TUESDAY April 19, 2022

The Day of Pentecost

When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.
Acts 2:1-3

At Pentecost, Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, gave an incredible sermon. The Jews, devout men and men from every nation under heaven, were in Jerusalem at this time and heard Jesus’ disciples speak in their different languages: And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:4). Some of the people mocked, thinking they were drunk, but Peter directed them to the Old Testament Scripture, Joel 2:8-29, and explained the strange phenomenon by what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

“...I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”

Peter, though a fisherman, had been with Jesus, and he eloquently explained the prophecy of Christ’s resurrection as written in Psalm 16:8-10 in his sermon to them:

“...let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses” (Acts 2:29-32).

Those listening were convicted and wanted to know what they should do. Peter gave them a simple answer, “Repent!”

Before Pentecost the disciples found it hard to do easy things; after Pentecost they found it easy to do hard things.
~A. J. Gordon~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!