Jesus is both Lord and Christ, a foundational dual title established in Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2. It, drawing from Old Testament prophecies like Psalm 110 and Psalm 16, contrasts the people's crucifixion of Jesus with God's exaltation of Him to the right hand of God. The core lesson is that acknowledging Jesus as Lord is essential for salvation, as demonstrated by the response of those who heard Peter's message and were pricked in their hearts. The application for believers is to live in obedience to Christ's lordship, serving others as He served, and to recognize that all blessings and new creation are found in Him.
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We're turning tonight to the book of Acts chapter two, Acts chapter two, and we want to begin our reading at verse twenty-two, which is the first sermon preached after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. It is a sermon of Peter on the day of Pentecost. This is the first in a series of messages I want to bring on the dual title of our Lord, as found in the book of Acts, in the book of Hebrews, in the book of the Revelation.
So we begin here, verse twenty-three, twenty-two. Ye men of Israel, hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs. which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know. That is one of the great statements putting the authentication of the Father upon the life of obedience that our Lord rendered as he sojourned here below. He pleased the Father. And here is a great testimony to it. Verse twenty-three, him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.
Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should beholden of it, for David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand that I should not be moved. Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad. Moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope. Because thou wilt not leave my soul in Hades, neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the paths of life. Thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David. that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his loins according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne. He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in Hades or hell, Neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
Therefore, being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath shed forth this which he does 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 you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter, And to the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what?
Shall we do? Now may the Lord bless the reading of his words. Let us pray together. Our Father, as we consider the central person of the universe, thy dear Son, the one in whom it is pleased thee that in him all fullness should dwell, we ask you to give us an insight afresh tonight into his lordship and what it means to obey him as Lord. Meet with us in this hour. Speak to each of our hearts. Glorify thy Son in our midst for Jesus' sake.
Amen. At a predetermined moment in time, God sent forth his Son. This is what we read in Galatians chapter four and verse four. when the fullness of the time was come. God sent forth his son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons. God sent forth his son at a predetermined time in history, and then God named him. God said, thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins.
And that is the only name he had as a man, Jesus of Nazareth. That was the name of our blessed Lord. Now every other designation by which he is known is some personal or official title that is descriptive of his divine nature or his position in relation to God. or it has reference to his mission in the world. So when we speak of him, we speak of him as our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now the name Jesus is a common name. It was very common in the days of our Lord. It is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew name Joshua. And Joshua simply means Jehovah is Savior. And the angelic message of Matthew chapter one and verse twenty one, thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. That name reveals the purpose for which God sent him into the world. He came to save his people from their sins.
Our Lord Jesus adorned the name that was given to him by the Father. Our Lord Jesus raised that name Joshua to its highest significance in accomplishing the salvation of which the name speaks. For the scripture says, thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. Now it is noteworthy as you go through the New Testament and especially the Acts and the epistles and the book of Hebrews to examine the precision and the discernment the writers of the New Testament use whenever that name Jesus is found in the context it's quite interesting after the Acts the name Jesus rarely occurs alone you read the Lord Jesus you read Christ Jesus But very seldom does the name Jesus occur alone.
Now, in the majority of instances, it is attached to one or more of the divine title that our Lord is given. Now, the book of Hebrews is an exception. The book of Hebrews is a great exception. Nine times in the book of Hebrews, the name Jesus appears by itself. Think, for instance, of Hebrews two nine. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor. And then in Hebrews chapter four, where we read, we have a great high priest who is passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God.
So it appears alone nine times in the book of Hebrews. And in the book of Hebrews, wherever it appears alone, it appears alone because it is the key point of an argument to stress the human nature of our Lord in relation to his divine nature as a divine qualification for him as our great high priest and our mediator. And that is always the reason. It is so important to note that in the book of Hebrews.
Now there's a good reason for it being used this way in the book of Acts. Because the book of Acts is a transition book of the New Testament. Did you ever stop and think of what our New Testament would be like if you didn't have the book of Acts? You end the Gospel of John with our Lord telling Peter... to mind his own business. See, the Lord told Peter what he was going to do, what it was going to be like in the latter days of his life. And Peter looked around and he saw John and he said, Well, what's going to happen to him? The Lord said, If he's still here when I return, what is that to you?
You follow me. We're always worried, you see, what's he going to do? Well, God says, you follow me. And then John says, if all the things that were written about the Lord were in a book, even the earth itself couldn't contain the books that could be written. And from there you go to the book of Rome. And you'd have difficulty. So you see, the Acts is a transition book. It's historical. For it gives to us the background setting for the epistles. When I read the letter to the Ephesians, I know something about the church at Ephesus because I read about its founding and I read about the problems that they had there historically.
