Verse 1. "And when the day of Pentecost had
come, they were all together in one place."
There is a day, when all your waiting will be over. For the apostles
it was NOW, the day of Pentecost. This feast, by the way, occurred
exactly 50-days after the "wave offering of barley…" at Passover
(Leviticus 23:9).
"They were all with one accord in one place" (NKJV). This is not
typical for the Church or for people in general. The concept that we
become "one" was, however, precisely the
prayer of Jesus in John 17 (for them and also for us). His prayer was
answered in part at Pentecost, and is to have a further fulfillment in
your life and mine. To be one in love is possible for us right now (in
Him). Keep in mind that it took 3-years of walking with Jesus, and then
His shocking death and resurrection, to bring them out of complacency
and into readiness for that moment.
It will take the cross in your life to bring you to that point. Are
you willing to pay that price? It may mean your willingness to give up
some doctrinal position, that might be a barrier to your brother. Paul
argues this point in Romans 14, where our doctrines (which seem so
IMPORTANT) are often less necessary than we think and can actually
become barriers between us. Do you love our Lord enough to give up
always being right? It may take that kind of sacrifice in order to win
your spouse, your brother, or your friend.
Verse 2. "And suddenly there came from heaven a
noise like a violent, rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where
they were sitting."
This wind was inside the house. What do we do when the wind starts
to blow with the severity of this one? Why, we go into the house! The
"wind" here is a manifestation of the activity of the Holy Spirit of God
("pneuma" in the Greek may be either "wind" or "spirit"). God’s Holy
Spirit reaches right into the "safe" areas of our lives - This wind
shook their house -inside- and He longs to shake your life, (for your
own good) as well.
The "wind" made a loud noise and it probably was blowing things off
the table, all over the room. I remember standing on the top of Half
Dome, in Yosemite, where I experienced the sound and feel of a mighty
wind, like I had never experienced before. I will never forget that
sound. Jesus Christ longs for you to experience the force of His Spirit
is such a way that you will be changed and so you will never forget that
He loves you with an unforgettable love.
Verse 3. "And there appeared to them tongues of
fire, distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them."
We don’t really control the wind and in the last verse we saw that
the "winds" of God can even enter a place we normally think would be
able to keep OUT the wind. In Revelation 6:15 & context, we see wealthy
people hiding themselves from God in places like caves or bomb shelters,
but it would do them no good.
Here is another aspect of God’s Holy Spirit - He is like a fire. We
have learned to our shock, in the past few decades, that there are fires
generated from the atom from which there is no escape. Places of
"safety" can be vaporized (and you with them). Here we see a
representation of the power of God, but it was beneficial, rather than
harmful to them.
Destructive things like fire do not necessarily destroy those who
love the Lord. God used fire (a bush that burned but strangely was not
consumed - Exodus 3:2) to attract Moses to the unexpected call of God.
We have been studying Daniel, and in chapter 3, we saw that God is WITH
us in the fires of our lives. Here we see a fire much like the burning
bush, which burned but did not consume - fire was literally ON these
people, but did them no harm.
Verse 4. "And they were all filled with the
Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was
giving them utterance."
God wants your attention. You may want to live a quiet life, not
bothering anybody, trying simply to survive the blows life brings;
retirement, and then you’ll be with the Lord. God may go along with
that concept or He may have OTHER ideas for your life. Keep in mind
that many of these were ordinary people: fishermen, housewives, a tax
collector, political guys, most of whom had been attempting to live
ordinary lives, retire, and then die with some dignity. This was not to
be.
God wants us to be FILLED with His Holy Spirit. He has a LIFE for
you (when you trust in Him) that is completely outside of your
expectations or imagination. He wants YOU (like the old "Uncle Sam"
posters). There was a secular song years ago, "We will rock you." I’m
sure the world wants to do that, but God has it in mind to rock you in a
different way, and He has a greater claim on your life than the world
does.
He wants to turn your life around with the love of God which is in
Christ Jesus. Will you speak with "other tongues, as in this verse?"
I don’t know. But I do know this - if you give your life to Him; if you
become willing to be in "one accord" with His Spirit, and remain in the
place He wants you to be, He WILL use you for His glory, and you will
NEVER regret that he did.
Verse 5. "Now there were Jews living in
Jerusalem, devout men, from every nation under heaven."
Now, if you let Jesus Christ do His will in relation to your life,
people will be attracted to you, but not for the same reasons as
before. This wind was NOISY. The fire was undoubtedly very BRIGHT and
would have been seen outside. Partly these phenomena drew the attention
of the disciples to God, and partly it drew the curiosity of outsiders
to the disciples. God had readied those outsiders, those "devout men",
by the way, for just that moment.
