Utterly amazed, they asked, “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans?” Acts 2:7
Adventure Awaits
Wapakoneta, Ohio, is a solid, stable small town. It has a population of about ten thousand. It has a high school and a public library. It has a movie theater and a bowling alley. To grab a bite to eat, you can stop by Lulu’s Diner, RJ’s Coffey Cup, or The Alpha Cafe. And every August, you can attend the county fair located just outside the city limits.
Wapakoneta is a great place to raise a family. At the same time, its citizens admit that it’s not the kind of place that automatically comes to mind when you think of famous figures or high adventure. But thanks to a 10-minute plane ride at a local air show, a 6-year-old farm kid by the name of Neil Armstrong got the flying bug. Three decades later, Neil Armstrong was the face of one of the world’s great adventures. He was the first man to set foot on the moon.
In the first century A.D., the region of Galilee was not known for much of anything. In fact, many in Jerusalem looked down on Galileans as being just a bit unsophisticated, a bit rough around the edges. Therefore, on the Day of Pentecost, it came as a shock for people in Jerusalem to see and hear several men from Galilee stand up and do something extraordinary. By a miracle, God the Holy Spirit empowered these Galileans to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ in a variety of different languages.
And the adventure did not stop there. In the years to come, these same men would travel far and wide proclaiming what Jesus had done to take away the sins of the world.
By the power of the gospel, that same Holy Spirit brings people today to faith in Jesus as their Savior. And through this miracle of faith, they receive full forgiveness of sin, peace with God, and eternal life in heaven. And adventure awaits them in their future. The Lord will use them to pierce the darkness of this world, to proclaim the praises of him who called them out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I am now yours through faith in you. Let my adventure begin. Amen.
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. . . Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” Acts 2:1-6,11-12
Simply Believe
Recently, my daughters were playing with some immature flower buds from our dwarf Magnolia tree. Since these buds look like pickles, I told them they were pickle seeds. Later, I overheard one of my daughters referring to the tree as a “pickle tree.”
That’s the way it is with children. They simply believe what they are told.
That’s not always so easy for us as we grow older. We encounter so many ideas about lifestyles, religion, and the future (just to name a few topics). We wonder what we should believe.
The people in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost could hardly believe their ears. Some even made fun of the disciples who were suddenly able to speak in foreign languages. Yet the Holy Spirit used their intelligible words to reveal the Triune God who is serious about sin and, at the same time, full of forgiveness, love, and hope for the future.
What makes it difficult for you to believe God’s promises? A past full of sin? A list of confusing, complicated questions about life? The Bible equips us to deal with this sinful world by revealing “the wonders of God.”
Like a child, believe God’s promises—Jesus loves you and has forgiven you!
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, instill in me an unshakable trust in your promises. Amen.
[Peter said,] “It is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.” . . . Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles. Acts 1:21-22,26
Witnesses of the Resurrection
The number twelve is significant in the Bible. That number is closely associated with God’s people. In the Old Testament there were twelve tribes of Israel. In the New Testament there were twelve apostles.
Well, there were twelve apostles. After he betrayed Jesus, Judas was seized with remorse and took his own life. Then there were only eleven apostles, and God does not leave things incomplete. So, after Jesus ascended into heaven, Peter addressed the believers and told them that it was time to replace Judas. The believers prayed, cast lots, and Matthias was chosen.
We do not know what happened to Matthias after this. He is not mentioned again. So why does the Bible make such a big deal of his selection? Because the big deal is not Matthias, it is what Matthias was called to do.
Peter said that Matthias “must become a witness with us of Jesus’ resurrection.” The big deal about Matthias is that he was an eyewitness. He could tell people, “This is not made up! I was there. I walked and talked with Jesus before he was crucified, and I saw him alive again three days after he died.”
We did not see Jesus’ death and resurrection or hear his teaching. But Matthias and the other apostles did, and their eyewitness testimony is recorded in the Bible. Jesus saved us by giving his perfect life and dying the death that we deserve. But Christ is risen. It’s true; we can count on it for eternal life!
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for providing me with witnesses of your resurrection and for preserving their testimony in the Bible. Most of all, thank you for giving me eternal life in the risen Christ. Amen.
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37 Now when the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Gentlemen, brothers, what should we do?”
38 Peter answered them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your [1] sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
40 He testified solemnly with many other words and was appealing to them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”
41 Those who [2] accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added.
The Christians Lived in Unity
42 They continued to hold firmly to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of the bread, and to the prayers. 43 Awe came over every soul, [3] and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They were selling their possessions and property and were distributing the proceeds according to what anyone needed.
46 Day after day, with one mind, they were devoted to meeting in the temple area, as they continued to break bread in their homes. They shared their food with glad and sincere hearts, 47 as they continued praising God and being viewed favorably by all the people. Day after day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
Footnotes
Acts 2:38 Some witnesses to the text omit your.
Acts 2:41 Some witnesses to the text add gladly.
Acts 2:43 Some witnesses to the text omit Awe came over every soul.
