Power

 Eleventh Tuesday after Pentecost

Today our Bible study on Acts continues with the last part of Peter's Pentecost discourse in chapter 2. Do turn in your Bible or device to Acts 2. 

First, I want to refer to Jesus statement in Acts 1:8, "You will receive POWER when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses...to the ends of the earth." There is a frequent association in Acts between the Holy Spirit and power. The Greek word for power is dynamis, from which we get English words such as "dynamic" and "dynamite." We'll notice how this word is used as we go through Acts. We usually associate the word with strength, often in a physical or military sense, and often with animals, like horses, or machines, like cars. In Acts it more often carries the connotation of power in public speaking, or power in effectively witnessing to the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Now, let's think for a moment about Peter. Remember how Peter was on the night before the crucifixion. Three times he denied that he even knew Jesus. When the crowds said "Crucify him," Peter was nowhere to be found. During the horrible hours of his crucifixion it was the women who stood by Jesus to the end. Peter and the other Apostles appear to be in hiding. Peter showed a lot of shame after his display of cowardice and showed some confusion at the resurrection. The Day of Pentecost completely changes him. He who denied Jesus now proclaims Jesus, and proclaims him with tremendous power, conviction, and courage. The other Apostles will likewise partake of that Holy Spirit Power to give their very lives for the gospel. 

Now, for a couple of other things in Peter's Powerful Pentecost Discourse (sorry, I couldn't resist the alliteration). The setting is the large outer court of the Temple in Jerusalem. It's the largest public square in all of Judaism. Lots of people hang out there. Lots of small business buying and selling goes on. As we shall see, homeless and handicapped people asking for money hang out there. People from far away are coming there on pilgrimage to have sacrifices made for them inside the Temple proper. The Temple outer court is a good place to gather a crowd and hear a speaker. There are no mics, no amps. It's speaking outdoors, not in one of those wonderful Greek amphitheaters with their magnificent acoustics, but in an open outdoor space. It's a tough gig. Believe me. I've done it a few times, mostly at graveside services at large funerals. It's even tougher for Peter, because it's a noisy place. Just getting people's attention is tough. But Peter does it. He does it with POWER.

We talked about things in the earlier part of the speech in our last Bible study. In verse 22 Peter says, "Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of POWER, wonders and signs that God did through him among you." Some of the people there had witnessed some of Jesus' miracles and seen his power. Many had heard about him. The grapes in the Jerusalem grapevine are clustered close together. 

Peter has in the earlier part of his speech shown the people how the Day of Pentecost was the fulfillment of the prophecy in Joel 2:27-28. Now he shows them in vv. 25-36 how Jesus' resurrection is the meaning of Psalm 16:8-11. Peter concludes by saying, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him." (Acts 2:38). 

I interpret the phrase "for all who are far away," as meaning not only far away in distance but also in time. The gift of the Holy Spirit is for us. The power of the Holy Spirit is for us. The time for the Holy Spirit to empower us is now. As we move through Acts, we will see many ways in which the Holy Spirit empowered the earliest Christians for their time. I pray that we will be able to find many ways in which the Holy Spirit will empower us for our time. 

Faithfully,

Christian