Peter's Boldness to Share Fulfillment of the Prophecy
Scripture Passage: Acts 2:14-21 (NASB)
14 But Peter, taking his stand with the other eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, know this, and pay attention to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you assume, since it is only the third hour of the day; 16 but this is what has been spoken through the prophet Joel:
17 ‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says,
‘That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind;
And your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
And your young men will see visions,
And your old men will have dreams;
18 And even on My male and female servants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days,
And they will prophesy.
19 And I will display wonders in the sky above
And signs on the earth below,
Blood, fire, and vapor of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned into darkness
And the moon into blood,
Before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes.
21 And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
SUMMARY
Peter takes a bold stand and declares to the crowd that what they are seeing is the work of God coming to life just as prophet Joel had written. He first tells the crowd that it is impossible for the disciples to be drunk by pointing out that it is only the 3rd hour which is around 9am when the Jews typically prayed. He then quotes and preaches from Joel that God will pour His Spirit in all mankind; sons and daughters shall prophesy; young men shall see visions and old men shall dream dreams. Even the bondslaves shall prophesy through the Spirit and everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved by God’s grace.
MEDITATION & REFLECTION
Peter’s boldness and complete change in behavior is a testament to the work of the Holy Spirit. Where else would this boldness and confidence come from? This is the man who denied Jesus. He is now boldly declaring Jesus in front of a crowd who crucified Him and thinks they are drunk. He changed dramatically after witnessing the resurrection and is filled with the Spirit. He is proclaiming Jesus and it is simply undeniable when you experience God. I can totally understand and relate to Peter’s transformation, but I started to also wonder about my boldness. Why is it that my boldness only comes when I am with a safe crowd but not all crowds? Where is my boldness when it comes to sharing the gospel with non-believers?
I am humbled by Peter’s action. He did not let anything hold him back from proclaiming Jesus. All he cared about was to spread the gospel and saving everyone by reciting, “AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON TH NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED”
I realized I need to let the Spirit to lead me to whoever and wherever to share the gospel. I realized this is another area I have been trying to control rather than fully letting go and letting God take control. I also realized how important it is to memorize verses. Peter was able to stand up to the crowd not just with boldness, but also with evidence of the truth from Joel.
APPLICATION
I will make an effort to remember scriptures and passages through journaling and meditating. I will also remember that it is not the knowledge but the grace of God that saves us so not to be fearful or hesitant to share. I will continue to pray for my non-believing family members and share more with them.
PRAYER
Thank you Jesus for your resurrection and continuously showing me that you’re alive through the work in my life and also others around me. Help me to be filled and be guided by the Spirit so that I can take a bold stand like Peter. May the Spirit also equip me and give me courage to share the gospel with non-believers. Thank you for your Grace and your message today. Amen.
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