Last updated on November 12, 2024
We’ve spent the last month looking at the life of Jesus. We’re now going to spend the rest of the year looking at what happened next. It’s the birth of the Church. Jesus’ last words to his disciples were that he was leaving them, but the story was far from over. God was going to send the promised Holy Spirit to them, and this Spirit would continue God’s work inside each of them. This Spirit would form a unique and diverse community, and would use them to change the world.
Jesus told them to stay in Jerusalem and wait. So that’s what they did. It worked out that a lot of Jewish people had either stayed in Jerusalem, or were now back, as it was Pentecost. The Jewish people who were there were from all over. They spoke different languages and had different customs. But what brought them together was their allegiance to Yahweh.
On the morning of Pentecost something happened. There was a sound like the blowing of a violent wind, and there appeared to be tongues of fire that was resting on each one of them. Note that this description comes from Acts 2. I have no idea what this looked like. But it was wild. What happened next was even wilder. They began speaking in languages that they didn’t know, but those people who had traveled from far away lands recognized it as their languages.
Peter, who just weeks before had been such a wreck after not standing beside Jesus, felt like he should speak to those who were wondering what had happened. During the 40 days that Jesus was with them after his resurrection, Peter had been restored. He knew that Jesus loved him. He knew that Jesus had changed his life, and he desperately wanted to believe about himself what Jesus believed about him.
So he stood and he addressed the crowd. He let them know that they had not had too much to drink (some thought that was what was going on). No, this was fulfilling prophecy. God was sending his Spirit to continue the work that Jesus had begun. He told them that part of the plan of God was that Jesus would die an unjust death but then rise from the dead.
He invited them to repent and be baptized. Luke, who recorded all of this in the book of Acts, says that 3000 were added to their number that day.
What happens next is quite amazing. Some of those 3000 people were from Jerusalem, but most were not. They had come just for this festival, and they were planning on going back home soon. But most of them didn’t want to go now that they had experienced this.
Here’s how Luke describes their life together…
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes, and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God, and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Acts 2:42-47