Acts 3:17-26

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17 “Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. 19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 20 and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. 22 For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. 23 And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ 24 Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days. 25 You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ 26 To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.” ~ Acts 3:17-26

Today, we conclude our study of Acts 3 where the Lord Jesus is      working in and through His followers in a powerful way. With the conclusion of this chapter comes the conclusion of Peter's second recorded sermon after the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. People were being attracted to the Lord through the miracles He is performing through those first century believers. Not only are the people attracted to the message of the gospel, they are repenting of dependency upon themselves and they are believing in the Lord Jesus as their Savior. This is the crux of our every call from the Lord, to be useful and dispensable clay pots for His glory. There is no greater joy than to bring honor to the One who laid down His life for us.

In v.17 of today's passage we read, "Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers."

Previously, Peter informed the gathered crowd of Jewish folks at the outer courts of the Temple in Jerusalem that they were responsible for the murder of the Lord Jesus. It was then that Peter highlighted the fact that they acted out of their ignorance of the identity of the Lord Jesus when they yelled out to Pilate to "crucify Him." The word the Apostle Peter used here translated "ignorance" means "blindly blundering along in darkness." This describes not only those Jews gathered there that day listening to Peter's sermon, it describes everyone who has walked the face of this earth since the Fall. God graciously sent His Son to the earth who said while hanging on His cross, "Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing." 

Anytime we try to run our own lives, we merely demonstrate our ignorance. We do not know what we are doing. It is our pride that leads us to even think that we could make it through this life and beyond without a personal relationship with the Lord. In Ecclesiastes 3:11 we discover that when He made us God placed eternity in our hearts. We all know the endless search in our hearts for meaning and purpose. Augustine said, "Thou has made us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless until they learn to rest in Thee." We long for God, the problem is sin has marred our understanding of what is really real so we find ourselves longing for everything other than Him. Within all of us is a longing for home, there is a call deep within each of us for more than this life can provide. This itch is part of God's plan and is useful to directing us back to Him.

In v.18-24 of today's passage we read, "18 But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. 19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 20 and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. 22 For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. 23 And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ 24 Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days."

Here, Peter pulls back the curtain of eternity allowing these people to see the plan of God to redeem mankind from our sin. Our sin placed the Lord Jesus on the cross and we are all guilty of placing Him there. But, God in His grace, has told us over and over throughout the years that His Son would one day come to deal a death blow to sin and death on our behalf. What is required of us is to be humble enough to believe that His death on the cross procured our salvation. And, by the way, for thousands of years the unfolding story of the gospel of Jesus Christ was predicted throughout the Old Testament.

So, the first step toward salvation is repentance. There must come a time in our lives when we recognize our need to turn away from the self life that took over when sin came into this world. The self life is living life with ourselves at the center of our existence. The second step involved in our salvation is that we must come to a change in our evaluation of the Lord Jesus Christ. God is willing to treat any sinner as His Son only if we see our need for the Savior and we trust in Him. In this sermon Peter said, "our sins will be blotted out." This one Greek word translated "blotted out" means "erased." Forgiveness is for anyone who runs to God for refuge through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Christianity rests upon facts. In this second sermon of Peter, he provided a series of bullet proof facts that we cannot deny. Facts that were attested by witnesses and can be easily corroborated today. Facts like the death of the Lord Jesus on the cross. Then came His resurrection. He was seen up to 12 times after His resurrection in a 40 day period and the fact is no-one refuted these appearances. This is what turned the disciples on a dime from being cowards to dying horrific deaths for their faith in the Living One. Christianity is not a religion of ideas, it rests upon the witnesses who can and have attested to its veracity even in a court of law. This is the way we prove Christianity to be true by declaring certain facts and bringing in certain witnesses to establish them. This is exactly the basis upon which the Christian faith has always rested.

In v.25-26 of today's passage we read, "25 You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.' 26 To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities."

Peter's final point took his hearers all the way back to father Abraham to whom God promised to bless all of the people of the earth with His blessing of salvation through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. Sadly, in the first century the Jews had come to believe that God only lived the Jews. This is what the self-life does to us, it makes us self-centered and selfish. Through the cross of His Son God has appealed to us. The covenant He made with Abraham was a covenant of faith. It was our sin that separated us from God. It is the Law of Moses that highlights and magnifies our sin, but it is only the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that can cleanse our sin away. God has promised if we believe in His Son as our Savior we will be forgiven and secured in our salvation.

Acts 3:11-16

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11 Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon’s, greatly amazed. 12 So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. 14 But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. 16 And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. ~ Acts 3:11-16

Today, we return to our study of Acts 3 where Peter and John while on their trek to the Temple in Jerusalem to pray are solicited by a man who had been lame for forty years. He was just outside the Temple at the Gate called Beautiful. It was there that Peter told the man who was begging for money about the Lord Jesus. It was then that the man was healed of his inability to walk and was last seen leaping and walking and entering into the temple with Peter and John.

In v.11 of today's passage we read, "Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon’s, greatly amazed."

Since the crowd drew in on the man and Peter and John, Luke highlights the excitement of the once lame man. At this point he didn't want to be separated from Peter and John. And so, in order for that to not occur, he literally held very tightly onto them. When there is a moment like this, a moment of awe and wonder, people desire to see why the attention of others are so captivated. To prove the veracity of this story everyone there that day scurried to be able to see the healed man at "Solomon's porch" which was a covered colonnade just outside the eastern entrance of the Temple.

There, the people were "greatly amazed" which means they were beyond astonishment to a sense of bewilderment. Most of them were fully aware of the beggar. He was there everyday. Ironically, the name "Solomon" is derived from the Hebrew word meaning "wholeness." The place describes the once lame man appropriately as one who was healed and made whole in the name of the Lord Jesus.

In v.12-16 of today's passage we read, "12 So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: 'Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. 14 But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. 16 And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.'"

Just then Peter seized the opportunity to address the crowd and explain the marvel of what God had done for the once lame man. As the healed man had fixed his eyes on Peter and John before, now, the people had fixed theirs upon them. This is why Peter directed their attention to the One who healed the once lame man. He asked them, "Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? " Peter wanted the people to know that he and John lacked the power to heal the man and that it was the Lord Jesus who healed him. Peter's usage of the word "godliness" indicates he was fully aware that he and John were not the ones the people should credit with this miracle.

