Acts 2:22
““Men of Israel, hear these words! Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved by God to you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him among you, even as you yourselves know,”
What does Acts 2:22 mean?
Peter is speaking to a crowd of Jewish people in Jerusalem, right after the Holy Spirit empowered him at Pentecost. He's calling them to pay attention and reminding them of something they've already witnessed: Jesus performed real miracles, and these weren't hidden or secret, but done openly among them. What makes this moment powerful is that Peter is appealing to their own experience. He's not asking them to believe in fairy tales or take his word for things they couldn't verify. Instead, he's saying, "You saw this yourselves. You know what happened." By describing Jesus as "approved by God," Peter is suggesting that God's mighty works were the stamp of authenticity on Jesus' mission, even before his resurrection. This can speak to us today when we're uncertain about faith. Sometimes the strongest witness isn't an argument but honest acknowledgment of real change we've seen in people's lives, real answered prayers, real moments of God showing up that we can't easily explain away.