Today is a significant day in our reading. Up until now we have been reading Gospels…that is, what Jesus said and did. Beginning today we read what disciples (people like you and I) were enabled to do. Read carefully, because nothing has changed…
I don’t know if ministers didn’t preach as much about the Holy Spirit when I was younger, or if I was simply not listening. Either way I missed it, that’s for sure.
After studying the Bible and preaching for years as an occupation, and after filling the role of Pastor for a congregation, I can assure you that the Christian life isn’t possible without the ongoing help of the Holy Spirit. I think too many people try to accept Christ without embracing the ongoing, somewhat mystical infilling of the Spirit. Luke rightly begins his volume with a conversation that Jesus had with the disciples, telling them to “stay in town” until they were filled with the Spirit. Luke recognized that to be significant, so he recorded it. Nothing (of any spiritual value) can be done without the involvement of Spirit.
This is probably not the place to write lengthy treatises, exhorting readers to embrace the Spirit, so I will simply say once again before we move along “nothing that is read after this point is possible for the Christian who cannot, or will not surrender control of their life to; and embrace the work of the Holy Spirit.
Notes and comments on today’s reading:
1. Jesus will return in the same way that the disciples watched Him leave. This is a key teaching for us, although often overlooked because it is so familiar. Some believe that Jesus has already come and gone, and we are now on our own. Others believe that He won’t return. Those who accept what this passage is teaching understand that Jesus completed His “first work” on the cross, and has returned to heaven, from where He will one day return and take all believers to be with Him in heaven. Actually, many other parts of the text simply don’t make any sense if you don’t believe this.
2. I wonder how Justus felt when he wasn’t chosen to be an apostle? I don’t think disappointment is a sin or a character flaw, so I have to imagine he was disappointed. I know I would have been…I doubt that I could handle that level of importance. Sometimes when people become too powerful or important it corrupts them. I don’t really want to have that kind of power because I’m not sure I am mature enough yet to handle it. I hope to one day be ready…but I can wait.
3. Peter was radically changed when he was filled with the Spirit. Read carefully what he preached…it was bold. Bold enough to get him killed if the people decided they didn’t like what he was saying. This is the same guy who couldn’t muster the courage to admit that he knew Jesus just a month and a half ago. One thing is for certain….Peter no longer feared death. I’m sure that he considered it to be just another “walking on the water” experience that he would one day go through.
4. Pictures tell us that the disciples were sitting around a table eating when the Holy Spirit came and settled upon each person like a tongue of fire. It’s likely that there were over 100 people in the room..that’s how many believers were gathering together daily….about 120.
5. At 9am they were already together. And, it looks to be like they celebrated the Lords Supper many times during that period. That piece of information may need to be mulled over. Perhaps we aren’t celebrating communion often enough.
6. People often remark that “over 3,000 were added to their number” in one day, and they wish for that to happen today. And it could…if we were found to be in prayer together by 9am every morning, and sold our belongings to support each other, were filled with the Spirit…and were willing to listen to the Preacher give long sermons. Did you notice here that Peter preached “for a long time” (2:40) remember that the next time you tell the minister that you want to see thousands converted in a single day.
7. No one would sit still for radical preaching like this unless the Holy Spirit was at work. What Peter said cuts like a knife, especially to a Jewish audience. The only reason he wasn’t dead was because the Spirit was working.
8. Hey! Where are the religious leaders and Pharisees? I don’t see them protesting anywhere. Maybe they stayed home, afraid. After all, they know they lied about Jesus’ body being stolen…maybe when they saw the disciples filled with power and ability they became afraid because of what they had done.
9. The apostles performed signs and wonders…and I think that they should still be performed today. God is a God of healing, we live closer to “end times” than they could have imagined…why not allow disciples to heal and perform miracles? I know that God can do it, but for some reason He hasn’t done it through me that I know of. I mean, I have prayed for people who were healed, but not in a radical immediate way that we see here.
10. Joy and generosity are two hallmarks of the Christian
11. When the Holy Spirit came upon believers the one thing that they did was talk about the wonders of Jesus. They may have done more, but they always id that much.
12. I notice in verses 19-20 of Chapter 3 it speaks of “repentance and refreshment”. Those are two great words to meditate on today, don’t you think?
Faithfully,
PR