Evangelism, which was the key spiritual gift about to be exhibited
for the "devout men," has two parts. The Holy Spirit works through the
evangelist (who has that gift), but also works in the hearts of the
recipients, drawing them to the words of the speaker. God had readied
these people.
Verse 6. "And when this sound occurred, the
multitude came together, and were bewildered, because they were each one
hearing them speak in his own language."
God created this feast partly for that very moment - to draw "devout"
people to this point in time when they would receive the Lord. He got
the disciples ready to YIELD themselves to God, including their
tongues. The on-lookers were astonished as they heard words in their
own tongues coming from these people - they never expected to hear their
own language at all, in this far-off land of Israel.
We tend to become "confused" when God enters our lives. We often hew
out for ourselves drab, predictable, somewhat unhappy lives (we don’t
care, as long as things seem under our control). Our "control" is
illusory at best and better lost, anyway. But the point here is not so
much that we become out of control, but that we instead yield control of
our lives to Almighty God who loves us.
Verse 7. "And they were amazed and marveled,
saying, ‘Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans?’"
God tends to choose people we would probably not select or choose, if
we were God. We often live like we wish we were God, and it’s a good
idea that we are not. Paul nudged us in this area: have you noticed
there are among you "not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not
many noble…" (1 Corinthians 1:27). These disciples were Galileans,
thought of as crude and oafish by those of Judea, and yet here they
were, and they apparently were articulate in multiple languages,
uttering words of WONDER to those who heard.
We "type" people, don’t we? On sight, many times, people tend to
limit others, judging them on appearance and perhaps by national
origin. Our preconceived notions just don’t work in the body of Christ,
because ordinary people are given extraordinary abilities. God DELIGHTS
in great gifts being given to His little ones.
Verse 8. "And how is it that we each hear them
in our own language?"
We see the miraculous around us all the time, and we don’t have a
clue how it is done. A man will teach us out of God’s word, and we
think, "He is so knowledgeable; my, how did he learn so much?"
The answer is not how much he knows, but Who he knows, for
the one who looks to God, RECEIVES from God, and can then share with
you. Billy Graham is not first a teacher, but an evangelist,
and we are amazed at the number of people who come forward during his
crusades. But even though we love this man of God, it is really the
Holy Spirit of GOD who brings these "seekers" as Billy terms them.
People ARE healed by God’s Holy Spirit. Prayer IS answered by the
Lord, and the true Power that moves in today’s world is the same as the
One that moved at Pentecost – lives are changed and people are made new
by the Cross of Jesus Christ. When we receive Him, we are given His
Spirit, and from that moment, we will never be the same.
Verse 9. "Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and
residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,"
Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene,
and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs - We
hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God."
God, who created us with the capacity for language; God who "divided
(our) tongues" at Babel (Genesis 11:7 & context), is not mystified by
our language, thoughts, or actions. He understands us intimately at all
times. And this capacity for understanding can be given to those who
trust in Him.
I am convinced, reading these verses, that no matter WHAT the
barriers seem to be between people, God can overcome them. The husband
and wife who do not understand each other; the son and father, daughter
and mother, who are mystified by each other, need to come together and
pray, and God WILL bring those people together in understanding and in
love.
Then you will find such people speaking with JOY of the mighty deeds
of God.
Verse 10-11. "Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and
the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews
and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs - We hear them in our own tongues
speaking of the mighty deeds of God."
Now, this is impossible! If you are speaking in one language, it is
not possible that I could hear you in another --- and yet, when you
think about it, with all the thousands of languages and dialects in the
world, God perfectly understands them all. You and I cannot really
even understand ourselves, let alone another person, but God knows our
hearts. David said, speaking to God (Psalm 139:2, 4), "You
know my thoughts" and "there is not a word on my tongue, but behold,
O Lord, You know it." I'm not sure if it was the perception of
the hearers that was altered by our Lord, here in Acts, or if He changed
the verbal capabilities of the speakers (certainly the latter - maybe
both), but God is able and He did bring this to pass. What we
cannot do, He can.
Most people want unity, here in this world. We want peace.
We build edifices and organizations like the United Nations, where there
are translating devices enabling people to seemingly communicate
with one another. And yet, though we talk peace, we often bomb cities in
the name of peace. We may hear another's words, but we really don't
know other people. Jesus Christ, Who truly knows us, gives
the Holy Spirit of God to those who love Him (and are willing to give
praise to God). We will never have peace, or understanding, or joy,
unless we give our words, our hearts and our lives - to Him.
Verse 12. "And they all continued in amazement
and great perplexity, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’"
Some of the onlookers were honestly perplexed by what they observed.
