“God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.”
My Notes
What Does Acts 13:33 Mean?
Paul proclaims in the synagogue at Antioch that God has fulfilled His promise through the resurrection of Jesus: "God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again." The promise made to the fathers has been kept for the children. The resurrection of Jesus isn't just a miracle—it's the fulfillment of everything God promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David.
Paul quotes Psalm 2:7: "Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee." In its original context, this psalm was a coronation hymn for Israel's kings—each new king was declared God's son on the day of enthronement. Paul applies it to the resurrection: Jesus' "enthronement" as God's Son in power happened at the resurrection. The cross was the death. The resurrection was the coronation.
The word "fulfilled" (ekpeplērōken) means brought to complete realization. The promise isn't partially fulfilled or approximately fulfilled. It's fully, completely, perfectly fulfilled in Jesus' resurrection. Every prophetic word, every covenant promise, every ancestral hope reaches its fulfillment in the event of Easter morning.
Reflection Questions
- 1.If the resurrection is proof that God keeps His promises, which of His promises to you does that evidence support?
- 2.The promises made to the fathers were fulfilled for the children. What 'father's promise' are you inheriting?
- 3.The resurrection is the coronation—the enthronement of the King. How does that change how you view Easter?
- 4.If God fulfilled the biggest promise in history through the resurrection, can He fulfill the smaller ones you're waiting on?
Devotional
"God hath fulfilled." Not will fulfill. Not is fulfilling. Hath fulfilled. Past tense. Done. Complete. The promises God made to the fathers—every prophetic word, every covenant guarantee, every ancestral hope—fulfilled in the resurrection of Jesus. The promise is kept. The check has cleared.
Paul connects the resurrection to Psalm 2: "Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee." The resurrection is Jesus' coronation. The cross was the death of the servant. The resurrection is the enthronement of the King. On Easter morning, every promise God ever made reached its destination. The resurrection isn't just proof that Jesus is alive. It's proof that God keeps His word.
The phrase "unto us their children" places the audience—and you—in the lineage of promise. The promises made to Abraham, to David, to the prophets were made for their children. And their children include you. The fulfillment in Jesus is personal, not just historical. God kept His promise to the fathers, and the benefit reaches the children—across every generation, including this one.
If you've been waiting for God to fulfill a promise—if you've been holding onto a word He gave you, a commitment He made, a future He described—the resurrection of Jesus is the evidence that God finishes what He starts. The same God who fulfilled the oldest, biggest, most audacious promises in Scripture through Easter morning is the God managing your promise. If He raised Jesus, He can fulfill anything.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Or the men of that age and generation in which he lived, the subjects of his kingdom; by governing them with wholesome…
God hath fulfilled - God has completed or carried into effect by the resurrection of Jesus. He does not say that every…
Written in the second Psalm - Instead of τῳ ψαλμῳ τῳ δευτερῳ the second Psalm, πρωτῳ ψαλμῳ, the first Psalm, is…
Perga in Pamphylia was a noted place, especially for a temple there erected to the goddess Diana, yet nothing at all is…
God hath fulfilled the same Better, "how that God hath," &c. The "glad tidings" are concerning the promise, and the…