Welcome to week two of Acts. I’m so glad you’re here. This chapter starts with my favorite holiday to mark, the gift of the Holy Spirit. Grab your Bible, go to biblegateway or just read and you can follow along as we go through Acts 2.
Let’s pray:
Lord Jesus, I’m asking for a greater filling of the Spirit in my life. I’m asking You to lead us through this wonderful chapter, and I want to thank You for these wonderful words.
Please read Acts 2:1-4
The Day of Pentecost
1 When the day of [a]Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place, 2 and suddenly a sound came from heaven like a rushing violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 There appeared to them tongues resembling fire, which were being distributed [among them], and they rested on each one of them [as each person received the Holy Spirit]. 4 And they were all filled [that is, diffused throughout their being] with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other [b]tongues (different languages), as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out [clearly and appropriately].
Please read the first footnote [a] before you go on to the next bit of reading.
Where were they? What did they hear? What did they see? What does the word ‘each one of them’ mean as far was who received the Holy Spirit? Which particular ability of the Spirit is credited in these verses?
Luke 11:13 “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Please read Acts 2:5-13
5 Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout and God-fearing men from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound was heard, a crowd gathered, and they were bewildered because each one was hearing those in the upper room speaking in his own language or dialect. 7 They were completely astonished, saying, “Look! Are not all of these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears in our own language or native dialect? 9 [Among us there are] Parthians, Medes and Elamites, and people of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and [c]Asia [Minor], 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and the visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes (Gentile converts to Judaism), 11 Cretans and Arabs—we all hear them speaking in our [native] tongues about the mighty works of God!” 12 And they were beside themselves with amazement and were greatly perplexed, saying one to another, “What could this mean?” 13 But others were laughing and joking and ridiculing them, saying, “They are full of sweet wine and are drunk!”
How did the ‘Jews living in Jerusalem, devout and God-fearing men from every nation under heaven’ notice something unexpected? See the question? Where did it come from? There will always be those with no faith. Our focus here is on those who do believe.
Please read Acts 2:14-21
Peter’s Sermon
14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be explained to you; listen closely and pay attention to what I have to say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you assume, since it is [only] the third hour of the day (9:00 a.m.); 16 but this is [the beginning of] what was spoken of through the prophet Joel:
17 ‘And it shall be in the last days,’ says God,
‘That I will pour out My Spirit upon all mankind;
And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
And your young men shall see [divinely prompted] visions,
And your old men shall dream [divinely prompted] dreams;
18 Even on My bond-servants, both men and women,
I will in those days pour out My Spirit
And they shall prophesy.
19 ‘And I will bring about wonders in the sky above
And signs (attesting miracles) on the earth below,
Blood and fire and smoking vapor.
20 ‘The sun shall be turned into darkness
And the moon into blood,
Before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes.
21 ‘And it shall be that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord [invoking, adoring, and worshiping the Lord Jesus] shall be saved (rescued spiritually).’ (21:Joel 2:28-32)
It will be a great and glorious day for those of us with faith. But look what will happen before that.
Please read Acts 2:22-24
22 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man accredited and pointed out and attested to you by God with [the power to perform] miracles and wonders and signs which God worked through Him in your [very] midst, just as you yourselves know— 23 this Man, when handed over [to the Roman authorities] according to the predetermined decision and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross and put to death by the hands of lawless and godless men. 24 But God raised Him up, releasing Him and bringing an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in death’s power.
How was Jesus of Nazareth ‘accredited and pointed out and attested to’ them? How did they respond? Yet there is a but. O how the but’s in Scripture are nearly always Good. What four words follow the but here? My guess as to why it was impossible for Him to be held in death’s power is that He is Life. And Life cannot remain dead. Blessed be His name.
Please read Acts 2:25-28
25 For David says of Him,‘I saw the Lord constantly before me;
For He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken [from my state of security].
26 ‘Therefore my heart rejoiced and my tongue exulted exceedingly;
Moreover my flesh also will live in hope [that is, will encamp in anticipation of the resurrection];
27 ‘For You will not forsake me and abandon my soul to Hades (the realm of the dead),
Nor let Your Holy One undergo decay [after death].