If they had seen a man fly through the air, they could not have been
more surprised. And this is the position I encourage any atheist or
agnostic to take, if you honestly doubt God’s existence – be
OPEN! Look at what He is doing in the lives of people like me.
Christian orators have NOTHING to say to you, except that God gives them
utterance. But when He does, we have EVERYTHING you need to hear, for
it does not come from us, it comes from God!.
This is our stance; not that we are "cool" or "sophisticated" in our
responses, but OPEN and honestly seeking the truth. It’s not some
"philosophy" that is needed, but the REALITY of the Kingdom of God. If
Christ is real, and my brother, my sister, He IS real; then we need to
find OUT that truth and receive Him. If you visit His people,
and they are made NEW by the power of God (made into honest men who love
others), then say "What does this mean?" and be open to Him who changed
them.
Verse 13. "But others were mocking and saying,
‘They are full of sweet wine.’"
There are always those who disparage the acts and wonders of God. He
does not do what I would expect, nor what you would expect, either.
"They’re all nuts", we might say of those who love the Lord and are
changed by Him. In a way we are, for we no longer are bound to act and
speak as the world would have us. We are not bound anymore, by the fear
of whatever mockery might be found at our expense.
We are no longer our own; we were bought (1 Corinthians 6:20)
at a great price. The issue is not whether or not we act in a manner
pleasing to you, at all. The issue is the truth. What is it?
Is God real? Did Christ die for you? Does He intervene in the lives of
people? Is He a God of miracles? Does He love you? Look to your
heart, look to God, let Him in, and don’t mock Almighty God, anymore
than you already have.
Verse 14. "But Peter, taking his stand with the
eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: ‘Men of Judea, and all
you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give heed to my
words."
The author still refers to the "eleven," even though they have now
elected a twelfth to the group of apostles. God in no way condemned
their decision to include Matthias (1:26), and perhaps He even endorsed
this move. But our best is to not limit God to one or two choices, but
instead look to His will, instead of our own ideas.
Peter, who was a man of great courage and boldness, took the reins at
this encounter. Many times he had been bold but misdirected, for he
tended to fly off in his own strength, counter to the purposes of God.
But now, they had the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. The others became
silent, as the Spirit led them, and Peter began to speak, as HE was LED
by the Spirit of God. What a difference, when we look to God, instead
of our own devices.
Verse 15. "For these men are not drunk, as you
suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day;"
Peter now speaks directly to the onlookers who were dismissing them
as drunks. "These people are not drunk; it’s only 9 O’clock in the
morning!" Just like those of our day, the onlookers had been making
assumptions about the reasons for the noise coming from this
place and the behavior of the disciples. I’m convinced one of the
greatest troubles in the world, one of the greatest causes of war and
divorce, are these assumptions! We constantly decide what other
people are thinking and no matter what the evidence may be to the
contrary, continue to believe we know them better than they
know themselves! Peter refuted them with directness.
Verse 16. "but this is what was spoken of
through the prophet Joel:"
I think Peter and the others had been very surprised by the by the
Lord’s revelations about the Old Testament passages that applied to Him
(during the 40 days after His resurrection). But now the Holy Spirit
had come - that which had been surprising now had astonishing clarity.
Scripture that was said by rote, now was alive with the life of God, in
their hearts, their lives, as the Spirit of God gave them understanding
and utterance.
Peter did what we should do. He began to address the needs of the
situation and these people, from the perspective of Scripture.
God speaks through the pages of His Word, which was collected as a
single Book, not in our strength, but in the Power of God. When you
prayerfully look to the Bible, you look to God, and He will speak to you
through it.
Verse 17-18. "’And it shall be in the last
days,’ God says, ‘that I will pour forth of My Spirit upon all mankind;
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men
shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;’" even upon My
bond slaves, both men and women, I will in those days pour forth of My
Spirit and they shall prophesy."
You might ask the question, "I wonder when the last days of mankind
will be?" Why, they are right now. We live at the culmination of this
age. We, the people of earth, are essentially "walking the last mile"
(as they say on death row), a journey which began 2000 years ago. The
"last days" are when His Spirit is poured forth, and if you want Him, He
is here for you right now. He WANTS His Spirit to fill your life with
JOY.
Peter is quoting from Joel 2:28-32. The concept of the word "flesh"
is that we are merely human; unable to do "good" or to do the will of
God. Are you a son who thinks you have no identity in your own right?
Do you think you are "a woman" and somehow don’t qualify? Are you "too
young"? Too old? Are you a person of low estate? Too ill? Too poor?
