“Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd:….
This Man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put Him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead ….Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah….when the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ Peter replied,’ Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
Acts 2:14, 23, 36-39
Peter stood with the Eleven as he faced the crowd. The crowd was amazed and perplexed. Those who were speaking in an unknown tongue were obviously Galileans, but the onlooking crowd heard them declaring the wonders of God in their own tongues. Some, however, thought they had too much wine.
Peter was unafraid of the crowd this time.
This was a dramatic change from the Peter who three times denied ever knowing the Lord! (Matthew 26:69–75; Mark 14:66–72; Luke 22:54–62; and John 18:15–27). In fact, the Eleven all found themselves with a new bolder posture, and they too were, strangely, unafraid.
Peter remembered the question that Jesus had asked him: “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?…. Feed my lambs.” (John 21:15) And so Peter raised his voice and addressed the crowd;
“Fellow Jews…Let me explain this to you…These people are not drunk, as you suppose. … No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
‘And it shall be in the Last Days, God says, That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind;
And your sons and daughters shall prophesy,….’
David would agree with the prophet Joel:
“The Lord gives the command;
The women who proclaim the good tidings are a great host… Psalm 68:11
The ancient Near Eastern culture would have been shocked by this prophecy, which clearly indicates that God would use women to prophecy! In Greek, the word is propheteuo: to speak an inspired message, to preach. Talk about your culture shock. In the ancient Near East, where women were second-class citizens and not counted in the census, this was not done!
But God said…your sons and your daughters shall prophesy! Those who have turned the world upside down have come here!
Peter was just getting started. “Men of Israel, listen to these words. Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know—this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power…..God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah!” (Acts 2:22-24, 36)
The crowd of people was cut to the heart, and they were brought to their knees in desperation: “Brothers, what shall we do?!”
We are just as guilty as they were! We were the wicked men and women who helped put Jesus to death on the cross. Our hearts condemn us; we are critically ill, moribund, terminal. We need a heart transplant.
But God…is the Only Cardiac Surgeon who has the credentials to operate on the heart of the spirit of man! God has promised that He will give us a new heart “and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you…” (Ezekiel 36:26-27)
“The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” Amen!
Questions to Think About
2. God uses the “Galileans” and the “daughters” to turn the world upside down. Who is someone you might be dismissing or overlooking that God might be using to speak an inspired message to you?
3 The promise of the Spirit is for you, your children, and those “far off”. How does knowing that your spiritual “heart transplant”affect your children and future generations change the way you view your current walk with God?
This Man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put Him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead ….Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah….when the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ Peter replied,’ Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
Acts 2:14, 23, 36-39
Peter stood with the Eleven as he faced the crowd. The crowd was amazed and perplexed. Those who were speaking in an unknown tongue were obviously Galileans, but the onlooking crowd heard them declaring the wonders of God in their own tongues. Some, however, thought they had too much wine.
Peter was unafraid of the crowd this time.
This was a dramatic change from the Peter who three times denied ever knowing the Lord! (Matthew 26:69–75; Mark 14:66–72; Luke 22:54–62; and John 18:15–27). In fact, the Eleven all found themselves with a new bolder posture, and they too were, strangely, unafraid.
Peter remembered the question that Jesus had asked him: “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?…. Feed my lambs.” (John 21:15) And so Peter raised his voice and addressed the crowd;
“Fellow Jews…Let me explain this to you…These people are not drunk, as you suppose. … No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
‘And it shall be in the Last Days, God says, That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind;
And your sons and daughters shall prophesy,….’
David would agree with the prophet Joel:
“The Lord gives the command;
The women who proclaim the good tidings are a great host… Psalm 68:11
The ancient Near Eastern culture would have been shocked by this prophecy, which clearly indicates that God would use women to prophecy! In Greek, the word is propheteuo: to speak an inspired message, to preach. Talk about your culture shock. In the ancient Near East, where women were second-class citizens and not counted in the census, this was not done!
But God said…your sons and your daughters shall prophesy! Those who have turned the world upside down have come here!
Peter was just getting started. “Men of Israel, listen to these words. Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know—this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power…..God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah!” (Acts 2:22-24, 36)
The crowd of people was cut to the heart, and they were brought to their knees in desperation: “Brothers, what shall we do?!”
We are just as guilty as they were! We were the wicked men and women who helped put Jesus to death on the cross. Our hearts condemn us; we are critically ill, moribund, terminal. We need a heart transplant.
But God…is the Only Cardiac Surgeon who has the credentials to operate on the heart of the spirit of man! God has promised that He will give us a new heart “and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you…” (Ezekiel 36:26-27)
“The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” Amen!
Questions to Think About
- Where in your life are you currently operating out of “fear” or “denial,” and how could a “But God” moment transform that fear into boldness?
2. God uses the “Galileans” and the “daughters” to turn the world upside down. Who is someone you might be dismissing or overlooking that God might be using to speak an inspired message to you?
3 The promise of the Spirit is for you, your children, and those “far off”. How does knowing that your spiritual “heart transplant”affect your children and future generations change the way you view your current walk with God?
Posted in But God...