“That saying you yourselves know, which was published throughout all Judaea, beginning from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached, even Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed of the devil. For God was with him.”
He now outlines in detail the life and ministry of Jesus. Even here in Caesarea they must have heard of Jesus Christ and His ministry, the report of which was spread throughout all Judaea, but as they may not know the detail he spells it out. It began in Galilee, after the baptism which John had preached; in Galilee of the nations, because Jesus had come for all.
It was about Jesus of Nazareth (in Galilee), one who was true man Who existed in the flesh as a human being in a Galilean town, but One Whom God anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power, so that in Him God walked on earth. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the Devil, because God was with Him. Thus Peter emphasises that God was present with Him, God's Holy Spirit and power had anointed Him, and He had revealed His power and authority over the Devil. And on top of this He went about doing good and healing the sick. He was all goodness and power.
The ‘anointing with the Holy Spirit' linked Jesus with the great prophetic figure in Isaiah 61:1-2. This Jesus Himself had already done in Luke 4:14-30. He was ‘the prophet' come from God (compare Acts 7:37). It demonstrated a man, and even more than a man, on whom God had set His hand and His seal.
‘Who went about doing good.' Jesus revealed His kingship by ‘doing good' (euergeton). In this regard we should remember that Hellenistic kings held a related royal title, euergetes, doer of good. Jesus was here as King over the Kingly Rule of God, as ‘the Doer of good'.
‘Healing all who were oppressed of the Devil.' That is, He combated the power of evil and rendered him helpless. None were more aware of the power of evil spirits and ‘demons' than the Gentiles. But here was One Who was stronger than they, and stronger than Satan himself (Luke 11:22).