When I read about the church at Thessalonica, when I read the first and second Thessalonians, I know what struggles Paul had when he went to Thessalonica and how he was let down over the wall in a fish basket. You see, we understand these things because the Book of Acts is the transition book from the Gospels to the Epistles and therefore we have the name Jesus mentioned by itself in the Acts. Now Acts traces the transition from the Gospels to the Epistles. Now this is illustrated by Peter in chapter two.
and verse thirty six that we read. Notice what it says. Therefore, and that word therefore becomes a summing up of his sermon. And the verse thirty seven says, Now when they heard this. Well, you see, that word therefore tells us how Peter applied what he had told them from the Old Testament scriptures, as he quoted Psalm one hundred and ten and Psalm sixteen. He applies it now. He says, therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus, whom you have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
You talk about the summing up of a sermon. I tell you, that's preaching. What is Peter saying to them? Peter's saying he is no longer Jesus of Nazareth in humiliation. He is the Lord of glory in exaltation. That Jesus, whom you crucified, is the Lord of glory in exaltation. He's not Jesus of Nazareth in humiliation. Oh, beloved, we worship one who has been exalted to the right hand of God. And this is a thrust of his message. Now, I want you to notice a dual title that he's found here in verse thirty-six.
He says, Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ. Here is your dual title, Lord and Christ. Now, that becomes a foundational dual title of the New Testament. Therefore, his name that we give to him is Our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a foundational dual title, and we want to notice it as that tonight as we examine this portion. Now, Peter's address is foundational in itself because it is the first official announcement establishing the fact of the resurrection and ascension in direct fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.
When Peter preached, there wasn't a word of the New Testament written, and Peter had to use the Old Testament. And Paul, when he went forth, he preached from the Old Testament. The gospel is a message that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. What scriptures? The Old Testament scriptures. And so what Peter does, he preaches from the Old Testament scriptures. In other words, the resurrection was a divine authentication of his person. Romans one verse four says that he was made of the seed of David according to the flesh.
but he is declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. Divine authentication the resurrection becomes. But his title identified his kingship and his messiahship as Lord and Christ in fulfillment of the hundred-tenth psalm and the first verse. Let me say again, you've often heard me say this, that Psalm, a hundred ten verse one, is the passage from the Old Testament that is quoted more in the new than any other.
The Lord said unto my Lord, sit on my right hand until I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet. That Old Testament passage is quoted more in the New Testament. than any other passage and you should examine the way it is used in both the Acts and in the book of Hebrews and by our Lord himself in the New Testament. Sit on my right hand until I make thine enemy the footstool of thy feet. And then of course he also used the sixteenth psalm where David speaks in a messianic prophetic way thou wilt not abandon and that's the best word that you can use there thou wilt not abandon my soul the sheol or hades neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption and peter applies it to our blessed lord that god hath raised jesus christ from the dead now peter's direct thrust at the consciences of his hearers contrasting their crucifying
Christ with God's exalting Christ. You put him down, God raised him up. You delivered him to punch his pallet, but God exalted him to heaven's highest throne. That is the contrast that he's given. It had a direct effect. The scripture says, when they heard this, they were pricked to their heart. This must be brought to bear upon the conscience a man. And this becomes a first harvest of repentant believers.
And when that harvest is completed, it will be a number so vast that no man can number. And it's thrilling indeed. Now, when we consider this expression, that God has highly exalted him, and that this Jesus is both Lord and Christ, this is a dynamic force for us who are believers today. I'd like you to examine a passage with me in First Peter chapter three and verse fifteen. First Peter chapter three and verse fifteen where he says but sanctify the Lord God in your heart and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear now another translation puts it like this sanctify in your heart Christ as Lord sanctify
him in your heart set him apart in the innermost desires of your being that he is Christ the anointed one of God and Lord of all the one whom God hath highly exalted now when Peter writes this way in first Peter chapter three and verse fifteen what it is is an adapted version of Isaiah's challenge the challenge that Isaiah gave to the people in chapter eight and verse thirteen and I want you to notice this for a purpose turn with me please something I don't always ask you to do but I'm going to ask you to do it tonight Isaiah chapter eight verse thirteen where we read sanctify the Lord of hosts himself and let him be your fear and let him be your dread.