By introducing the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Peter clearly establishes that the same God who had been faithful to Israel all of those years was the One whom the Lord Jesus represented. Peter identified the Lord Jesus as "The Servant of the Lord" which is a reference to the Messiah mentioned in Isaiah 53 where the rejection of the Servant was prophesied by the prophet Isaiah. Peter reminded the people that it was they who fulfilled this prophecy. 

In this second message to the people of Jerusalem, Peter gave the people the bad news before sharing the gospel with them. We do not appreciate the enormity of what the Lord Jesus did on the cross until we have been reminded of the seriousness of our sin. Before we can find joy in the good news, we must see the seriousness of our rebellion against God. Our rebellion separated us from God with absolutely no hope in sight. Our rebellion activated the devilish nature of sin in our existence and it is out to destroy us at all cost. Many view sin as merely a mistake or a weakness. However, in the eyes of God, sin is the most destructive thing there is in this world. It is critical that all of mankind comprehend the weight and the destructive power of sin, because without a real understanding of sin, we cannot truly understand salvation, grace, or the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus.

This is why Peter said in v.14-15 wrote, "14 But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses."

In v.16 of today's passage we read, "And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all."

Now that Peter has enabled the people to see the seriousness of their wicked choices, he now gives the good news. Like John 3:16, Acts 3:16 directs our attention to the most important and the most welcoming thought. God made a way for sinful man to be redeemed. The once lame man who stood before them was a demonstration of God's reaction to our rebellion and guilt. As the man had been restored and made whole by God's power, so the people of Israel could be restored to a personal relationship with God. It is in response to what God has done for us by sending His Son to the cross where He judged our sin in His body on the tree, it is when we conclude that He paid our penalty and when we place our faith in Him that we are made whole.

Throughout the Bible, we are reminded that we are saved by faith in the Lord. It is the object of our faith that saves us, not the quality or the quantity of our faith. Martin Luther once aptly said, "We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone." It is quite clear in the Scriptures that it is not our obedience that saves us, but biblical faith will produce obedience or good works. Our good works are signs that we have been "born again." Faith in anything makes us vulnerable. Our need of faith exposes the fact that we are not in full control of our lives. It isn't blind faith because God has given us enough evidence of His existence that it could fuel the faith of all for eternity. The reason we struggle with faith is that it exposes us for the fallen people we are but it invites us to be real. Faith in the God of the Bible is risky but it is through this vein that we connect with Him. Vulnerability is being honest about what is happening on the inside. This is where healing happens. This is what connects us to the Lord. This is why faith has always been the determining factor of our rightness with God. 

Acts 3:1-10

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1 Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; 3 who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. 4 And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, "Look at us." 5 So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. 6 Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." 7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. 8 So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God. 10 Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. ~ Acts 3:1-10

Today, we begin our study of Acts 3 where the early Church has received the promised Holy Spirit and the Lord was adding to their numbers daily. In today's passage you will notice the same pattern that we had in Acts 2 where the believers spoke of the wonderful works of God in languages they did not understand. Then, the people gathered to hear Peter preach, and then, many were saved. The same pattern is found here in Acts 3, there is a miracle, the people gather to hear Peter preach, and people were saved. God provided miracles in order to convince people of the truth which led to their salvation.

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour."

Peter and John went to the Temple daily to pray. It was 3:00 in the afternoon which was the time of Israel’s evening sacrifice. This was also the hour that the Lord Jesus died on the cross. An amazing transformation had taken place in Peter and John as they are now found to be men of prayer. In the past they struggled to stay awake long enough, but now they are prayer warriors going to the Temple everyday to pray. And, they discovered the more they prayed, the more they received strength, courage and wisdom. As a result, they were no longer men of fear who avoided the Temple because of those who killed the Lord Jesus. 

In v.2-4 of today's passage we read, "2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; 3 who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. 4 And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, "Look at us."

The lame man was positioned at the gate called Beautiful. The Jewish historian Josephus tells us the gate called Beautiful was bigger than all the rest. It was 75 feet high and 60 feet wide. It was made of Corinthian brass, overlaid with gold. It took 20 men to close it. And that’s where the life-long lame man sat begging for money. He asked for mercy in the form of cash, but he was given grace in the form of healing and salvation. This was the scene that brings us to the next event after Pentecost.

This man had been unable to walk for forty years. Who knows how many of those years he had been carried to this gate. His life had been all of his life defined by his disability. That day this lame man was in the spot that he was known to be. He was there everyday begging for money. Many passed him by, including believers in the Lord Jesus, before entering and leaving the Temple. But this time, instead of turning their eyesight away from the beggar, Peter and John went to him and engaged him in conversation. 

There were two things that made Peter stop that day to engage the lame man. First, he had compassion on him. Peter, having come into a deeper relationship with the Lord Jesus had developed a heart for this man. This is what spending time in God's presence in prayer does to us. As we give our hearts to the Lord, He gives His heart to us. Out of compassion for the man Peter helped him in a way that he needed most. Money would only solve his problem temporarily. The lame man needed to be healed of his beggar’s way of thinking. Peter knew that only the Lord Jesus could do for this man what he really needed. This highlights the second reason Peter stopped that day to help the lame man: Peter had faith in the name of the Lord Jesus. The man had asked for money, but Peter ended up giving him much more than he expected. Peter followed the example of the Lord Jesus: He healed him in the name of the Lord Jesus. 

This man, all of his life, had been kept outside the presence of God. He was spiritually isolated as he begged just outside of the Temple. According to Leviticus 21 the lame were prohibited from entering the Temple. When he asked for money from John and Peter, Peter said to him, "Look at us." This was exactly what the Lord Jesus often said to those who asked for healing. He always captivated their attention first because in order to heal them they had to demonstrate faith in Him. So, Peter focused the lame man's gaze upon the Lord. He did this to create a sense of expectation. This technique always quickens faith. The man desired money but something much more significant was given to him. The faith of this man was awakened by Peter's words. This is very necessary in order to receive anything from God. We must expect something from Him in order to receive from Him.