"I will pour out My Spirit on ALL flesh," says the Lord. That
means YOU, my brother, my sister, as God’s little one, He means YOU.
You SHALL do the work of God.
Verse 19. "And I will grand wonders in the sky
above, and signs on the earth beneath, blood and fire, and vapor of
smoke."
God has WONDERS He wishes to express through your life. The
information you are reading is presented as a Website
(www.fridaystudy.org), which is a miracle for me. Men gave their money
for this site. Men gave their TIME. There is a message here that God
loves me and wants to USE me in His service. Even me! He is sending a
similar message to YOU. Those who minister are ordinary people, loved
by God, just like you and me.
Verse 19 speaks of blood, and the blood we so desperately need is the
Blood of Christ, shed for us. His Holy Spirit is a FIRE among us and
He, the Spirit, will be expressed in our lives. We are to be
filled with His Spirit, just as the temple was filled, as it says in 2
Chronicles 5:13-14: "He is good, for His mercy endures forever" (it is
a miracle that He allows us to serve in His kingdom). It also says,
"the house of the Lord was filled with a cloud, so that the priests
could not minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord
filled the house of God." Just as He intends to fill you and me.
Those who love Him are His temple (Ephesians 2:21-22) and we pray
that all who touch these words will be filled with Him, the One who
loves us, right now.
Verse 20. "The sun shall be turned into
darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of
the Lord shall come."
There will come a time when the Hand which is extended to us in
peace, will instead reach out in Judgment. This is seen in Matthew
24:39. There will come an unprecedented time of tribulation upon this
world. Darkness will cover the earth and the powers of the heavens will
be shaken to the core. And then the Lord will return. This Lamb, the
Lion of Judah, this One will judge the world. The question "What is
your condition before Him right now?", becomes very important in this
context. You must decide and I urge you to give every aspect of your
life totally over to Him (you’ll be glad you did).
Verse 21. "And it shall be, that everyone who
calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
There is a period of God’s grace extended to the world at this time.
Why does He not return right now, you might ask? Why, to give people
like you and me just a little more time in which we might turn to Him!
All we have to do is believe He is Who He is, and be willing to confess
our allegiance to Him (Romans 10:9-10); and as it says (Romans 10:13,
Joel 2:32), "Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord SHALL be saved."
How come the Judgment (verse 20) seems to be prior to the time of
grace in this verse? - There is no "time" with God. He lives in
eternity where time and space just don’t exist as we know it. There is
no decay, no death, no loss - none of that. Judgment is NOW, and so is
grace, and all the host of heaven are waiting and longing for us right
now, that we might give our lives to Him.
Verse 22. "Men of Israel, listen to these
words: "Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles
and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst,
just as you yourselves know -"
It was interesting that Jesus allowed Himself to be called a man "of
Nazareth" (and Peter picks that up, here). The religious leaders looked
on the outward man, and it seems likely that Jesus verbally bore the
accent of that place. They rejected Him because He was not one of
"their" kind. Jesus did not go to their schools; He was a tradesman,
not a religious scholar. He was from a place they did not like. They
also saw His miracles and heard His amazing words of life and grace from
God. They saw people HEALED and made WHOLE. They saw changed lives.
And still they rejected Him, because they did not like the way He
talked, the clothing He wore; His earthly origins. What is OUR judgment
about Him? What is our judgment about the guy next door? The person at
work? Someone we know? WHY, we should ask, are we rejecting that
person? We need to repent because of our sinful attitudes.
Verse 23. "this man, delivered up by the
predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by
the hands of godless men and put Him to death."
It was INTENDED that Christ would come and die for us. God the
Father sent Him, and God the Holy Spirit led Him to the place of
Calvary, where he would die for you and for me. Since He was sent by
God for this very purpose, are these men somehow excused from the
penalty of His death? NO, in no way are they excused, for though their
actions may have performed the will of God, their hearts were cold
toward Him, and they lacked the love which God requires of every one.
It is the same with us. We are guilty of the death of Jesus, because
it was our sins that killed Him. If we were not a race of sinners,
there would have been no need for Him to die. Our sins, yours and mine,
were stones and spears and nails and whips that slew this Son of Man,
Son of God, and we are without excuse before Him.
Verse 24. "And God raised Him up again, putting
an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held
in its power."
It’s like trying to hold a lion in a spider web. The trap may be
sprung and the lion caught in gossamer strands, but then he springs
free, because the web cannot hold him.
This good Christ could not, can not be held by death. We can be, for
instead of the lion, we are tiny creatures (even our nations are like
"dust" to the Lord - Isaiah 40:15) - and we could be held forever, eaten
by the awful creature that spun the web. We need to be set FREE and
that is the job Christ accomplished - we are doomed by our sinful
natures but set FREE in Him.
