The church goes public!
I would say this chapter recounts one of the most amazing events in human history, and I never get tired of reading it! In it, we read about the very first moment when God's Spirit is "poured" into men. Overwhelmed for sure by God's Holy Spirit within them, the Apostles begin speaking of God's mighty acts...in languages they did not know!
Boy, I know they had been waiting for ten days now since watching Jesus ascend, and they must have been anxious to get started, but it appears they really jumped in with both feet!
Keep in mind, Jews from all over the world had gathered at Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost. They were celebrating the wheat harvest and the giving of the Law to Moses. And being from all over the known world, they spoke different languages. So there was a huge and diverse crowd present for this public debut of Jesus' followers!
Picture it. It's morning in the city. Many people have gathered at the temple. The Apostle's begin speaking with them. But the people hearing them begin to wonder how when they hear these simple Galileans speak, each is hearing his own native language! How strange and exciting that must have been.
And then Peter addressed the crowd. For many, Peter's public speech must have been like a breaking news story is today! Everyone wants to know what is going on. It's as though he said, "now that we have your attention...."
And his speech amounts to a grand announcement that Jesus of Nazareth, who rose from the dead, is both God and Israel's promised Messiah. And he doesn't just make that claim without proof. Instead, Peter recalls prophesies of Joel and David which the crowd would recognize, and he illustrates how Jesus is the fulfillment of these prophesies. Very big news! So big, that the 150 or so followers of Jesus quickly increased by 3,000 more who accepted Peter's message and were baptized.
Imagine how Peter must have felt as he spoke, maybe sensing that the words he was delivering were unplanned, maybe gradually becoming aware that the words were not even based on his own thoughts, and maybe suddenly realizing this Holy Spirit within him was actually providing the words he spoke.
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