer of Peace– the one through whom God makes peace with his rebellious creation. 

Verse 36: “You know the word which he [God] sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace by Jesus Christ.” 

Peter’s  exaltation sermon which begins here in v 36 ends in verse 43 with God as a Peacemaker through Jesus Christ.  

in v 36 we see God offering terms of peace through Jesus. in verse 43  he offers forgiveness through Jesus. It’s the same thing. We have peace with God only when his anger at us because of our sins is put away, and replaced by peace. And that comes through  the reconciling work of Jesus. So the first and last thing Peter lifts up about Jesus is that he is God’s Peacemaker. “God sent good news of peace by Jesus Christ” (v. 36). 

2. Peter lifts up Jesus as the Lord of all at the end of Verse 36.  

“You know the word which he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace by Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all).” 

When God undertook to make peace with sinners and send a message of forgiveness to us , He sent the good news of peace by Jesus Christ—”the Lord of all.” –the mission was so important that  God sent the “Lord of all.”  

Not just Lord of the Jews, but Lord of the Gentiles like Cornelius and his family, and also Lord of all angels and all demons (as we’ll see in a minute). He is Lord of lords and King of kings (Revelation 17:14; 19:16). He is Lord of the universe and everything in it— He is Lord of all. 

3. Peter lifts up Jesus as a man anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power “for God was with him.” in Verse 38 

 “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power.” 

The end of verse 38 says, “for God was with him.”  

The Lord of all became a human like us except without sin.

The Lord of all humbled himself and became a servant who relied upon God and lived his life in the anointing and the power of the Holy Spirit. 

4. Peter lifts up Jesus as a man who was stronger than sin and stronger than the devil. 

Verse 38b: “He went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.”  the anointed Jesus walked with God his Father. There was perfect intimacy. God was with him. And because God was with him, and the anointing and power of God were on him, Jesus did what was good. Though tempted to do bad things, just like we are, but the Bible teaches that he always conquered the temptation (Hebrews 4:15). He was stronger than sin, because he kept such intimate, satisfying fellowship with God. The power of sin was broken by the presence of God’s joy in Jesus’ life. 

And by this same power he conquered the devil.Because  Jesus is stronger than the devil he can rescues people who are oppressed and harassed and tormented and tempted by the devil. Peter lifts up Jesus as the deliverer from satanic oppression. 

5. Peter lifts up Jesus as a man who was killed in spite of his goodness. 

Verse 39: “And we are witnesses to all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree.” 

In spite of the fact that he was God’s Peacemaker, in spite of the fact that he was Lord of all, in spite of the fact that he was anointed by the Holy Spirit and power and was stronger than sin and the devil and that God was with him, he was killed. We know that this happened because God willed it and sin caused it. But we moves on immediately to lift up three final truths about this crucified Christ. 

6. Peter lifts up Jesus as alive from the dead because God raised him after three days. 

Verses 40–41: “But God raised him on the third day and made him manifest; not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.” 

Jesus is alive because God did not abandon his Peacemaker in death. He raised him from the dead. He vindicated him and gave him a name above every name so that every tongue in the universe will confess that he is indeed Lord of all—just like Peter said he was. And his resurrection was bodily. He is not a ghost or a mere spirit. Verse 41 says that the witnesses ate and drank with him. He has a new resurrection body with flesh and bones  which he took up into heaven when he ascended  

7. Peter lifts up Jesus as the final judge of every person in the universe whether they are dead or alive. 

Verse 42: “And he commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that he is the one ordained by God to be judge of the living and the dead.” 

Every one of us  will stand before Jesus Christ as our judge, just as surely as I am standing before you right now.  

8. Peter lifts up Jesus as the source of God’s forgiveness for our sins. 

Verse 43: “To him all the prophets bear witness that every one who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” 

We thank God that before we meet Jesus as Judge, we met him as the forgiver of sins—the Peacemaker of God, and received forgiveness of sins through his name to be pardoned when we stand before him as judge. 

We thank God that we believe in him. And trust him with our life  

as the Peacemaker of God;  

as the Lord of all;  

as God’s anointed one, full of the Spirit and power;  

as stronger than sin and Satan;  

as one who died and rose again and lives today;  

as the one who will judge the living and the dead;  

as the forgiver of sins. 

This is the Christ that the Spirit loves to glorify. May he come to us today and make Jesus infinitely more than Peter’s sermon. Let’s pray that the Spirit will clothe us with power so that Jesus is not merely an idea or a word picture, but a living person and the central person in our lives. Amen.