Verse 25. "For David says of Him, ‘I was always
beholding the Lord in My presence; for He is at My right hand, that I
may not be shaken.’"
Peter does exactly what we should do, in that he looks to Scripture
for his authority, citing Psalm 16:8-11. Notice authorship of that
Psalm is given to DAVID the king. "Modern" scholars would take away
David’s authorship of ALL of his writings, and do the same to other
writers in Scripture. Peter, who walked with the Lord, listened to Him,
and was now FILLED with the Holy Spirit of God (unlike many "scholars"),
& Peter gives the authorship to David.
"I was always beholding the Lord in My Presence", which is not true
of David; this was a prophesy of the Christ Who was to come. The
Father and the Son were always together, and their apparent
separation, traumatic for Both, only occurred for our benefit.
Verse 26. "Therefore My heart was glad and My
tongue exulted; moreover My flesh also will abide in hope;"
Actually, the Father and Son were always together, and they are also
with us, so we need never be shaken. This is cause for gladness and
hope; for REJOICING among the people of God, for He is in our midst at
all times. What is Jesus doing at the Right Hand of the Father?
He is praying for you. His thoughts are constantly upon you, for He is
not like us and can intimately be aware of every one of us at all
times. We have every reason to live in expectant HOPE at all times, for
He is with us and loves us with infinite love.
Verse 27. "Because Thou wilt not abandon My
soul to Hades, nor allow Thy Holy One to undergo decay."
Scripture does seem to suggest that Jesus was not somehow merely dead
in the tomb for three days, but active, preaching to those who had died
before His incarnation (1 Peter 3:18-20, 4:6). Peter says (quoting
David) He could not remain in such a place, for He is the Holy One of
God. Notice again that David says (Psalm 16:8-11) "My" soul, and
even though David had rough times in life, he was not speaking directly
of himself. His words in this verse, as Peter seems to have agreed,
included a prophesy of the time between the cross and the
resurrection.
One of the counters to this concept (that Jesus was in Hades during
those three days), is found in Jesus’ words to the thief on the cross in
Luke 23:43, "today you will be with me in paradise. The question
is asked, "How could He be in heaven (where the Father is), if He was
also in Hades?" You might enjoy reading about Lazarus and the rich man,
in that context (Luke 16:19-31) - the rich man was in torment, but
Lazarus was in Abraham’s bosom. Lazarus was not in "heaven" – rather he
was a temporary place for those who died in those centuries. Certainly
Jesus did not ascend to the Father during the time His body was in the
tomb, as He, the risen Christ, told Mary (John 20:17).
What is important for us to see though, is not some theology about
the 3-days, but to have the protection and love of God. Theology is
never as important as His love. Just like Jesus was not allowed to see
corruption, just like His soul was not allowed to remain where it was,
God will protect and save US - you and me. You will not be left in
death, you will not be left in corruption - if you merely trust
in Him. Give your life to the Son of God, and He will share His life
with you. That’s what is important here!
Verse 28. "Thou hast made known to Me the ways
of life; Thou wilt make Me full of gladness with Thy presence.""
Implicit in the life of Christ was the joy that was set before Him.
Though His life on earth was very hard ("He was a man of sorrows,
acquainted with grief" Isaiah53:3), the greatest pain of all was our sin
upon Him who knew no sin. The cross was horrible but our sins were even
worse. Both David and Jesus knew sadness but also they knew JOY, for
God was demonstrably with them. That is why Jesus’ cry on the
cross, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me" (for our sins upon
this Sinless One, blinding Him to the Presence His Father) was so awful.
Just as the Father was always with the Son (Psalm 22:24), He intends to
be with you today. When He knocks at the door of your heart, let Him
in!
Verse 29. "Brethren, I may confidently say to
you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and
his tomb is with us to this day."
It’s easy to identify dead people - they just sort of lie there, and
pretty soon, people bury them. David was dead; had been dead for a long
time, and his tomb was there to prove it! Paul uses a similar analogy
in Acts 13:35-36. We can easily confuse the words of the prophets with
the prophets themselves, because they so utterly identified with the
message God spoke through them. But David was indeed dead, and
therefore was not speaking of himself (in Psalm 16:8-11). Jesus Christ
is a whole different situation in this context, for with Him, we have an
empty tomb and a risen Christ, witnessed by at least dozens of people!
Verse 30. "And so, because he was a prophet,
and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his
descendants upon his throne,"
A prophet is one who, with the enabling of the Holy Spirit, reveals
the mind and heart of God to men. Prophesies are not necessarily about
the future, though they often are - It really is God Who is being
revealed to us, in the prophetic message.
