Volume 5 4th Trailhead – 1st Trail – 1st Track

We are now on the first track of Acts 10:36.  It is set in the context of the Gentiles receiving the Gospel as recorded in Acts 10:34-44.

The Apostle Peter had a vision in which God asked him to kill and eat all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air.  Peter retorted by saying that he had never eaten anything unholy.  A voice rebuked him by saying that what God has cleansed and pronounced clean were no longer considered common or unholy.  While Peter was still dazed, three men from the house of a centurion called Cornelius came looking for him.  Prompted by the Holy Spirit, Peter left with those three men to Cornelius's house the next day.  Upon arrival, Peter asked Cornelius the reason for asking him to come. Cornelius then revealed that the Holy Spirit has prompted the invitation for Peter to speak to him.  This is the background of the context passage of Acts 10:34-44.  By the way, I believe Cornelius might well have been the centurion of whom Jesus said had great faith.  This is just my personal opinion.

Coming back to the context passage, it was then that Peter realized that the Gospel was meant for both Jews and Gentiles. He went on to preach the message of salvation through Christ crucified.

Notice what the apostle Peter testified and preached as recorded in Acts 10:34-44 of the Amplified Bible. He effectively summarized the fulfilment of the Messianic credentials by the beloved Son of God in the flesh as Jesus of Nazareth.  Let us take a look at the pertinent points of his sermon notes:

1.    Jesus of Nazareth sent the message of salvation to Israel by announcing the good news of peace through Him as the Promised Messiah (Acts 10:36).

2.    God anointed His beloved Son as Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and great power (Acts 10:38).  This is exactly what we saw in Luke 4:18 where it quoted from Isaiah 61:1-2 which foretold that the Spirit of God would be upon the Promised Messiah to anoint Him.

3.    Jesus of Nazareth is the Promised Messiah Who went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil (Acts 10:38).   We have just seen all these written about the Promised Messiah in Isaiah 52:6-8 and confirmed by Jesus Himself in Luke 4:18-22, with a quote from Isaiah 61:1-2.

4.    Jesus of Nazareth was crucified (Acts 10:39).

5.    God raised Him to life on the third day (Acts 10:40).

6.    Peter and the other apostles were commissioned to testify that Jesus of Nazareth was the Promised Messiah to the Jews and Gentiles (Acts 10:42).  This fulfilled what was mentioned in Isaiah 52:15 where it is written that kings will shut their mouths because of Him.  This is because the Gentiles who have not heard of the Messiah actually received the gift of salvation before the Jews who were entrusted with the very oracles of God in which the Messiah was foretold.

7.    All the Old Testament prophets testified of salvation through the Promised Messiah of Whom Peter categorically attested to be Jesus of Nazareth (Acts 10:43).

While the apostle Peter was still preaching this message concerning Christ, the Holy Spirit indwelt the Gentile audience (Acts 10:44).  Romans 10:17 comes to mind immediately; faith comes by hearing and hearing the message concerning Christ.  Does it not tell us that the message concerning Christ is about how Jesus of Nazareth had fulfilled the Messianic credentials as written in the scriptures, that is, the Old Testament? This sermon by the apostle Peter serves to support the notion.