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It was all action: breathtaking stuff. It was the Pentecost Festival, that great gathering of Jewish people but on that first 50th Day after Jesus had died and risen they were celebrating another harvest. The tiny church, total membership world-wide a meagre 120 folks,came alive. It was something LIKE a gale force wind. Something LIKE tongues of fire lighting them up, and driving them out into the crowds to witness, but when they joined the crowd which had now collected in the Temple area (the only place big enough to accommodate such a crowd), Peter put the record straight.
This is what our scriptures prophesied would come. It's God pouring on us His Holy Spirit on both young and old, and both men and women, and it's all centred in what happened here fifty days ago. Jesus of Nazareth, the very image of the Invisible God, was crucified by you, and what's more, God knew you would do it, and He allowed for it. When you'd done your worst, and murdered God's only Son, He rose from the dead. It wasn't possible for HIM to stay dead! NOT HIM!. He was, and still is, your promised King, anointed to rule over God's people: the promised Messiah. HE IS LIFE ITSELF. The very breath of life.
The people were ashamed, and full of guilt, and asked what they should do. What could they do about it now? Peter answered:
"Repent and be baptised, 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." Acts 2: 38-39
There were 3,000 who accepted the message that day, and although Jews, having been born children of Abraham, did not need baptism into their faith, 3000 of them were baptised, probably in the reservoirs of Silwan, that very day. The church of Jesus was born, and the same message still confronts the world to this very day.
A Prayer:
O Holy Spirit of God, wherever the name of Jesus is proclaimed in our world this day, bring the words alive with your power, penetration and penitence that the world may repent and be reborn in great joy.
Compare this response of the people with what Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3.
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