David was a king. He was also David the shepherd boy, a good
musician and song writer, slayer of Goliath, and a prophet. He seemed
to be a man we would want to emulate, though a careful reading of Psalms
indicates his life was not all happiness by any means.
In Psalm 132:11-12, he reflects God’s promise to him, that IF his
sons kept God’s covenant, they would remain in the throne of Israel
forevermore. They obviously did not, and the country soon broke apart
and subsequently there were no longer Jewish kings in Israel.
Finally, in Jesus Christ, Son of David after the flesh (Matthew 1:6
& context, Luke 3:31 & context), there was One worthy to occupy that
throne.
Verse 31. "he looked ahead and spoke of the
resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor
did His flesh suffer decay."
The real message of the prophets was to proclaim Jesus Christ, as for
example, in Psalm 16:10 ("You will not leave My soul in hell, nor allow
Your Holy One to see corruption"). There were others, like Lazarus
(John 11:1-44), who were raised from the dead, but none of them,
including Lazarus, qualified in any way to be the "Holy One of God. And
Lazarus, who presumably was undergoing corruption until the
process was temporarily reversed, died again and IS undergoing
corruption now.
Verse 32. "This Jesus God raised up again, to
which we are all witnesses."
The "Holy One" of David’s Psalm 16, as quoted by Peter, is Jesus
Christ. The one writing here is Luke, who assembled these writings
with great care, and he meticulously quotes Peter, an eyewitness of the
resurrection of the Messiah.
You might say, "Wait a minute, that’s hearsay" (secondhand evidence).
OK then, let’s take 1 John 1:1-3, where John the Apostle had "seen"
the risen Christ, "handled" Him, and saw Him with his eyes. This is
direct testimony, an eyewitness account, of the risen Christ. Luke
wrote down the words of a contemporary who saw the risen Lord, and John
wrote what he saw - the risen Lord.
Verse 33. "Therefore having been exalted to the
right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of
the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear."
When Jesus was on earth, He limited Himself in time and space,
walking among us, that He might die for our sins. Then He returned from
whence He came. For we learn two truths about the Messiah in Micah 5:2
- He would be born in Bethlehem, but also He would be "from
everlasting." Jesus was "exhalted" in that he returned to His rightful
place at the right hand of the Father. Now that He is again there, He
wants to pour out on YOU the Holy Spirit of God, just like He did with
these disciples.
Verse 34-35. "For it was not David who ascended
into heaven, but he himself says: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My
right hand, until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet.’"
The teaching of the "doctors" of the law, was that David, in Psalms,
spoke of himself or of Israel. Bless their hearts, they were wrong!
Here, Peter quotes Psalm 110:1, where David speaks of His Lord. But his
Lord has a Lord (you might want to look at that Psalm). David obviously
was not talking of himself, and it wasn’t Israel, because Israel was
one nation at the time he wrote, and David speaks of two.
The verse in Psalms goes on, "until I make Your enemies Your footstool."
In Isaiah 40, all of the billions of people on earth are compared
with "grass" that grows in the morning and withers by the end of the day
(verses 7-8), and it says the nations are a "drop in the bucket" (verse
15). From Jesus’ perspective, we are indeed like a "footstool" to Him.
(Yet He loves us).
Note that David understood a great deal about the Godhead, which is
One God and also contains more than One Person who is God. That is, the
Father, the Son, and of course, the Spirit are God, and yet they are One
God. Just like Daniel was shown the future of nations, David was shown
the nature of God.
Verse 36. “Therefore let
all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord
and Christ - this Jesus whom you crucified.”
This Jesus, Lord of all heaven and earth, is the
One we crucified. I say “we” deliberately, understanding that the ones
who directly slew Him were Romans of 2000 years ago, acting essentially
at the prompting of Jewish religious leaders. But just as Adam was
found by God to be the appropriate agent of all people in history (we
all sinned in Adam), so these people were our representatives at the
cross of Christ. We killed Him. From God the Father’s
perspective, the human race killed Jesus (we all sinned and he died for
our sins), and when it says “whom you crucified”, the Holy Spirit of God
through Peter, is speaking to you and to me.
Verse 37. “Now when they heard this,
they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the
apostles, ‘Brethren, what shall we do?’”
The correct answer to their question, from a
human perspective, is - NOTHING! When we have killed, or stolen, or
robbed, or lied, we might wish we had not done it, but we can’t go back
and undo what we did. There is NOTHING we can do! (But God has
a way - see the next verse).
