Acts 2:1-47
The Holy Spirit Comes to the Disciples
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren't all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”
Peter Addresses the Crowd
14 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. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 “‘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.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21 And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
22 “Fellow Israelites, 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. 23 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. 24 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. 25 David said about him:
“‘I saw the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest in hope,
27 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
you will not let your holy one see decay.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.’
29 “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 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. 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. 33 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. 34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,
“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand
35 until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet.”’
36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38 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. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
The Fellowship of the Believers
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
After Jesus ascended to Heaven to be with His Father, earth was now without the one for the first time in thirty three years who went about teaching about God and Himself, each and everyday...Knowing that Jesus' reality is different from our reality, because He always did God's Will, while we are men and cannot always do the Will of God and so we fall short of the Glory of God, and we sin...Jesus did not sin, and no words of deception have ever went through His lips...So those who had followed, or watched, or listened to Him no longer had a Perfect Example to follow, watch, or listen to...What was the world to do?...
Jesus gave His Disciples the Great Commission to go out and tell others about the gospel...Jesus also had promised His Disciples the Holy Spirit, but they seemed not to know much about Him until He (the Holy Spirit) arrived on the first Pentecost after Jesus' ascension...It seems according the information of the four gospels, we need a continuation and a book about the starting and different Acts of the Apostles...So when Peter gives us His first sermon on Jesus, we are not given much information about what the Twelve and other followers had been doing since their Master's death...One thing we are told is that the eleven disciples name Matthias as the twelfth disciple to replace Judas...
Peter knowing centuries ago that Moses had said a Prophet would come one day to and raise a Prophet and speak the Words that God commanded...Peter would speak about what he had seen and had heard...He was an eyewitness to His Majesty...Peter had been with One who is so life changing, that he had to speak about Him in his first sermon...So his first sermon is very naturally about Jesus...
Somehow the crowds are still wondering around and following Peter, John, James, and the others...And the crowd of three thousand mingling that day is around when Peter received the Spirit on the day of the Pentecost...So now the Holy Spirit was with Peter...Peter is bold, invigorated, and with strength, now that the Holy Spirit has arrived...The other Disciples are filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance and the crowd thinks they are drunk...
Peter stands with the with the eleven, and lifts up his voice and addressed the people around him: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words...For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day...But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out My Spirit, and they shall prophesy...And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the LORD comes, the great and magnificent day...And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the LORD shall be saved.’...“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men...God raised Him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it...For David says concerning Him, “‘I saw the LORD always before me, for He is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope...For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption...You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’...“Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day...Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption...This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses...Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing...For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “‘The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”’...Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made Him both LORD and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”...Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”...And Peter said to them, “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...For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the LORD our God calls to Himself.”...And with many other words He bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”...So those who received His word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls...
This is a landmark event for the early followers of the Jesus Religion...This first sermon gives witness to the start of Christianity...Christianity now has begun...King David who predicted an Anointed One coming, has now came, in fact...The Messiah Age has started and we know this because God has resurrected Him from His death on the cross...
Five hundred people were witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus...And so those listening to Peter believed and some may have seen The Resurrected Jesus...Word had undoubtedly spread about Jesus' resurrection...The crowd listened and followed Peter's advice and believed and broke bread and shared...The crowd became a fellowship that day...
Over time, the disciples and apostles would go out and meet now with pagans, unbelievers and teach them about the gospel of Jesus...They would teach how He had died and then was raised by God on the third day...How He lived for another forty days...They taught that the Author of Life, seeming dead, was now alive and that He would be the One who would return to earth in His Second Coming...These things had happened just as the Old Testament Scripture had said they would...Jesus had fulfilled the Scripture...This would be the message the apostles and disciples would take to others and become the Acts of the Apostles...And the Acts of future Apostles would continue as Christianity grows...And the believing world would never be the same again, because of this One Man named Jesus...