28 ‘You have made known to me the ways of life;
You will fill me [infusing my soul] with joy with Your presence.’ (Psalm 16:8-11)
Joy in His presence is what we will all experience. Can experience it here and now, but will most certainly experience it when His great and glorious day comes.
Please read Acts 2:29-32
29 “Brothers, I may confidently and freely say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 And so, being a prophet and knowing fully that God had sworn to him with an oath that He would seat one of his descendants on his throne, 31 he foresaw and spoke [prophetically] of the resurrection of the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), that He was not abandoned [in death] to Hades (the realm of the dead), nor did His body undergo decay. 32 God raised this Jesus [bodily from the dead], and of that [fact] we are all witnesses.
They are all witnesses. Believe it. You can witness His aliveness in your life today. Ask Him.
Please read Acts 2:33
33 Therefore having been exalted [d]to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured out this [blessing] which you both see and hear.
You both see and hear. This was the promise fulfilled. This was the reason for the sound, the fire, the many different languages. Fulfillment of the promise of the Holy Spirit of God.
Please read Acts 2:34-36
34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, yet he himself says,
‘The Lord [the Father] said to my [e]Lord [the Son],
“Sit at My right hand,
35 Until I make Your enemies a [f]footstool for Your feet.”’
[Psalm 110:1]
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel recognize beyond all doubt that God has made Him both Lord and Christ (Messiah, Anointed)—this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Let us all recognize beyond doubt that He is both Lord and Christ—this Jesus who is who was and who is to come.
Please read Acts 2:37-39
The Ingathering
37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart [with remorse and anxiety], and they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what are we to do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent [change your old way of thinking, turn from your sinful ways, accept and follow Jesus as the Messiah] and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ because of the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise [of the Holy Spirit] is for you and your children and for all who are far away [including the Gentiles], as many as the Lord our God calls to Himself.”
As many as the Lord calls.
Please read Acts 2:40-4740 And Peter solemnly testified and continued to admonish and urge them with many more words, saying, “[g]Be saved from this crooked and unjust generation!” 41 So then, those who accepted his message were baptized; and on that day about [h]3,000 souls were added [to the body of believers]. 42 They were continually and faithfully devoting themselves to the instruction of the apostles, and to fellowship, to [i]eating meals together and to prayers.
43 A sense of awe was felt by [j]everyone, and many wonders and signs (attesting miracles) were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed [in Jesus as Savior] [k]were together and had all things in common [considering their possessions to belong to the group as a whole]. 45 And they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing the proceeds with all [the other believers], as anyone had need. 46 Day after day they met in the temple [area] continuing with one mind, and breaking bread in various private homes. They were eating their meals together with joy and generous hearts, 47 praising God continually, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord kept adding to their number daily those who were being saved.
Awe is a proper response. Consistency is proper behavior. Prayer and Praise is essential. And the Lord… amazing. May we find all of that it in our lives and keep following Him as He adds people to the Kingdom. Grow our faith, Lord. Amen.
Footnotes
[a] Acts 2:1 Pentecost (Feast of Weeks) was observed at the time of the grain harvest and the offering of the first fruits, and was one of the three great annual Jewish festivals, along with Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles (Booths). Just as Jesus’ sacrifice was the fulfillment of Passover, the coming of the Holy Spirit was the fulfillment of Pentecost.
[b] Acts 2:4 Or languages, the Greek can have either meaning.
[c] Acts 2:9 Modern Turkey.
[d] Acts 2:33 Or by
[e] Acts 2:34 In Ps 110:1 Heb Adonai.
[f] Acts 2:35 The earthly kingdoms will be subjugated at the inauguration of the kingdom of Christ.
[g] Acts 2:40 Or Escape.
[h] Acts 2:41 There were about 100,000 to 120,000 people in Jerusalem at this time, and even more at these festivals.
[i] Acts 2:42 Lit the breaking of bread.
[j]Acts 2:43 Lit every soul.
[k] Acts 2:44 One early ms does not contain were and and.