To the people of God, the Jews
Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ (=Messiah)
Jesus, the Christ (expected by God's people), is Lord
(& in the context of the 1st Century, where the Roman Empire's mantra was "Caesar is Lord", this meant)
this Jesus who is the (Jewish Messiah=) Christ of God, is the Lord of all..
To the Jews, Peter on the day of penticost says that even their great King David died(!) - & his tomb was still around then, Jesus' resurrection is what makes him unique, and, his logic goes, ‘Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.’ Acts 2:36 NIVUK
And... Luke's story continues:
"When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart…" It looks like they have been convinced by the sign they have seen in front of them, & realize in that moment both that Jesus is the Lord and Messiah/Christ, and that they (well their nation, the people of God; instead of crowning him God's Lord/ High-King), they had rejected him. God's spirit is active in these people giving them faith, but they know the need for a recognition, or change of allegience to affect their lives to the point of action, and they "...said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’"
Peter clarifies what could be missing, and spells out two wondrous outcomes, gifts, promises, made available to them by God, through this one he has made both Lord and Christ: "Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call.’ With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them.."
Then, like Jesus (his lord/master before him) speaking to the lady with the bleed who had identified him as God's "sun of righteousness", who was to "rise with healing in his knaff (which could be translated "wings, rays, or tassels (as in those on the hem of a Jewish coat or prayer shawl)" [But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves. Malachi 4:2 NIVUK], then Jesus had said to her, after feeling power go out of him,.. "Your faith has healed/ saved/ brought-wholeness to you..". Peter now encouraged them to follow through with their trusting faith in God, and his chosen Lord & Christ. Jesus had said "...Your faith has saved you." Peter then says: ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’ Acts 2:37-40 NIVUK
But, as Lord and Christ… Jesus rules like God rules, with a father's tender mercy, and trusting his own father's tender mercy, through the power of love, displayed by Jesus not retaliating and taking vengeance, but in entrusting himself to him who judges justly and going on to do all the good that he could. Absorbing and doing away with, unclean-ness, sickness, demonizings, jealousy, self-centeredness, hatred, "sin" (& the curse it brought on humanity) .. "in his body on the tree", drinking the (cursed) cup his Father gave him to drink, or taking on the washing his Father asked him to take on, (though he didn't even need a wash himself) - to help his younger brothers to learn to trust their Father to let him wash them; and, praying forgiveness on his enemies.
God was reconciling the world to himself through Christ - his obedience because of love, his blood shed, his body broken, his life spilled out, his life "gived" for us, his life lived out of love for his father, and too lived out of love for his neighbour.
From the genealogies in Gen 4 & 5, I am learning to not focus on and be grateful to & for, not just the technologies or mechanisms, but on the person(s) who use(s) them.
So as with gifts at a wedding ... the happy couple are not trying to minimize anyone's gift, but see (& want everyone else to see, if they can) the obvious trumping of the gift the other one has given them (the gift of themselves), over any other payment or change or good thing they have received, even from their new life-partner.
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