In v.5-7 of today's passage we read, "So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. 6 Then Peter said, 'Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.' 7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength."

The lame man expected money while Peter and John expected the man's healing. Peter thought well beyond the man's temporal need, he anticipated the man's eternity. It was then that the man's feet and ankles had enough strength in them to stand. This man had never stood before but now he stood. This was nothing less than divine intervention in his life. This is the ultimate in ministry, to get people to the place where they are postured to encounter their Creator.

The minute Peter had this man's attention, he did two things which are most important: First, he admitted his bankruptcy in the material realm when he said, "Silver and gold have I none." And then, Peter demonstrated his amazing faith in the adequacy of the Lord when he said, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." And, in that moment, as this man was looking at Peter and John, and heard these words, at the mention of the name of the Lord Jesus something remarkable happened. Strength came flowing into his ankles, and Peter, sensing it, took him by the right hand and lifted him up. The man rose and began to leap and shout and jump around, trying out this new-found strength in his legs and feet which he had never known before because he was lame from birth. No wonder it had an amazing effect upon the people who looked on at the Temple.

In v.8-10 of today's passage we read, "8 So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God. 10 Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him."

Both, the lame man and Peter had to act on their faith. The moment faith was born in the heart of the lame man he subsequently praised God. This man's whole world turned on a dime. As the people saw this miracle they were convinced that God had healed the lame man. If the lame man had not been lame this story would not be in this passage. How many of us are known to ask God to take a given abnormality from us not recognizing that most often our abnormalities provide a platform for God to reveal Himself to us and through us.

There is a lot of seeing in this passage: The lame man "saw Peter and John," Peter "looked intently at him" and said "look at us." Once we have been "born again" we will see those in need as God sees them, in need of Him. At the end of the day, the real issue is who do we see. That day, the lame man came to see the Lord Jesus as his Savior for himself which resulted in the bystanders seeing God for they ended up giving the Lord His deserved praise. That day a 700 year old prophecy was fulfilled before all to see. That 700 year old prophecy is found in Isaiah 35:6 which reads, “Then the lame shall leap like a deer.” 

Acts 2:43-47

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43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. ~ Acts 2:43-47

Today, we conclude our study of Acts 2 where the promised Holy Spirit has arrived who indwells every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. On that Pentecost celebration three thousand Jews were added by the Lord to the early church. In Psalm 27 we read, "Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build." Many wrongly refer to the building that Christians meet in to be the Church. The word "church" literally means "called out ones." The Church is made up of those who are learning to repent from their dependence upon themselves to get life right to trusting the Lord to live His life to and through them. Even though there was one point in time that we were "born again," the Lord daily is calling us out of the world.

In v.43 of today's passage we read, "Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles."

The word "fear" means "awe." Those who were added to the Church that day were in awe at what they experienced. God can't help but doing awe inspiring things because He Himself is awesome. Those early believers in Christ were amazed at the "many wonders and signs that were done through the apostles." A wonder is a miracle while the sign reminds us of the wonder. It makes no sense to be more in awe of what God does than it is to be in awe of who He is. The more we stand in awe of God the more we will know a greater degree of intimacy with Him. It is only when the awe of God rules our hearts that we see the things of this world for what they truly are.

There are 163 miracles in the Bible. Half of them are found in the New Testament which spanned about 80 years. The 83 miracles in the Old Testament spanned 4000 years! Spread evenly that would be 1 miracle in the whole world every 48 years. It seems to us on this side of it all that a lot more miracles took place during biblical days than now. Not so! However, there is something to be said about the Jews demanded signs and wonders. All the while the Lord Jesus pointed out that those who have not seen Him with their eyes are more blessed than those who did along with His miracles. The real issue is our heart. 

In 1 Corinthians 1:22-25 we read, "For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." 

The Lord Jesus performed signs beginning with the turning of water into wine and culminating with His resurrection. When asked by His mother to perform the miracle the Lord Jesus said to her, "My hour has not yet come." Everything the Lord Jesus did was in light of that coming hour which always points us to His cross. When we recognize this, we will find ourselves in awe of Him. And yet, despite all the proofs that He was the promised Messiah, the Jews rejected the message that accompanied the signs. Miracles, signs and wonders do not change hearts, only the Word of God changes us from within. It is most often through the agency of awe that we understand and receive His Word.

In v.44-45 of today's passage we read, "44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need."

These first century believers were motivated from their hearts to sell all they had so that they could help their more needy brothers and sisters in the faith. Some have said that the early Christians gave up their "capitalism" and became "communists." But that is not what this passage demonstrates at all. They retained their right to private property. They bought and sold as they had before. They did not embrace a new government or a new economic system. Due to the needs in the community they established a common fund from which they could help the needy among them. To do it, some of them sold some of their property and gave them up to have an adequate fund to help others. This is Christianity in action, to be concerned about the needy. This is the heart of the God of the Bible and this is the most awe inspiring about Him.

In v.46-47 of today's passage we read, "46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved."

Here, we are given a picture of what it looks like for God to be  at work in the midst of His people. When God is having His way in our hearts we naturally yield worship to Him. It is like the spokes on a bicycle tire, once they're in place everything else on the tire works as it should. The best worship of God is seen through our concern for the needy. Those early believers were redeemed through the Lord Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit and committed to the teaching and the practice of God's Word. They were known for their generous hearts. They did all of this through "simplicity of heart" which means they were humble. This is one of the characteristics of the believer that will be evident once he is growing in intimacy with God. Their oneness was a product of God's love for them and theirs for Him. The Church with the proper content will yield to the leading of the Holy Spirit to do God's will. It is in the context of our obedience to Him from our hearts that will realize His blessing throughout each given day.

Today's passage ends with: "And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." 

Most believe a church is built after they find a pastor who’s a good speaker, and they bring in a worship leading team, and they find a building. This is not found in the Bible. Just as God built the church in the New Testament, He builds it today, and the Church is made up of the people who are being called to the Lord, not the building. I am convinced that everyone has the same story with God. We all have been wooed by Him to believe on His Son. Through His Word and His Spirit and our conscience God convicts all of sin. How we respond to that conviction and the gospel message will determine whether we are added to the Church for whom the Lord Jesus died to save.