Peter uses an adapted version of this. Now what is our trust? Our trust is this. That the Jehovah of the Old Testament and the Jehovah there is the word Lord in all capitals is Jehovah, Yahweh, Yahweh of host. Sanctify him. And it identifies the Jesus of Old Testament prophecy with our Lord Jesus Christ, who came in the New Testament. Now, for a number of Saturday nights, I went to Dave Nettery's house a number of months ago, maybe a year or two ago now.
because he had a few Jehovah's Witnesses coming and he thought that by his ingenuity he could handle them but I saw him defeated at least three times and his arguments didn't hold so I took my friend David Morris and I said we're going up this time And the reason he was defeated, he wanted to do all the talking. He said, this is my little study here. I just want you along to pray for me. Well, all the prayers wouldn't help him.
He was determined. But anyway, David Morris was with me. And these fellows were sharp. Don't ever get the idea that the Jehovah's Witnesses don't know their Bibles. They do. And one of the nights he was defeated soundly by a woman. So Dave wasn't there right away. And while we were waiting for him, I thought, we're going to make use of this time. I thought I'm going to do some talking. I turned to the passage. I asked the man the passage in Joel II.
I said to him, the passage in Joel II. Is that speaking of... Yahweh, when it says, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. And he took right a hold of the bait. He took a bait right away. Did you see the bait in that? Did you see the bait in that? What they were trying to do was deny what Peter is saying here, that the Jehovah of the Old Testament The redemptive name of God, the God who redeems from iniquity, is someone different than our Lord Jesus.
But then I took them to the usage of that expression in the New. The New Testament says, But whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, and the Lord there is none other than Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth. For that's how it's used in Acts chapter two. This is that. which was spoken by Joel the prophet. And when they wouldn't bother to the plain teaching of what they said was true, they didn't bother the teaching, there's nowhere else to go. It was all over. It's all over. My friend, the Jehovah of the Old Testament is none other than Jesus of the New.
And when Peter on the day of Pentecost said, Therefore let all the hearts of Israel know assuredly that God hath made this same Jesus whom you have crucified, both the Lord and Christ. That he is the Redeemer and the only Redeemer. So when Peter writes, he says, sanctify in your heart Christ as Lord. Now, there are three close parallels which appeal to the heart of the believer for response to Christ. We have to respond to him.
Who is both Lord and Christ? For we remember his word when he said, Why call you me Lord, Lord? And do not the things which I say. The very fact that he is Lord determines the are obedient to him. Now, there are three passages. They're very easy passages. You all know them. The first one is Romans chapter ten, verses nine and ten. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
It is Jesus as Lord that the sinner bows to in salvation. We bow to him as Lord and we acknowledge that our own works cannot save us. It is the Lord from glory that must intervene and save us from our sins and we bow to his lordship. This is so important. This is one of the biggest issues in fundamentalism today, dealing with a subject of Lordship salvation. For there are many who do not believe in Lordship salvation.
You receive Jesus and then sometime later you receive him as Lord. This sounds good, but it doesn't ring true to the teaching of Scripture. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord. This is what they did on the day of Pentecost. This is what their response was. You see, nothing else but a response to his lordship could ever deliver them from the dilemma that they were in. They are crucified. the Lord of glory.
They had said, we will not have this man to reign over us. He deserves nothing but a cross of shame. But God says he deserves the highest place in the universe, the very throne of God. And oh, they saw what they have done. What can we do? You see, it's too late to do anything. Anything that I can do now could never erase what I've already done. Do we get that? What shall we do? It is too late to do anything. And oh, when the sinner learns this.
And this is what the sinner needs to learn. It's too late to do anything. He's already done it. He's under the condemnation of God. But oh, what good news. God has already done it all. He's done it all. This very one that you've rejected. This very one that you've crucified. If you confess him as Lord and bother me to him, he'll save you. He'll save you. My father was saved on that text. Romans ten, nine and ten. He had been, he had many visits from a man who explained the gospel to him. And one day it was raining and in the blacksmith shop he had a Bible.
and he went and got it out and he began to read it and he was reading Romans ten and he said those two verses came up as black like the raised letters he said on the tombstone he said I just couldn't get away from them and he said I bowed to Christ and he saved me that is thou shalt confess to thine mouth Jesus as Lord now let's move on there's a second passage It is in Colossians chapter two, verse six. And it says, as ye have therefore received Christ Jesus as Lord, so walk ye in him. Who did they receive?
They received Christ Jesus as Lord. Now this has to do with the believer's life. Now that one who confessed that he's lost Jesus as Lord, he now continues to walk in fellowship with him. Oh, what a blessing to walk in newness of life in fellowship with him. Now we'll move on. Second Corinthians chapter four and verse five. It says, for we preach not ourselves. But Christ Jesus as Lord and ourselves your servant for Jesus' sake.
