Day 99, Acts 2
Fifty days after the Passover when Jesus was crucified, comes the harvest feast of Pentecost. And on this day, the church (ekklesia) is born. The Holy Spirit, promised by Jesus, comes with the sound of wind (signifying the Spirit’s power and freedom) and with tongues of fire. Fire was always a sign of God’s presence (see Moses on the mountain or Elijah defeating Baal’s worshippers) – and now the fire separates and engulfs each one. Your own experience of God’s presence.
The result is literally world changing as Jews and converts from much of the known world all experience the wonder of hearing these disciples speak in their own dialects, even though they are all clearly Galilean. It would be the equivalent of a busload of rednecks from the deep South going to the United Nations and each speaking in a language a delegate could understand.
This miraculous demonstration both reverses the Tower of Babel (where God confused humanity to hinder their self-aggrandizement) and fulfills Joel’s prophecy from 800 years before: this is the Last Days and God is on the move to pour out His Spirit and prepare for the Day of The Lord (The day when justice is restored to the earth through God’s complete rule).
So, we have now been living in the Last Days for 2000 years, and God is preparing for the Kingdom to come as we see it in the book of Revelation.
Peter stands up to explain this and to call for response to Jesus as the proven Messiah. The crowd (many of whom would have also been in Jerusalem shouting “Crucify Him” at the previous festival) realize their guilt and ask what they should do. It is most significant that the Holy Spirit inspires Peter with the answer: return to God, be baptized into the name of Jesus for your sins to be removed and take hold of the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Notice how devoid of self-effort this is: Peter and the others are experiencing the boundless generosity of God in the overflowing Holy Spirit, and they want as many as possible to receive the same gifts: you are forgiven, and you are given power.
The fruit of those gifts is described at the end of the chapter. The Church in her pristine beauty. Would that we were living in that way today. God’s desire is that you and I receive the Holy Spirit so much that He overflows from our lives in miracles and salvations. I’m saying YES! How about you?
Have a great day!
Mark.