Last Days

Acts 2:14-18

Picture this. You are standing on the crowded busy streets of Jerusalem on the day of the birth of the Christian Church. The city is packed full of Jews there to worship God and celebrate the collection of the harvest, when suddenly the noise of a mighty wind gets your attention. You look up and in an upper room is a group of people who being speaking in a variety of languages all of a sudden... what would you think? Well, if you are like the Jewish witnesses on the day of Pentecost, you may think the group of “upper roomers” were merely drunk. Peter responds to this misunderstanding and begins what is known as his Pentecost sermon to his fellow neighboring Jews. First, Peter dispels the idea that  they disciples are drunk. “It’s only 9am!” He replies to the crowd. But, telling someone what something isn’t is not the same thing as telling them how to understand what they are seeing and hearing. Peter reaches back into the pages of Old Testament prophecy to explain what is happening in this moment. Peter refers to the prophet Joel, specifically Joel 2:28-32, a prophecy about the Lord moving in and through His chosen people in the “last days”. In the Joel prophecy, God clearly promises to pour out His Spirit on all people. Peter then repeats Joel enumeration including men, women, young, old, sons, and daughters. The implication is clear, when God pours out His Spirit, it will be for everyone, not just a select few. Peter links the events of this Pentecost experience to the prophecy from Joel, showing the Jews of his day that this is from God and explaining a new age of the Spirit has begun. 

Prayer:

Jesus, thank You for Your grace and mercy in salvation. Please help me however to not only hold fast to You as my Savior, but also to the Spirit as my Comforter and Guide. Thank You. Amen. 

Reflection:

How does the “last days” of the Spirit differ from the “former days” without Him? Which one does your life look more like?