Scripture
Acts 2:14–21 (NIV)
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 people 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 heavens 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.’”
Reflection
Over the last couple of days, we have seen the story of what has happened in the first days after Jesus returns to heaven and leaves his followers with the mission to go and take the good news to the rest of the world. Yesterday, we saw the people receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, a gift promised to them by Jesus (John 14:15–17; John 15:26), and people began to ask questions and wonder what was happening. Today, we get to read the story of what happened immediately after the Holy Spirit came upon them. Peter was filled with boldness and courage to stand up and share the good news with those who had witnessed what had happened that day.
As Peter begins to speak, there are a few things that really stand out about the way he addressed the crowd. The bulk of what Peter said is actually from text they would have been familiar with growing up in Jerusalem. He quotes Joel 2:28–32, which was written by a well-known prophet in Israel’s history. This is something the majority of the crowd would have grown up reading, and Peter was creating a connection between what was happening in the current moment to something that was said hundreds of years before. Not only was this moment promised by Jesus while he was on earth, but it was promised by God before Jesus was even born. It is encouraging to see that Peter didn’t even have to come up with his own words in the moment. Because of the time he spent in Scripture, he had the words of God that he needed to teach and encourage those around him.
It is also important to notice the way he spoke. The text says that he “lifted up his voice” to address the crowd. He spoke with confidence and with boldness and began to speak in front of a large crowd of people, which was probably a pretty intimidating moment. This is the same Peter who, when previously asked about his association with Jesus, denied even knowing him because he gave into fear (Matthew 26:33–35). But after being filled with the Holy Spirit, this radical transformation takes place where he speaks with courage.
As believers and followers of Jesus, we have the same gift of the Holy Spirit that the people experienced in Acts 2. It is the same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, the same Holy Spirit that brought unity, and the same Holy Spirit that carried the message of the death and resurrection of Jesus to the nations. That same Holy Spirit dwells inside of us. It brings wisdom in moments when people are asking questions about our faith and boldness to share truth.
The reality is, these moments can be intimidating. It’s easy to want to shy away from these conversations to avoid the awkwardness of it all. Although our flesh can fill us with fear, the Holy Spirit will fill us with the boldness needed to step into conversations to share the hope and the love of Jesus with those around us. It is with boldness that we get to be a part of the movement of God in our homes, schools, places of work, and communities. And the sweet part is that God never asks us to have this type of boldness on our own; he sends his spirit to be the one to give us this courage.
Prayer
God, give me the courage and words to boldly share the message of Jesus with those around me.
In Jesus's name I pray,
Amen.
Church Family Prayer
Heavenly Father, we want you to move. We are hungry and desperate for more of you. Pour your Spirit out over us, our families, our church, and our community.
In Jesus's name I pray,
Amen.