Acts 2:40-42

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40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” 41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. ~ Acts 2:40-42

Today, we return to our study of Acts 2 where the Apostle Peter is concluding his first recorded sermon. As a result of the sound of the coming of the Holy Spirit, thousands were present in the Temple courtyards to hear Peter's simple presentation of the gospel. As Peter spoke the people were cut deeply into their hearts to the point that they saw their need to believe on the Lord Jesus as their Savior.

In v.40 of today's passage we read, "And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, 'Be saved from this perverse generation.'"

Peter left no questions unanswered. His words that day were fully sufficient to convince those willing enough to believe on the Lord Jesus as their Savior to do so.  Believing on the Lord Jesus would cause those who believed to be rescued from "this perverse generation." The word translated here as "perverse" literally means "bent spiritually and unacceptable to God." Israel lacked the Holy Spirit, thus, they were unable to measure up to God’s perfect standard. Their thoughts were crooked and thus their standing before God was not good enough. Only those who repented from the natural mindset could be saved.

In v.41 of today's passage we read, "Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them."

The word translated "received" communicates a heightened sense of joy as the people received God's free gift of forgiveness. These people heard the word preached and they had faith that the words preached were true and so they believed in the Lord. Thus, they were saved. And, as an outward demonstration of their born again status three thousand were baptized and added to the family of God that day. The number three thousand fulfills a pattern that is set forth in Scripture in which a theological point is made. 

In Exodus 32:25-29 we learn that at Mt. Sinai, which according to Galatians 4 symbolizes the temple in Jerusalem, the law was received, and it was written on tablets of stone. Those tablets were given to Moses but were broken at the base of the mountain because the people turned away from the Lord to a false god. After this, three thousand people died because of their sins. In Acts 2, at the temple in Jerusalem, the word of the Lord was again given, but this time it was written on the tablets of the hearts of the people. In this, three thousand people were saved because of their faith in Christ Jesus. For those three thousand who died at Sinai, they died in sin because of their deeds and their failure to believe. For the three thousand who believed on the Lord Jesus in Jerusalem, they died to sin because of faith in the deeds of the Lord Jesus.

In v.42 of today's passage we read, "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers."

Those who had previously believed consistently grew in the essentials of the Christian faith. Remarkably these had first been among those who mocked what they saw the Holy Spirit do in the first followers that day in Jerusalem. Once they  realized the magnitude of what had occurred in the coming of their Messiah, they were wholly converted. There is no record of any of these people falling away from the faith. Rather, their lives had been completely changed by the gospel.

The essentials of the Christian faith are clearly laid out here: The teachings of the Bible, fellowship, the Lord's Supper, and prayer. Nothing must thwart the believer from these essentials or these practices where we find no ambiguity. Everything else compared to these are negotiable. The expository teaching of the Bible, fellowship one with another, observing the Lord's Supper, and prayer are essential for the believer in Christ. 

Someone once said, "The New Testament is the Old Testament revealed and the Old Testament is the New Testament concealed." Whatever is taught in the local church must be founded upon the Word of God which is able to change us from the inside out. The whole of the Bible has one main subject: The Lord Jesus Christ. Drawing on God’s wisdom is a privilege that’s made possible by the work of the Holy Spirit, who inspired each word contained in the Bible. The Holy Spirit speaks to us by illuminating our understanding of the Scriptures, transforming us so that we can grow in faith and in obedience to our God. 

The Greek word for "fellowship," "koinonia" is used here for the first time. The New Testament was written in Koine Greek, the common language, not classical Greek. "Koinonia" is "to hold or share something in common." This word literally means "to have in common" or "life together." These new believers were bound together in the Lord Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit. Their commitment to one another demonstrated their commitment to Christ. Their fellowship was about what they gave, not what they received. True fellowship costs us for God rarely blesses us with us only in mind.

In 1 Corinthians 11:23-24 we read, "For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, 'This is my body, which is for you.'" The early church thus referred to the Lord’s Supper as the "breaking of bread." We are told that these early believers "broke bread" regularly together. They did it so that they would remember and keep before them daily the crucifixion and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus had given the disciples in the upper room the bread and the wine to help them to worship Him for His greatest demonstration of love toward us. True worship is found always at the foot of the cross.

In Acts 1:14 we read, "And these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers." The disciples for ten days after Christ's ascension and His advent prayed together consistently. In Acts 1:24-25, the critical decision about who would replace Judas was made in prayer. The church was born out of prayer and they devoted themselves to prayer. In Colossians 4:2 we read, "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving." Prayer is simply having an on-going conversation with God.

The Lord Jesus always works in community. One of the greatest gifts the we could offer our broken and alienated society is a vision of intense social belonging. For that reason we find no personal pronouns in the earliest description of the church in Acts. If any group of believers has the desire to remain faithful to the Lord they must have commitment to these pillars of the faith: Doctrine, Fellowship, Worship and Prayer. 

Acts 2:37-39

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37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” 38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” ~ Acts 2:37-39

Today, we return to our study of Acts 2 where the Holy Spirit has come to enter into each believer who each spoke in languages that they could not understand but the Jews who were visiting Jerusalem at that time from all over the world could understand them because they spoke in their language. Through these languages the disciples of the Lord Jesus spoke of the awesome goodness of God. On the heels of that miracle Peter stood up and preached his first recorded sermon. In this sermon he clearly shared the gospel including the bad news and the good news. Today, the people will give their response to Peter's message.

In v.37 of today's passage we read, "Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Men and brethren, what shall we do?'"

In response to Peter's gospel message the people "were cut to the heart." The word translated "cut" is one not found elsewhere in Greek literature except in the Greek translation of Genesis 34:7. It is an intensified form of a word meaning "to pierce." Some translations of this word include the idea that these people were "stunned." It was as if their hearts had been thrust through with a spear.

