Acts - Week 1 / Thursday

Reading for today: Acts 2:14-41

Who would have ever guessed that it would be Peter who would stand up and speak to the crowd that gathered on the Day of Pentecost. This was the same guy who profanely denied that he even knew Jesus just 7 weeks earlier. What has brought about the change in this man?

For sure, he had been forgiven by Christ himself, which we read about in John 21. But something else had happened for Peter. He had been filled with the Holy Spirit. And just as Jesus had promised, when the Holy Spirit came on them, they were empowered to be witnesses for Jesus Christ.

That’s why Peter could stand and boldly declare to the gathered crowd just what this was that they were witnessing. For sure, these people were not drunk, as some of the crowd was proposing. Rather, they were witnessing what the prophet Joel hundreds of years earlier had promised would take place: God would pour out His spirit on all people, men and women, young and old.

As Peter courageously delivered his message to this crowd, he focused on the person of Jesus Christ. He didn’t focus on the Holy Spirit, because that is never the intent of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit will always focus the attention on Christ. Peter makes a great case for Jesus being the Messiah. He quotes from Psalm 16, which is interesting, since Jewish tradition of the time applied those verses to the Messiah. He bases his declaration of Jesus as the Messiah on the following: God raised Him up; He was not left (abandoned) in the grave; His flesh did not see corruption (decay); and the 120 were witnesses to His resurrection.

Peter brings his thoughts to a conclusion by declaring that God has made this Jesus, whom they had crucified, both Lord and Christ. The crowd was really moved by these words, and they asked, “What shall we do?” Peter’s response was simple: Repent and be baptized (in water), and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Why? Because the promise is for you, and your children, and following generations.

The best part of all this is that this still pertains to us! We are part of the “all” that Joel prophesied about, and Peter declared. I don’t know about you, but I could sure use power and boldness in my witness for Christ. It seems so often that I am so timid about speaking up about Christ, and then kicking myself later for missing a great opportunity. The good news is that this power and boldness and courage and discernment is available to anyone of us who will open our hearts to the filling of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Tomorrow: What do you do with 3,000 new converts?