Acts 10:36-38 36The word which he sent to the sons of Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ, this one is Lord of all, 37you yourselves know the matter that happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John proclaimed, 38Jesus of Nazareth, how God proclaimed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with him.
After the opening statement of God’s inclusive grace, Peter next gave an inviting summary of the gospel. The grammar of these verses is choppy and difficult to follow in the original Greek. The verses highlight several key points about Jesus’ earthly ministry. Verse 36 contains three important points. First is the point that Jesus was sent to Israel. Behind this statement lies Old Testament prophecy of a coming Redeemer and Messiah. Second, Jesus came as the word, which has some overtones of the beginning of the Gospel of John. Jesus came to reveal God’s plan of salvation. This word was proclaimed as good news of peace. The angels sang of peace on earth with the announcement of the birth of Jesus in Luke 2:14. Peace is what all people need, and was what Cornelius and his household were seeking, though they may not have understood it in those terms. Third, the word of peace came through a specific man from the small village of Nazareth. But this was no ordinary man but is Lord of all. The present tense in this statement indicates the ongoing and eternal status of Jesus and his sovereignty over all things.
In verse 37, Peter connected the eternal Lord to the experience of his listeners by pointing out the historical aspects of Jesus. Word about Jesus had spread throughout all of Judea. Even those in Caesarea, like Cornelius, had heard about Jesus. The public ministry of Jesus began after John’s ministry of baptism. John came first, and he was well-known among people as well. Jesus’ ministry was centered in Galilee, an important connection to history and people. He was not a myth but a real person who lived in a time and place.
Verse 38 connects the cosmic Lord of verse 36 to the historical Jesus of verse 37. Jesus was special because he was anointed by the Holy Spirit. This was evident by his ability to do miracles, including healing every disease and freeing people from demons. Peter emphasized twice that God was involved with Jesus. This connection would speak significantly to a God-fearer like Cornelius. Two important ideas are given in these verses that can help with evangelism. First, Jesus was a real person in history, and second, he came with the power of God.
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