What happened to Peter? 50 days ago (and a couple of Bible pages back in the gospel of John) Peter was denying that he even knew Jesus—to a servant girl. Now he is standing up in the midst of the Feast of Weeks and he is declaring to the same people who rigged Jesus death that they are guilty of killing the Messiah. Boldness is a weak word to describe what Peter is expressing at this point. What happened to Peter?
It probably has a lot to do with the spectacular event that preceded it. The day of the Lord, where his Spirit is poured out has finally come. We see tongues of fire and the followers of Christ proclaiming the gospel in every language represented in Jerusalem for the feast. People heard the truth about Jesus and they were cut to the heart--changed. In one day, the insiders were transformed, the outsiders were transformed (becoming insiders) and a new community was established (42-47). This all came from God through His Spirit. His Spirit empowered His people to witness to Him.
Based upon the Book of Acts, I would suggest to you that witnessing to the person and work of Jesus Christ is the chief purpose of the Holy Spirit in your life. I am not saying evangelism. I am saying that telling others what God has done for you is what it means to be a witness. The Holy Spirit is sent by God to make you a witness (1:8).
“In Acts there are ten occasions, at Pentecost and afterward, when an individual or group of individuals is said to have been filled with the Holy Spirit. In each case the common factor is that the persons involved immediately bore testimony to Jesus.”
James Boice, Commentary on Ephesians. P.164
Try this—Begin reading the book of Acts through the lens of the Holy Spirit making the followers of Christ to be witnesses. At the same time, begin reading your life through the lens of the Holy Spirit seeking to make you a witness. Speak to Him, listen to Him and ask him to show you where you can bear witness to the difference that Christ has made in your life.
Try this—Begin reading the book of Acts through the lens of the Holy Spirit making the followers of Christ to be witnesses. At the same time, begin reading your life through the lens of the Holy Spirit seeking to make you a witness. Speak to Him, listen to Him and ask him to show you where you can bear witness to the difference that Christ has made in your life.
Study Notes: This chapter is the hinge of all redemptive history. There are few more significant chapters in the entire Bible. It completes the redemptive historical moment of the Messiah’s arrival, ministry, death, resurrection and pouring out of the Holy Spirit. Now that Jesus has ascended, His Church is the incarnate expression of God on earth. Also, Pentecost is the fiftieth day after the Passover, marking this day as fifty days after the night of Jesus' betrayal.
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1 comment:
I have always loved the description of the early church at the end of Acts 2. A true community of believers united for a common purpose with abundant fruit. Over the centuries, "religion" has gotten so complicated, but the early church was single mindedly devoted to the primary focus of our faith, spreading the Good News.
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