With their minds and hearts arrested and pierced, these people from all over the world asked Peter and the other disciples, "What shall we do?" Their response indicates that they fully accepted Peter's words as the truth. They had gone from accusing the apostles of being drunk to seeking their advice on how to correct their lost condition. This question was asked in response to the obvious fact submitted to them that they had crucified the Lord Jesus. And, when God poured out His Holy Spirit and they had been excluded from receiving Him, it convicted them. Salvation had been presented to Israel, and they missed the offer. Strangely, it was through their sinful actions that they were made desirous of forgiveness from God. 

There is a huge difference between reacting and responding. Reacting is built on emotional baggage and patterns that have long been present in our souls. Responding is a choice. Rather than letting ourselves react without thinking, we recognize we've been presented some measure of the truth. Reacting walls off humility in our hearts while responding has been known to lead us to the end of ourselves. These devout Jews who were visiting Jerusalem that Pentecost weekend chose to not be defined by the small mindedness of their ego. In fact, they were defined by the truth spoken to them by Peter.

In v.38-39 of today's passage we read, "38 Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.'"

Not a single Gentile was involved in this exchange. This is important because it was the Jews who had crucified the Lord Jesus. They had rejected Him openly. With this understanding, Peter told them to "repent." This is one of the most misunderstood and misused words in all of Christianity. This Greek word means "to change one’s mind." It does not mean to clean up your lifestyle. It just simply means a changing of the heart as the result of the reasoning process demonstrated. Peter challenged the people to change their thinking about the Lord Jesus and they did. Thus, they were born again.

Then the Apostle Peter told the people to "be baptized in the name of Jesus." A careful study of the word translated "baptized" clearly signifies it means "to be immersed in water." However, it is not water baptism that saves anyone. It is only through Christ’s finished work on the cross that we are saved. The people were to be baptized "for the remission of their sins." The word "remission" implies a total removal of the penalty and guilt associated with sinfulness. Our sins are totally forgiven by God through our trust in the sacrificial atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, some suppose that this one time in Scripture makes baptism in water a requirement for salvation. As with any single verse or passage, we discern what it teaches by first filtering it through what we know the Bible teaches on the subject at hand. In the case of baptism and salvation, the Bible is clear that salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not by works of any kind, including water baptism. In other words, water baptism is not something that is required for salvation by anyone. Baptism, in this case, was an outward declaration of the inward transformation that God had wrought in the hearts of these people. The truest sign that we have been saved is that we have been born of the Spirit.

Any gift is something one cannot earn. The promised gift of God's very presence was a result of His grace and nothing more. With the coming of the Holy Spirit we are granted a personal relationship with God who now lives within us. Can't get closer than that. It had to be that God's Spirit would come to live within us because it is only God who makes us acceptable to Himself. As the Apostle Paul tells us later in Ephesians, "the Holy Spirit is the down payment guaranteeing our salvation." This concept is rooted in the history and culture of Israel, where inheritance typically involved the transfer of land, possessions, and status from one generation to the next. In the New Testament, the idea of inheritance is all about eternal life offered to all who believe in Jesus Christ as Messiah.

Acts 2:29-36

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"29 Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, 31 he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. 33 Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, 35 Till I make Your enemies Your footstool."' 36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." ~ Acts 2:29-36

Today, we return again to the first recorded sermon of the Apostle Peter. This sermon was delivered on the first Pentecost after the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord. The Feast of Harvest or Pentecost had long been a feast given by God to the Jews in the Old Testament pointing them to this day when God would send His Holy Spirit to indwell forever each believer in the Messiah. If God had not sent His Spirit to indwell us we would have no assurance of our salvation, we would not have the presence of Christ living inside of us, we would have no internal conviction of sin, and, we would not have access to God's power to experience the transformed life He so desires to give us.

In v.29-32 of today's passage we read, "29 Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, 31 he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses."

Having just quoted King David out of Psalm 16, Peter now reasoned with the Jews who had gathered that day at the courts of the Temple in Jerusalem. Peter highlighted the fact that the prophecy given by King David could not have been about himself because his grave was still with them. No one present that day could have challenged Peter’s logic that David could not have been speaking of himself. David died, his body saw corruption, testified to by the tomb which remained. Given this revelation, the prophecy in Psalm 16 was clearly speaking of someone else. So, by the direction of the Holy Spirit, Peter pointed his hearers to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and explained that the prophecy in Psalm 16 was all about the Lord. 

By the way, the Lord Jesus is not a created being as taught by the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormons. However, the Lord Jesus, in His humanity, is a part of the creation. There is a world of difference between the two. The making of the body that the Lord Jesus Christ inhabited is an incidental part of God's creation, not a direct act of His creation. God prepared a body out of that which He had originally created so that the Lord Jesus could inhabit a human body. This is evidenced by Hebrews 10:5 which reads, "Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: 'Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me.'"

Now, the Lord Jesus had to come as one hundred percent man and one hundred percent God. And, He had to die as a man because God cannot die. His divine nature is immortal, but His human nature could experience death. Therefore, He died a human death to redeem mankind and to pay the penalty for our sin, while remaining God. As we read in John 1, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."

In v.33-36 of today's passage we read, "33 Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at My right hand, 35 Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.' 36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."

Throughout the Bible the "right hand" of God signifies the position of authority. The Lord Jesus Christ is seated at the "right hand" of God right now which means He possesses all of the authority of God, symbolized by the right hand. He is seated because He has completed His work for our salvation. There are times in the Bible where He is seen standing as was the case when Stephen was being stoned in Acts 7. The Lord Jesus stands because He is the defender of believers in such times. 

So, the Lord Jesus was seen long ago by King David as the Messiah who sits at the right hand of God. God had promised David that one of His descendants would reign on His throne forever. It is this throne that is referred to in Isaiah 9:7 which reads, "Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this."

