Acts 2:14-41

Acts 2:14-41

 

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

 

"`In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below,blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'

 

"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose 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, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. David said about him:

 

"`I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand,I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;my body also will live in hope,because you will not abandon me to the grave,nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life;you will fill me with joy in your presence.'

 

"Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,

 

  "`The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."'

 

"Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."

 

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."

 

With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

 

Many people talk about the Holy Spirit and the day of Pentecost. They assume that the point of the Holy Spirit is our empowerment, our gifting, our illumination. All of these are important results of the Holy Spirit’s coming. But these are secondary, believe it or not. Peter explains in this passage that the main reason the Holy Spirit has been given is to prove that Jesus is Lord and Christ. If we receive the Holy Spirit and rejoice only in the Holy Spirit, then we have missed the point. The Holy Spirit is here to exalt Jesus!

 

Let’s see what Peter says. He briefly dismisses people’s assumption that the disciples are drunk, saying instead that Joel’s prophecy is being fulfilled. What did Joel prophesy?

 

Joel prophesied three basic events that would take place in the last days. First, God would pour out His Spirit so that all His servants would prophesy. Second, God would send wonders and signs. Third, everyone who called on the name of the Lord would be saved.

 

Did Peter turn from this prophecy to talking about the Holy Spirit? No. Instead, he immediately began to talk about Jesus. Apparently, Jesus was the one who fulfilled Joel’s prophecy.

 

First, Jesus was the one who brought signs and wonders to men. Even so, men killed Him. But just as David prophesied, the Christ was not abandoned to the grave. He rose again. And the disciples, along with all Israel, were witnesses of these wonders.

 

Second, Jesus is the one who poured out the Holy Spirit. David prophesied that the Christ would be given the right to sit at God’s right hand until the Christ’s enemies were put under His feet. Jesus is the Christ, and He has been exalted to God’s right hand. God has given Jesus the promised Holy Spirit and, as Joel foretold, Jesus has poured out the Holy Spirit on His servants so that they are now prophesying.

 

Only two of Joel’s three prophecies have been explained at this point, but Peter announces to the crowds that these two fulfilled prophecies announce one truth: “Therefore, let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Jesus is the Christ. The Holy Spirit’s coming proved it! The very fact that the Holy Spirit is here, teaching Jesus’ followers to proclaim Him, proves that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah, the Savior, the Lord!

 

Of course, the Jews were horrified! They realized that they had rejected the one person in whom they had been taught to hope. If they had rejected Him, what hope was left? So they cried out to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

 

And Peter proclaimed the fulfillment of Joel’s third prophecy: “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.” What promise? Peter mentions the Holy Spirit – that’s one of Joel’s prophecies. But forgiveness of sins is the other promise Joel prophesied. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

 

And so Peter kept urging the people to repent and call upon Jesus, their Lord and Christ, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. Why? Because the coming of the Holy Spirit proved to them that Jesus is the Christ, the Lord upon whom all men may call and be saved.

 

This is why believers proclaim Christ; the Holy Spirit has been given to us precisely for this purpose. The very fact that we prophesy at the Spirit’s prompting – that we proclaim to people that Jesus is Lord – is proof that Joel’s prophecy has been fulfilled. So we should not stop short of proclaiming the full truth when we talk about the Holy Spirit. We confuse people when we speak only about the Holy Spirit as though God had sent Him merely so that we could do cool things. The Holy Spirit is here because of Jesus, the miracle-worker, the Messiah, the Lord. The Holy Spirit is here so that Jesus’ servants will prophesy to the world, telling everyone to call on Jesus for forgiveness and be saved. Salvation comes through Jesus!

 

Father, thank You that everyone who calls on Jesus will be saved. Thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit to make me capable of telling people about Jesus, His power, and His forgiveness. Make me a faithful witness, a faithful servant, a faithful prophet. Speak Your truth through me! And draw many, many people to Jesus Christ, beginning with my family, friends, relatives, co-workers, and neighbors, and extending to the ends of the earth!