Today, we read the first part of Peter’s sermon to the thousands of Jews who had gathered in Jerusalem for that first Pentecost after Jesus’ resurrection. Peter begins his message by quoting the prophet Joel and explaining that what they were witnessing – God’s miraculous impartation of foreign tongues to the 120 who had gathered in the Upper Room to wait for the Promise of the Father as Jesus had commanded – was a fulfillment of an 800-year-old prophecy. Pastor Kevin explains that this Pentecost marked the beginning of the “last days,” the Church Dispensation and fulfillment of God’s plan to bring His gospel to this fallen world. While under the Old Testament economy, God sent his Spirit upon specific individuals, primarily His prophets, now God’s Holy Spirit will indwell “all flesh” – all who believe in His Son.
As on that Pentecost Sunday nearly 2000 years ago, most people today are uninterested in or outwardly mock the God of the Bible and His Son Jesus. May we continually seek the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives to proclaim the most important message anyone can hear. With Peter, we plead with our unsaved friends and family, “Heed these words… Whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved‘ (Acts 2:14, 21 NKJV).