Peter clearly made the point that the promise of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit prophesied in Joel had come to pass. This is the firstfruits of that event typologically anticipated in Leviticus 23:17 which reads, "You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits to the Lord." According to Leviticus 23, "two loaves" were to be presented. The loaves were to be "baked with leaven." This is one of only two times that leaven was to be presented to the Lord in the Old Covenant sacrificial system. Leaven pictures sin, and yet due to the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross, sinful people could be presented to the Lord, justified through His death. The Jews now being filled with the Spirit represent one of the two loaves. The Gentiles will represent the other loaf a little later in this book of Acts. The symbolism is clear. There is and will always be a difference between the Church and Israel. Yet, there is one New Covenant, one gospel, and it is only through believing in the Lord Jesus as our Savior do we receive the promised Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:22-28

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22 "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— 23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; 24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. 25 For David says concerning Him: 'I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. 26 Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope. 27 For You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. 28 You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.'" ~ Acts 2:22-28

Today, we return to our study of Acts 2 where we enter back into the middle of Peter's first recorded sermon. Peter had preached other sermons but this sermon was different since he had just been baptized in the Holy Spirit of God. When we were born again unbeknown to us we were baptized in the Holy Spirit and we were born again. Our once dead to God spirit was made alive to God. This conversion yields a new way of thinking, a new way of feeling, and a new way of seeing everything! It is the change of heart spoken of in Ezekiel 36:25-27 where we read, "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances."

In v.22-24 of today's passage we read, "22 Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— 23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; 24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it."

After establishing the fact that the coming of the promised Holy Spirit was prophesied by the Old Testament prophet Joel, Peter challenged his Jewish audience to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah. Peter provided evidence to them proving the Lord Jesus to be the long awaited Messiah. The first evidence was the miracles, wonders, and signs He performed. It was the Lord Jesus Himself who said John the Baptist put forth testimony of His identity that He was the Lamb of God who came to take away the sin of the world. The works that the Lord Jesus did were due to the fact that He was in His Father and His Father was in Him. 

In v.25-28 of today's passage we read, "25 For David says concerning Him: 'I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. 26 Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope. 27 For You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. 28 You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence."

Another proof that the Lord Jesus was the Messiah was the fact that He was raised from the dead by His Father. The death of the Lord Jesus is a well established fact in the history of man, even more His resurrection from the dead. In his sermon Peter quoted King David who wrote Psalm 16 where it was clearly predicted that the Messiah would die and also be raised from the dead. The Lord Jesus had to die otherwise God the Father would not have judged our sin in His body while He hung on the cross. And, without the resurrection we would not have been born again by His Spirit for it is the resurrection that proves that God accepted His sacrifice on our behalf.

We now, having believed in the Lord Jesus as our Savior, have joy instead of condemnation in God's presence. It is the resurrection of the Lord Jesus that enables us to live a life defined by His love most greatly demonstrated at the cross. This is why we are told often in the Bible to focus on the cross because it is through the cross that everything else makes sense. A family had just moved to another city and the seven year old son decided he would ride his bike throughout his new neighborhood. After a while the boy realized he was lost and he didn't know how to get home. Just then a police officer pulled up next to the boy and asked if he could help him. The boy then told the officer his story. So, the officer started naming off neighborhood markers that might help the lost boy realize exactly where he lived. The officer asked the boy if he lived near the grocery store on fifth street and the boy said "no sir." Then the officer asked if he lived near the school on third street. To which the boy responded, "no sir." Then the officer asked the lost boy if he lived near the church with the cross on the top of it on first street. It was then that the boy said, "Yes sir! If you will point me in the direction of the cross, I will find my way home."

Acts 2:14-21

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14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. 21 And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'" ~ Acts 2:14-21

Today, we return to our study of Acts 2 where the Lord has just sent the Holy Spirit to indwell His followers in Jerusalem who had gathered at the courts of the Temple. As the sound of the arrival of the Holy Spirit happened it attracted the attention of devout Jews who had come from all over the world to Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost. When the Holy Spirit entered the followers of the Lord they spoke in all of the languages that were represented there that day. In many different languages the followers of the Lord Jesus spoke the same message which highlighted the goodness of God.

In v.14-15 of today's passage we read, "14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, 'Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.'"

As the followers of the Lord Jesus were being baptized by the Holy Spirit, they spoke in languages they didn't know or understand. Some of those who heard their language being spoken explained it by saying the followers of the Lord Jesus had been drinking too much wine. At that moment Peter stood up and preached his first recorded sermon. He began by reminding the people gathered there at the Temple that the disciples weren't drunk because it was 9:00 in the morning. This underscores the fact that when we truly do not know what something is about, we tend to make it about stupid stuff. For example, we all grew up hearing that the unpardonable sin was suicide. Well, nowhere does the Bible say that suicide is an unforgivable sin. Furthermore, the Bible teaches that all sin, past, present, and future is forgiven through faith in the atoning death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. One’s eternal destiny is sealed and set at the moment of justifying faith. The unforgivable sin is rejecting the free gift of salvation through the cross of Christ.

In v.16-21 of today's passage we read, "16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. 21 And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'"

Peter continued by pointing his hearers to the Old Testament prophet Joel. Peter highlighted the fact that Joel had given the prophecy about 700 years before and that prophecy had come to pass in their midst. It is what Joel predicted. The key to Joel's prophecy is discovered in the phrase, "I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh." In other words God not only gave the Holy Spirit to the Jews but to all peoples everywhere, including Gentiles. 

So Peter pointed his hearers to the time when God would pour out his Spirit upon all flesh. Not only all people everywhere, but all kinds of people, young men, young women, male and female. With emphasis placed upon youth, Peter highlighted the fact that leadership, effectiveness, and power will not be limited to older folks. He accentuated the fact that young men and young women will speak and lead. Even servants, menservants and maidservants, obscure people, insignificant people, upon them God would pour out His Spirit and they would prophesy. 

The Word of God, the Bible is much more than we know it to be. It is the truth throughout. In John 7:37-39 we read, "37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, 'If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, from his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.' 39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." It was the Lord Jesus who had given us His Word. It was He who gave all of the types throughout the Old Testament that still to this day point us to His reality which is the only reality there is.