14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and spoke loudly and clearly to them: “Men of Judea, and all you residents of Jerusalem, understand this, and listen closely to my words. 15 These men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day. [1]16 On the contrary, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 This is what God says will happen in the last days: I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your 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 sky above, and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and a rising cloud 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 this will happen: Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. [2]
22 “Men of Israel, hear these words! Jesus the Nazarene was a man recommended to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know. 23 This man, who was handed over by God’s set plan and foreknowledge, you [3] killed by having lawless men nail him to a cross. 24 He is the one God raised up by freeing him from the agony of death, because death was not able to hold him in its grip.
25 “Indeed, David says concerning him:
I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 26 Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced. My flesh also will rest in hope, 27 because you will not abandon my life to the grave, [4] nor will you 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. [5]
29 “Gentlemen, brothers, I can speak confidently to you about the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath that he would seat one of his descendants [6] on his throne, [7]31 he saw what was coming and spoke about the resurrection of Christ, saying that he [8] was neither abandoned to the grave nor did his flesh see decay. [9]
32 “This Jesus is the one God has raised up. We are all witnesses of that. 33 So, after he was exalted to the right hand of God and after he received the promised Holy Spirit from the Father, he poured out what you are now seeing and hearing.
34 “For David did not ascend into heaven, and yet he says:
The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand, 35 until I make your enemies a footstool under your feet.’ [10]
36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
Footnotes
Acts 2:15 9 am
Acts 2:21 Joel 2:28-32
Acts 2:23 Some witnesses to the text add took and.
Acts 2:27 Greek hades
Acts 2:28 Psalm 16:8-11
Acts 2:30 Some witnesses to the text read that he would raise Christ, one of his descendants according to the flesh, to sit.
Acts 2:30 Psalm 89:3-4; 132:11
Acts 2:31 A few witnesses to the text read his life.
1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the rushing of a violent wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw divided tongues that were like fire resting on each one of them. 4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, since the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak fluently.
5 Now there were godly Jewish men from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6 When this sound was heard, a crowd came together and was confused, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 They were completely baffled and said to each other, [1] “Look, are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them speaking in his own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, and of Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya around Cyrene; visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes; 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring in our own languages the wonderful works of God.” 12 They were all amazed and perplexed. They kept saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others mocked them and said, “They are full of new wine.”
Footnotes
Acts 2:7 Some witnesses to the text omit to each other.
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. [1]
Matthias Is Chosen
13 When they entered the city, they went to the upstairs room where they were staying. Peter and John were there, also James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. 14 All of them kept praying together with one mind, along with the women, with Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
15 In those days, when the group there numbered about 120 people, Peter stood up among the brothers [2] and said, 16 “Gentlemen, [3] brothers, the Scripture [4] had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David about Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus. 17 Judas was counted as one of us and was given a share in this ministry.
18 “Now this man acquired a field with what he was paid for his wicked act. When he fell headfirst, his middle burst open, and all his intestines spilled out. 19 This became known to all the residents of Jerusalem, and so in their own language that field was called Akeldema, which means Field of Blood. 20 Indeed, it is written in the book of Psalms:
May his residence be deserted. Let there be no one dwelling in it. [5]
And,
let someone else take his position. [6]
21 “Therefore it is necessary that one of the men who accompanied us during the entire time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from his baptism by John until the day Jesus was taken up from us, become a witness with us of his resurrection.”
23 They proposed two: Joseph called Barsabbas (who was also called Justus) and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this apostolic ministry from which Judas turned away to go to his own place.” [7]
26 Then they assigned lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias. So he was counted with the eleven apostles. [8]
Footnotes
Acts 1:12 That is, a distance less than a mile
Acts 1:15 Some witnesses to the text read disciples. (“Witnesses to the text” mentioned in footnotes may include Greek manuscripts, lectionaries, translations, and quotations in the church fathers.)
Acts 1:16 Literally Men
Acts 1:16 Some witnesses to the text read this Scripture.
Acts 1:20 Psalm 69:25
Acts 1:20 Psalm 109:8
Acts 1:25 Some witnesses to the text read portion or inheritance.
Acts 1:26 It is uncertain whether the procedure described in this verse refers to casting lots or voting.
1 I wrote my first book, Theophilus, about everything Jesus began doing and teaching 2 until the day he was taken up, after he had given instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After he had suffered, he presented himself alive to the apostles with many convincing proofs. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and told them things about the kingdom of God.
4 Once, when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for what the Father promised, which you heard from me. 5 For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
6 So when they were together with him, they asked, “Lord, is this the time when you are going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Jesus Ascends to Heaven
9 After he said these things, he was taken up while they were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 They were looking intently into the sky as he went away. Suddenly, two men in white clothes stood beside them. 11 They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing here looking up into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
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The Synodical Council (SC) normally meets twice each year. It held its spring meeting April 24-25. Some of the business addressed follows: In keeping with its role of acting on […]
Working closely with the leadership and volunteers from the Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ–Kenya (LCMC), the Central Africa Medical Mission (CAMM) organized a short-term medical camp in Chabera, Kenya, […]
Four writing teams have begun their work of drafting teacher and student materials for four program levels of a new WELS school theology curriculum. Work on this curriculum began in […]
Sharing Together content has never been easier. Here are some easy ways to make sure your congregation stays up to date with the latest synodical news. 1. Helpful icons at […]