Thursday, June 4

THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020


"Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God's deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him." (Acts 2:22-24)


In Acts 2, we read of the miraculous birth of the Church at Pentecost. At the start of the chapter, we find the disciples gathered together in the Upper Room. As we read in 1:14, "they all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers." Prior to the coming of "tongues of fire," signaling the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit, the believers had sought God's presence in prayer. First, they had heard Jesus's declaration: "... You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 2 kick-started this process, and God's favor came upon the disciples and their early followers.

In this moment, the Gospel became approachable for all, due to the completed work of Christ on the Cross and to the Church's testimony: "Peter replied, 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off-for all whom the Lord our God will call.'" (2:38,39) The Spirit enabled the disciples to speak in multiple languages, communicating the truth of what had occurred in understandable terms. Language typically creates barriers or misunderstandings; here, the Spirit provided a miraculous means of crossing those barriers and ceasing the misunderstandings, bringing people of many backgrounds under the banner of Christ.

In this moment, the Gospel became life-giving for all who would become the Church. While the believers in the Old Testament looked forward to fulfillment of the Messiah's promised coming, the Church could now look with certainty on the Resurrection: "But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him." (2:24) Because of the Resurrection, the Church would too be raised to new life. The promise of redemption had reached its fulfillment, and now all nations were indeed being blessed through the seed of Abraham (cf. Genesis 12, 15)

In the Gospel, the Church could find peace with God, leading to unity with one another. Having resolved their disconnect with God, the Church now could bridge across multiple lines: families, languages, and national backgrounds. Scholars point out that humans naturally lean towards a tribal attitude, which may give rise to divisiveness between groups along political or social lines. Yet, in the Gospel, the Church can reach across these lines. Unity could come out of chaos because of the completed work of the Cross and the sustaining presence of the Holy Spirit. This unity spoke to the Church's suitedness to Christ and their trust in what God was bringing about in their midst. They embraced God's move, saying, "Yes, Lord!"


When we look to our world today, the joyous triumph of the Spirit in Acts 2 can seem far away. And, yet, if we are to turn to God in trust and expectation, we know that God is capable of bringing about this type of transformation -- and quickly. May God bring healing and unity through the Gospel in our day, in our country.


Lord God, we humbly come before You and asking You to heal our land. We have not honored one another as Your created masterpieces. We have been selfish and short-sighted. In the Church, Your beloved family, please break down the dividing walls of hostility by the unifying power of the Gospel and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Help us to listen well to You and to one another. Give us patience and unfailing love, putting others before ourselves. To You be honor and glory in our lives and in our midst. In Jesus's powerful Name, amen.



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