For example, the feasts He gave to Israel in the Old Testament reveals this. The Lord Jesus was crucified on the Jewish feast of Passover, He was buried on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, He was resurrected on the Feast of First Fruits. Then fifty days after His resurrection, the promised New Covenant arrived on the Feast of Pentecost. The whole Christian message is discovered in the Feasts, because the God of the Bible is true and therefore can be trusted. It is His promise to you and me that "if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

Acts 2:5-13

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5 And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. 7 Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, "Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God." 12 So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "Whatever could this mean?" 13 Others mocking said, "They are full of new wine." ~ Acts 2:5-13

Today, we return to our study of Acts 2 where the Lord has just sent the promised Holy Spirit to indwell His disciples in Jerusalem. All through the Old Testament, the people of God were promised that God’s Spirit would be given in a powerful and unique way. Throughout Israel's history God them certain feasts which provided pictures of the work of the Lord Jesus and also the sending of His Holy Spirit. In Leviticus 23 we find a full listing of these feasts pointing us to the coming Messiah and the sending of His Spirit to indwell each believer.

The first was Passover which was in the Spring on the 14th day of Nisan. The Passover was a picture of the death of the Lord Jesus. In His death on the cross, He was the perfect Passover lamb, the one true sacrifice for the sin of the whole world.  This is why in 1 Corinthians 5:7 we read, "Christ, our Passover."  The second feast in Leviticus 23 was the feast of First fruits. This was the celebration symbolizing the full harvest to come. This is a picture of Christ’s resurrection, which came immediately after his death. This is why Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:20, "Christ is the first fruits of those who sleep." Fifty days later came the third feast, the Feast of Harvest which is also known as Pentecost. It was on the day of Pentecost that the Lord sent His promised Holy Spirit who is the guarantee of the believer's eternal inheritance of salvation. 

In v.5-11 of today's passage we read, "5 And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. 7 Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, 'Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.'"

Luke describes for us the onlookers to the coming of the Holy Spirit into these early followers of the Lord Jesus. It was intended for this certain group of people, these who were in Jerusalem at that time for the Feast of Pentecost. These men were full of devotion to God and they were from every nation. They were Jews who had been dispersed from the land of Israel and had gone out to other nations of the earth. Many of them made an annual pilgrimage back to Jerusalem to worship the God of the Bible there.

When these men heard the sound of the coming of the Holy Spirit they took notice. This mighty sound arrested their attention, causing them to rush together into the temple courts. When they arrived, they noticed these uneducated people from Galilee speaking in over sixteen different languages. It is important that Luke named the different languages that were being spoken. He first listed a group of dialects east of Jerusalem: Parthians, Medes, Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia representing the people from the east. Then he highlighted those from the north, including Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, which were all Roman provinces of Asia Minor. Then he moved south to Egypt and parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, in northern Africa. Then west, Rome and Cretans, then again south, Arabians. Men from all of these parts heard the great things about God in their language. It was a phenomenon that arrested the attention of this great multitude as they came pressing into the temple courts.

In v.12-13 of today's passage we read, "12 So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, 'Whatever could this mean?' 13 Others mocking said, 'They are full of new wine.'"

As a result of this miracle the people were amazed and perplexed. The word "amazed" in Greek is a word that means literally, "their minds were blown." In addition, they were perplexed which means their attention was "captured." All of this caused some in the crowd to assume the disciples were drunk on wine. But this, as we know, wasn't the case. The coming of the Holy Spirit happened the way it did so as to get the attention of the Jews that something supernatural was happening. Following this miracle, Peter preached his first sermon and many that day believed the gospel. This is always the apostolic pattern in the book of Acts.

The preaching of the gospel by the apostles throughout the book of Acts was always attended by signs, wonders, and mighty deeds. God did this in order to authenticate the gospel in the eyes of the Jews. God in human flesh came into the world. He performed miracles proving Himself to be God. He died on the cross in order to bear the punishment for our sin. Then He rose from the dead. All of this partly because as we are told by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 1 the Jews demanded signs and miracles. This is why on the day of Pentecost these miraculous things happened. The Jews always demanded supernatural proof for everything. However, after the Lord Jesus provided many miracles the Jews by and large did not believe in Him as God's promised Messiah. In fact, they conveniently discovered many ridiculous ways to explain those miracles away. 

Faith is an act of our will and most of the Jews of first century Israel didn't submit to God's gift of faith to them. It is in the arena of our faith where our eternity is determined. God did not make us robots who have no heart. Through the Holy Spirit and the Bible, God attracts our hearts to Him. Although our faith is a gift from Him, we decide whether to give it safe haven in our souls. It just goes to prove that miracles and signs do not change our hearts to the point of faith in the Lord Jesus. Signs and miracles arrest our attention. It is not until the impact of the truth filters down to our hearts that we truly turn to God. This is why the Lord Jesus said to Nicodemus that we must be born again because when we were born we were born dead to God. We were unable to have a relationship with Him until the Lord Jesus came to remove the effects of our sin. It is one thing to believe with our intellect, but, it is another to believe with our heart.

Acts 2:1-4

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1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. ~ Acts 2:1-4

Today, we transition into our study of Acts 2 where the promise the Lord Jesus had made to the disciples about the coming of the Holy Spirit is about to be fulfilled. It is the faithfulness of God that is the fuel to our faith in Him. If He were not true to His promises, we would doubt His goodness and choose to be defined by another. Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have made the decision to believe God's promises to the point of risking our eternity upon them. 

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place."

It was the day of Pentecost which means "fifty," as in fifty days after the Passover feast. Pentecost came at the end of the wheat harvest in Israel, and the Jews were instructed by God to take the newly harvested wheat and make of it two loaves of bread. These loaves were symbols of Jew and Gentile. It was the Lord Jesus who said He came first to the Jews. Then according to John 10:16 He said, "And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd." The other sheep the Lord Jesus referenced are the Gentiles. So, on the day of Pentecost, God took the Jews and the Gentiles and brought them together and made them one.

In addition, these loaves were to be baked with leaven. Leaven is yeast and is an object lesson of sin in the Bible. The wave loaves are the only sacrifice in all the Old Testament that ever had leaven included in them. It was God's way of telling us that His people are not perfect people. Believers in the Lord Jesus are people who have been forgiven yet we are still sinful. Thus the loaves were baked with leaven. Luke tells us that 120 people were gathered together into that one place at the Temple. Once they were baptized by the Spirit, they were baptized into one body of believers known as the Church. 