Theirs, by the way, is the proper response to the
work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We may have thought we did not
sin in some area. Probably, some of those people actually felt good
about what had been done to our Lord. But there was more operating here
than the words of Peter (and the Scriptural words of David) - the Holy
Spirit was speaking directly to their hearts (as He is to ours).
Verse 38. “And Peter
said to them, ‘Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of
Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the
gift of the Holy Spirit.’”
But there is (relating to the commentary in verse
37), a solution. It is not OUR solution, it is God’s. The effect of
the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, is that since He paid
the price for our sins, we are forgiven in the sight of
God. Oh yes, society may still put us in jail (for whatever we did), or
people may think ill of us, but we are free in the sight of God.
We can be “born anew” in Him, and that is what we have really needed,
all this time.
To “repent” is to have true sorrow about what we
have done, and also to not do it again. Now, we weren’t able to stop
before, so how can we change now? The answer is, of course, that we
can’t, but God, understanding our weakness, gave us Jesus as Savior. He
is turn, gave us the Holy Spirit to do the job IN us. What we cannot
do, He CAN do, in and through us. (Confess your sin to Him, and ask
Christ into your heart.)
To be “baptized” is to make a public testimony, to
enact a “parable”, a visual picture of what God has done: the part of
me that wants to sin, wants to be a part of this world, is dead, as
though drowned in water - Jesus has brought me up from the dead, to new
LIFE in Him.
Verse 39. “For the
promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far off, as
many as the Lord our God shall call to Himself.”
I love it that the
promise is to our children. So often we ache for them. The years we
wasted are reflected in them, as we see them adopting behavior we now
wish we had never done! Jesus Christ is interested in our children; all
those we love. Those we care about so deeply, He cares about, too.
This verse is sometimes
used to argue that our children must be saved, if we are
Christians, but it does not say that. The direct application includes
generations of people not yet born at that time. Yet, the advantage of
Christian parentage is very great, and because of our changed lives, our
children are likely to be saved. Keep on praying for those you love.
God hears you and is reaching out to them, right now.
Aren’t you glad the Holy Spirit included those who
are “far off?” As this is written, I am half way around the world and
2000 years away from that Pentecost. Yet I am included - and so are
you! Are you called to the Lord right now? Then know your call is from
God’s Holy Spirit, who is reaching through this verse - to you.
Verse 40. “And with many
other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting
them, saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse
generation!’”
And Peter went on, apparently for quite some time,
which Luke sums up with the words “be saved from this perverse” or
“crooked generation.” C. S. Lewis, much like Peter, referred to us as
“bent” in nature. That is, in our attitudes and thoughts, we are not
honest, even with ourselves.
We get the short version of Peter’s message, and
those that attended got the long, but it’s not the long or short of what
we hear, but the appropriateness of the message, and more than anything
else, the Presence of the Holy Spirit. He’s here right now, and He’s
speaking to you and to me. There’s a song about Jesus - “Isn’t He
wonderful?” That’s what the Holy Spirit says, and yes, He is.
Verse 41. “So then,
those who had received his word were baptized; and there were added that
day about three thousand souls.”
3,000 new people for Christ. (We’ll meet these
people some day, and become very well acquainted with them). It all
sounds effortless, by the way, doesn’t it? - This addition of 3,000 new
believers. Just a few words from Peter, and here come thousands
of people. But it was not effortless at all.
Peter and the others walked with Jesus for 3-years,
and essentially lived as foxes without a den or birds without nests
(Luke 9:58 & context), just as He did. They gave up their livelihoods;
left homes and families. Then, just as they were getting used to all
this, Jesus was betrayed and killed! Then alive again! And now this
extraordinary “baptism in the Holy Spirit”, where their lives were
turned upside down by the Spirit of God.
They were shaped, molded, readied, and primed for
just this moment, precisely for these 3,000 and the others who would
respond to the Spirit through them. You are being shaped also. Have
you lost much in life? Do you wonder, “How could God allow this?” It
is just that kind of “loss” Paul had in mind, when he encouraged us to
“Thank God in everything” (I Thessalonians 5:18) - For God takes our
“losses” and turns them into great victories in Christ Jesus.
Instead of feeling hurt by who and what we are, we should thank Him (He
knows what He’s doing).
Verse 42. “And they
were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to
fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”
I have come to love attending Church. The
very thing which I avoided in years past, has come to be great joy. How
wonderful to continually be in such surroundings, to be with the
people of God.
What an opportunity it was for them, to listen, and
to learn, at the feet of the apostles of Jesus. This verse is a
model for us, in that we are being prepared to LOVE instruction about
God, about His Word, and to love His people. We are being offered
fellowship, such as we have never known before. There is JOY in the
communion offered to us in relation to one another, and JOY for those
who are continually in prayer, just as for these men and women, so many
years ago.