Here's the life of the child of God. What should it be like? Should be a servant. A servant of whom? A servant of others. A servant of Christ. How do I know? Our Lord said, even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. And those two words, even as we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves, your servant, for Jesus' sake. What does it mean to preach yourself? Ever think of that?
We preach not ourselves. I got a good lesson one night from Brother W.G. Smith on that. We had a covered dish stuffing. And lots of people were there. And this young rebellious boy from the Sunday school showed up. And he looked aside. And Brother Smith said to me, he said, you and I should not preach ourselves. He does. He got a group to follow him immediately when he walked in.
You see, he preached himself. He didn't preach Christ. He preached himself. And we have to be so careful if we're going to be servants of Christ that we're not preaching ourselves, but we preach Christ Jesus as Lord. Our attention and direction is unto him. So you see, there's a dynamic force for believers now. But that brings us to one more thing. And that is, how did our Lord Himself use this title? How did our Lord use this title? I'd like you to turn to the Gospel of John, chapter thirteen.
John thirteen. And we're acquainted with John thirteen, aren't we? Our Lord in the upper room, the night in which he was betrayed, the night in which he instituted the Lord's supper. There in the upper room our Lord Jesus did for his disciples what none of their disciples would do for each other. They would not bow and be a servant to each other. Oh no, people who are fighting for first place wouldn't bow to be a servant. And that's what they were doing. They were fighting over who's going to be the greatest in the kingdom.
And if your mind is occupied with who's going to be greatest, you'll never wash anybody else's feet. Oh, no, that's beneath you. But not our horn. Oh, what a savior. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Here is the Lord of life and glory doing for the disciples what they wouldn't do for each other. he washed their feet but then he had something to say to them in verses thirteen and fourteen he says to them ye call me master and Lord ah here we go and ye say well for so I am I'm the Lord I'm Jehovah I'm the God who redeems And you say that of me, and you know you're telling the truth.
For that's what I am. But then he added, Now if I your Lord and master have washed your feet, ye ought also to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you. What a lesson. Christ's example of humility and condescension lays upon his disciples two things. Number one, the obligation of loyalty and obedience.
He came forth from the Father. He could say, I always do those things that please the Father. He was obedient to the Father in every area. And now, if He is our Lord and Master, if I your Lord and Master have done this, now you call me this, and you say, well, what you say is right. Now, if I've done this, then you ought to do it to one another. But the second thing that it calls for is this, the holy service for his sake.
And he will exalt in due time. Now the word here, master, is rabbi. And that word rabbi means teacher. You call me master, teacher, rabbi. You call me master and large. You're saying right. You're saying, well, he was a teacher of the law of God. He was a teacher of the things of God. And under Christ's tuition and lordship, Paul the Apostle learned the secret. When he wrote to the Philippians, in Philippians chapter four, verses eleven to thirteen, he said, I have learned.
how to be obeyed. I have learned how to abound. I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content. I have learned I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Let all the hearts of Israel know assuredly that God has made this same Jesus whom you have crucified both Lord and Christ and we who are by the knee to him we acknowledge him as Lord and we are saved we acknowledge him as Lord in our day-to-day walk we acknowledge him as Lord in our proclamation of the gospel We acknowledge him as Lord in the holy service that we are obedient to render to the Lord's people.
The dual title of our Lord. You see, the Lord of Glory is a supreme person that God on us. In the class on Wednesday morning a few weeks ago, I think it was three weeks ago when we started, we've had three Wednesday morning classes. I pointed out from Ephesians chapter one and in subsequent passages that everything that the believer possesses is in Christ. We were chosen in Christ. We weren't chosen apart from Christ. Never forget that.
We were not only chosen in Christ, but we were predestinated unto adoption of sons in Christ. We are accepted in Christ. And that takes care of the whole of the life of the believer. And then when the believer dies, we die in Christ. And when our Lord returns, he returns, and the dead where, in Christ, are going to arise. It's all in Christ, nowhere else. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation.
Old things are passed away. Behold, all things have become new. Colossians two nine for in him dwells all the fullness not in a feeling not in an experience in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily so friends God has made this same Jesus Lord and Christ am I aware of it day by day. For it is upon us in our profession of faith, in our daily walk, and in our witness for Christ, and in our lowly service that we render unto others.
Oh, may God speak to our hearts. Now let's pray. Our Father, who is like unto thee? Thy ways are past finding out. And we thank you again tonight for our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the fullness of him who fills all in all. Everything we have is in him. And we thank you for it. And now we commend ourselves to you and ask you to graciously take this word and bless it through every heart for Jesus' sake. Amen.