In v.2 of today's passage we read, "And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting."

The wind in Scripture often is used by the Lord as symbolic of the Holy Spirit. The wind is often used in the Bible to point us to the symbolic nature of God's invisible power. To Nicodemus the Lord Jesus said you must be born of the Spirit to enter heaven. He likened being born again or being made alive to God to the wind which blows wherever it desires and no man can tell where it comes from or where it will go. The Holy Spirit is like the wind, He is invisible, we cannot see Him. Life in the Spirit for the born again believer is the experience of God's resurrection power that needs not any props of any kind. The result is transformational change from within.

The word translated "wind" is an interesting word used only one other place in the New Testament. It was a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind. It literally means the sound of a blast of breath. There was no movement in the air, just the rushing sound or noise of a mighty wind. It was a great sound out of heaven as if the very blast of God’s breath had reached the earth. The Holy Spirit is the breath of God. This mighty blast of breath who came from God has made us alive to God and His culture. The Holy Spirit of God came to earth on the day of Pentecost in order to fill the hearts of believers with the very presence of God.

In v.3-4 of today's passage we read, "3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."

Fire purifies by burning off dross, garbage and waste. The Lord Jesus used fire symbolizing how believers will experience the purifying passion of the Holy Spirit within. The Holy Spirit creates within each believer in the Lord Jesus a strange hunger for the Lord who produces a desire to be defined by Him. Once we begin to be defined by God's Word, the Spirit of God burns away that which is inconsistent with God's definition of things.

The "other tongues" mentioned here were known languages which were understood by those who heard the disciples speak. The disciples could not understand the languages that they spoke that day in Jerusalem. These were intelligent utterances praising God and the people gathered around that day heard the believers testifying about the mighty works of God. This is the purpose of the filling of the Spirit in the believer, that we might speak with boldness about the mighty works of God.

Interestingly, the Greek word translated "tongues" is recorded 50 times in the original Greek of the New Testament. The number 50 symbolizes deliverance from a burden. In Leviticus 25, God commanded Israel that on every fiftieth year, on the Day of Atonement, that a Jubilee was to be declared with the sound of a trumpet. During the Jubilee year, all debts were settled in favor of the debtor and inheritances were returned to their rightful owners. Also, those who worked as slave laborers in order to repay a debt were granted their freedom to return home to their families and their land. This is what the Holy Spirit's application of the Gospel to you and me has done. Through the application of the Gospel to you and me, God has freed us to return home to Him to enjoy what we could never have enjoyed before the sacrifice of His Son on the cross of Calvary.

Acts 1:21-26

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21 "Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection." 23 And they proposed two: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, "You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen 25 to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place." 26 And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles. ~ Acts 1:21-26

Today, we conclude our study of Acts 1 where the Lord has raised up the Apostle Peter to lead those who had become followers of the Lord Jesus. Peter stood before them as a man of strength because he had come to the end of himself. He had come to the place where he understood that when we are weak God is strong. This is the message of the gospel. The Good News means we can stop lying to ourselves. The Good News means God's amazing grace is saving us to a life full of the truth.

In v.21-22 of today's passage we read, "21 Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection."

Again, Peter was speaking to about 120 followers of the Lord Jesus at the courts of the Temple in Jerusalem. His goal was to get the group to vote on the person who would replace Judas as an Apostle. In the verses preceding today's passage Peter said, "The Scriptures must be fulfilled." With the departure of the Lord Jesus Bible study among the eleven disciples took a serious turn for the better. As they studied the Scriptures they realized there must be 12 apostles due to the fact that in the Old Testament they were told in Psalm 109:8 that "someone else will take his (Judas') place." This is what motivated Peter to do what he did in today's passage.

Peter highlighted only two qualifications for the one who would be the twelfth apostle: He had to be one who was there from the very beginning, from the baptism of John, and he had to have accompanied the Lord Jesus all through his ministry. There were many more than twelve disciples who followed the Lord Jesus. He chose twelve of them to be in a special relationship with Him, but there were others also who accompanied Him. Out of that larger band there must be one chosen who had been there the whole time and saw everything the Lord did. Also, this man had to have witnessed the Lord's appearances after the resurrection. He had to give witness to the authenticity of the resurrection.

In v.23-26 of today's passage we read, "23 And they proposed two: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, 'You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen 25 to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.' 26 And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles."

Now, the choosing of this man took place in an interesting way. The only two men who had been there the whole time and had also seen the Lord Jesus after His resurrection were considered. The others had to decide between the two of them, and they did it in the Old Testament way: They cast lots for them. It was very much like flipping a coin. They may have literally used a coin, and flipped for heads or tails. It came up heads, and Matthias won. They called it casting lots, though we might call it flipping a coin. Their actions that day reveals to us that they believed God is involved even in the smallest things. 

The Lord Jesus made a promise in Matthew 19. He said, "When the son of man comes in glory, you who have followed me will sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel." Peter undoubtedly remembered the Lord Jesus saying those words, so, he saw the need to replace Judas with Matthias. Here were two men equally qualified, so the group chose them by the casting of lots. The lot fell on Matthias and he became the twelfth apostle. By the way, Matthias means "gift of Yahweh." This process gives us an example of how the Spirit of God operates among us. The key for us is that we trust the Lord to reveal to us His will which will always be consistent with the teachings in His Word. Interestingly, Matthias is not mentioned again in the Bible beyond today's passage.

Everyone wants to know the will of God for their lives. God reveals His will to us through His Word and the leading of His Spirit. He has been known to reveal His will to us through circumstances, as well. To be sure, God’s will for everyone is that we obey His Word. This was His will from the beginning that we be defined by Him. And, we know that we are being defined by God when we obey Him. 

Throughout the Scriptures the Lord tells us what to do and what not to do. He tells us how to live. As we respond to the light He gives us we can expect Him to give us more light. Having said that though, there will always be a measure of uncertainty in it all. Uncertainty creates space for our faith to be developed. If we are ignorant of God’s Word, we will always be ignorant of God’s will. I really like what Jim Elliot once said, "God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with him."