Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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 The Reforming Church: Faith community which has to be reformed by the Word of God

Acts 2:21
"And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

The Day of Pentecost was a Jewish feast held 50 days after the Passover. It celebrated the first fruits of the wheat harvest.
In the Jewish rituals of that time, the first sheaf reaped from the barley harvest was presented to God at Passover. At Pentecost, the first fruits of the wheat harvest were presented to God; therefore, Pentecost is called the day of the first fruits (Numbers 28:26). God-fearing Jews from every nation usually gather together in Jerusalem to celebrate the day of Pentecost.

It was ten days after Jesus ascended to heaven, and since Jesus commanded his disciples to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit, they were all gathered together in one place. Suddenly a sound from heaven like a powerful wind filled the house where they were sitting and all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and they began to declare the wonders of God in different languages as the Spirit enabled them.
The Spirit of God had come grabbing the attention of everyone. Apparently, the disciples could be heard from the windows of the upper room or the place they gathered, and so a crowd quickly gathered, being attracted by this sound. When the crowd came, they heard the disciples (who were from Galilee )speaking in their own foreign languages and so they were amazed.

Peter stood and preached to the crowd as a representative of the apostles. He explained the strange event that occurred on Pentecost as a fulfillment of the prophecy by Prophet Joel. ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh'
He also explains that the reason that the Spirit has come now was because Jesus sent Him.
(Acts 2:33) “Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.”
Peter goes on to explain to the Jews from the scriptures that Jesus was indeed the Messiah and though they plotted and killed Jesus, God raised him from the dead and has now made him both Lord and Messiah (Acts 2:36) "Therefore let all the house of Israel recognize beyond all doubt that God has made Him both Lord and Christ (Messiah, Anointed)—this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Now when the Jews heard this they were pierced to the heart. They were condemned as the murderers of God’s Son and so they ask the apostles what they should do. And so Peter tells them the following :
Repent of their sin. Have a change in purpose in their hearts. Turn from sin to God.
Be baptized in the name of Jesus, as an outward expression of their belief in Jesus and as a sign of repentance.
Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Those who accepted this message were baptized and so the church grew from 120 to 3000 that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.

Here we can see how the Word of God preached by Peter impacted thousands of Jews who were gathered there. Hearing the Word of God brought conviction of their sins and later repentance. They even boldly expressed their faith in Jesus by getting baptized in His name. Our lives too get changed when we spend time with God’s Word. It helps us make radical changes in our lives and motivates us to influence others to come closer to God. Let us all take the effort to devote our time to the Word of God, have fellowship with our fellow believers, partake in the Holy Communion and spend time in prayer.
 
Prayer
Lord, rekindle in us a renewed desire for the coming of your glorious kingdom.
 
Thought for the day
Draw near to God and God will draw near to you.
 
Anila Eapen

Christian Education Forum, Diocese of NAE of the Mar Thoma Church

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