You probably want to be happy. The only way to
ever find what you want, is to be like the simple, joyful people in this
verse. Trust in Him and love not only God, but also those He has given
you. Look away from your wounds and into His love - You will never find
happiness in any other way.
Verse 43. “And everyone kept
feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place
through the apostles.”
The word “fear” in this verse is the Greek “phobos”
which has the primary meaning to be scared, to have terror.
This word has the secondary meaning of “reverential fear.” The noted
New Testament Greek scholar, W. E. Vines, continues that this is “not a
mere fear of His power and righteous retribution, but a wholesome
dread of displeasing Him.” The one who is awakened to the holiness of
God, by the Holy Spirit, learns to understand the fear of the Lord,
which is positive, rather than a negative experience.
The one who is so awakened is inevitably and
irrevocably changed by God, and that person becomes open to the
loving power of God, as well. The persons who would see His
signs and wonders, must first be changed by His holiness and His love.
Human belief (or the lack of it) is linked to miracles in Scripture. In
Matthew 13:58, we see that Jesus “did not do many mighty works there (at
Nazareth) because of their unbelief.”
Verse 44. “And all those
who had believed were together, and had all things in common;”
I was interested, during Church History classes in
college, that there have been many attempts to form Christian
communities where all is held in common. A number of these attempts
have been in the USA. For the most part, such attempts have been dismal
failures. We can expect to be drawn TO the needs of this world, rather
than away from the hurts of others. Those communities tend to withdraw
from others.
It is important that our religion be led by the
Holy Spirit of God, and not merely by good intentions. Don’t get me
wrong, I think God loves and rewards our generous hearts and our honest
caring for others - it’s a delight to Him, when we finally care
for those around us. But when we start asking or telling others to give
up their money or property for some idea we might think we have, watch
out! At that point, it better not be just some whim of our own that
leads, but instead the power of our holy God.
Verse 45. “and they began
selling their property and possessions, and were sharing them with all,
as anyone might have need.”
You see (continuing from verse 44), I think the
situation of these people in Acts 2:45, and those of us in modern
America, is quite different. God was about to send those people - to
the world! They were the prototypes of all that were to follow. Peter
was to go to Rome; Thomas was to end up in India, of all places! We
have already seen that this Matthias, supposedly the replacement of
Judas, would go to Ethiopia. They went everywhere! They sold all they
had, and gave all their money, not because this was to be the model for
all future Christians, but they were models for future missionaries.
Are you called to go? These missionaries of the
first century, couldn’t effectively continue as workers and property
owners within the areas of Galilee and Judea, and also travel
permanently to other countries. Some of us are called to go; some of us
are called to stay, and while we are staying, witness of Christ to those
around, and send our money to those who are called to go.
Another factor in their future, was that the whole
area surrounding them was to be decimated by Roman legions, in 71 AD.
They didn’t know that, but God did, and they would be sent out of that
place before it happened.
Verse 46. “And day by day
continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to
house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity
of heart,”
What’s unusual here, is not that they did religious
things together. It’s that they were in “one accord.” We may
participate with one another in mutual activities, but our hearts are
often far apart. Here were people who had truly learned they are
LOVED by God, and when you’ve truly experienced His love, you will
never be the same. This (His love) is the real basis of their shared
experience, as it should be ours.
Another key phrase (NKJV) in this verse, is
“simplicity of heart.” We tend to be unnecessarily complex, in that we
have double, triple, compound motives for just about everything we do.
They were no different, but something had happened to them, so momentous
that it rendered them simple, not in mind but in heart. In that way, we
should be “simple” also.
Verse 47. “praising God and
having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their
number day by day those who were being saved.
There is a flow to a genuine work of God.
If we compare ourselves to houses in which the water should both flow in
through pipes and out through drains, then we are stopped up most of the
time. Here was a people finally in concert with the Holy Spirit
of God, and their “pipes” and “drains” were so cleaned out that God
could flow into them and out to the lives of those around.
And they were received with the favor of all the
people. In a true revival (one generated by God and not by men), there
are two parts to the work of God: There is a simple, real willingness
of God’s people to do His will (in prayer, in speaking, and in action),
and also there is a capacity to receive, built into those who
hear.
God’s people are drawn to pray, as the evangelist
is called to speak, and those who hear are given power to listen.
And we see that the Lord was adding daily, those who were being saved.
It is the Lord who does the work, and not men - but we must be
willing to be used by Him.
Ron
Beckham, Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
www.fridaystudy.org
Ron@fridaystudy.org
