Intro to Acts 2:1-13

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/9/2017 4:22 PM

My Worship Time                                                                              Focus:  Intro to Acts 2:1-13

            Message of the verses:  1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.  5 Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 They were amazed and astonished, saying, "Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 “And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? 9  "Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10  Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11  Cretans and Arabs-we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God." 12 And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" 13 But others were mocking and saying, "They are full of sweet wine."”

            As we look at these verses in Acts chapter two we see a dramatic turning point in the history of God’s kingdom.  We also see a new phase of His redemptive plan as it unfolds as the church is born.  John MacArthur writes “In chapter 1 the disciples were to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit; in chapter 2 He comes.  In chapter 1 the disciples were equipped; in chapter 2 they are empowered.  In chapter 1 they were held back; in chapter 2 they were sent forth.  In chapter 1 the Savior ascended; in chapter 2 the Spirit descends.  The promises of the Lord Jesus Christ given in chapter 1 (1:5, 8) come to fulfillment, as the believers gathered in the upper room receive the wonderful promise of the Father.” 

            As we go back to the book of Genesis we see the redemptive plan of God begin to unfold as it began right after Adam and Eve sinned:  “15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel."”  We see in this verse that God promised a Savior to come and that Savior would be the “seed of the woman.”  This unfolding that began in Genesis continued with Abraham and throughout the patriarchal age, past the giving of the Mosaic Law to a small hill outside of Jerusalem called Calvary.  (I guess that was the fasted trip through the Old Testament ever taken.)  It was on Calvary that the Son of God came to give His life for the sins of the world.  After that He rose from the grave and promised to send the Holy Spirit to continue His work on earth while He is in heaven praying for all who are His.  The giving of the Holy Spirit had to wait until Jesus arose from the grave:

“37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ’From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’" 39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified (John 7:37-39).”

            MacArthur writes “Though the assembling of the redeemed in God’s kingdom has gone on since the Fall, the coming of the Spirit marks the beginning of the unique church age.  That there would be an intervening age between the two advents of Messiah was not foreseen in the Old Testament.  Nor was the unity of the Jew and Gentile in one body.  Paul called that concept a mystery in Ephesians 3:3-10.  The word ‘church’ translates ekklesia, which means ‘called-out ones.’  The church is the bride of Christ; the branches of the Vine; the flock of the Good Shepherd; the kingdom of God’s dear Son; God’s household consisting of His adopted children; a spiritual temple, of which Jesus Christ is the cornerstone; but, uniquely, the body of Christ…

            “This passage describes the birth of the church by the coming of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost.  It is summarized in the evidence of the Spirit’s coming, the effect of the Spirit’s coming, and the explanation of the Spirit’s coming.”

            We will begin to look at these topics in our next SD.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question: “Jehovah” (Exodus 6:3).

Today’s Bible question:  “In what three positions did Paul serve according to 1 Timothy 2:7?”

Answer in our next SD.

7/9/2017 4:47 PM