And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:

ACTS 3:20KJV
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Acts 3:20 (KJV)

What does Acts 3:20 mean?

Acts 3:20 says that God will send Jesus Christ, who was already announced to the people, as part of what He has promised. This verse points to a future moment when Jesus, who had been proclaimed to them before, will be sent by God in fulfillment of His plan.

Peter is speaking to a crowd at the temple in Jerusalem after healing a man who could not walk. He is explaining that the blessings and restoration promised by God come through Jesus, whom they have already heard about. Peter connects the people’s hope for deliverance with Jesus, showing that the message about Him is not new but has already been shared with them.

The Greek behind Acts 3:20

  • ἀποστείλῃ (aposteilē, "send"): This Greek word means to send out or dispatch with a purpose. Here, it emphasizes that God is the one actively sending Jesus, not just allowing Him to come.
  • προκεκηρυγμένον (prokēkērygmenon, "preached"): This word means "proclaimed beforehand" or "publicly announced in advance." It highlights that the message about Jesus was not a surprise; it had already been openly shared with the listeners.

Why Acts 3:20 matters

  • Acts 3:20 clarifies that Jesus’ coming is not a new idea but something the people have already been told about, connecting the present moment to earlier preaching.
  • The verse shows Peter’s emphasis on God’s active role in sending Jesus, underlining that this is part of a larger divine plan.
  • It links the promise of restoration and blessing directly to Jesus, helping the listeners see that the fulfillment of God’s promises centers on Him.

Where else these words appear

“preached” Greek G4296 · used in 2 verses

  • Acts 13:24 When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

“send” Greek G649 · used in 130 verses

  • Matthew 2:16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.
  • Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
  • John 17:8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.