Acts 2 - Act II, Scene 1

Presented to each the Nipawin and Tisdale Corps 12 August 2007
Presented to the Swift Current Corps 23 May 2010 and 17 May 2015
by Captain Michael Ramsay

Acts is a neat book. Did you know that It is the only history in the NT? Luke and Acts also were written by the same author and these books actually come together as sort of a two volume set that many scholars like to call ‘Luke-Acts.’ Together this set comprises more than 30% of the NT. Luke-Acts is thus important for us to understand.

Acts always reminds me of a play. Maybe it’s the name (Act 1, scene 2). But particularly in the first part, Acts reminds me of a Shakespearian play. Anyone remember studying Shakespeare in school?

All right, here’s another quiz for you. Who can name the play these quotes are from: ‘Friends, Romans, countrymen lend me your ears;’ “to be or not to be, that is the question” – here’s an easy one - “Romeo, Romeo, where art thou Romeo”?

Shakespeare wrote very dramatic plays and some of the tragedies are pretty tragic like Hamlet. Remember, his ‘to be or not to be’ speech where, of course, he is either pretending to be insane (or actually goes insane) while trying catch his father’s killer who happens to be his uncle and is also married to his mother. (Sounds like a soap opera actually) And in the end - everybody dies…

Or on a happier note, there is Romeo and Juliet. Young love. But their parents object so they sneak around for a while and then eventually (pause) kill themselves…okay so not a lot of happy endings…but they are very dramatic and neat stories nonetheless.

Shakespeare was a master playwright. And Acts reminds me of Shakespeare’s work. (Only its better) God uses Luke to communicate the VERY dramatic REAL events that happen here and Luke attributes to Peter some amazing speeches that could cause the post-modern reader to recall Mark Anthony, Lady MacBeth, or Hamlet.

And he uses the scenes and speeches that we will look at today and in the weeks to come to tell the readers how God’s Spirit comes at Pentecost and releases the disciples to proclaim the gospel of Jesus’ death resurrection and the forgiveness of sins.

As the curtains open on Acts 1’s scene one. The narrator recaps the miracles of the end of Luke (1:1-5) and the resurrection that Susan spoke about last week. He then further explains Jesus’ ascension to heaven (1:6-12) and we now are invited to watch as the disciples, men and women alike (1:14), gather around in the upper room (1:13) casting lots to learn who God has chosen in place of Judas; the gruesome details of whose death unfold for the audience as the protagonist, the Apostle Peter[1] (1-15 of Vol. II) takes to the stage with this opening address (vs. 15-20).
he was one of our number and shared in this ministry.”

(With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language, Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.

Peter - in his address - shows us all how Judas’ death fulfils the scriptures of Pss 69:25 and 109:8.[2] And then as he finishes speaking, the stage fades to black, ending Acts 1. …I trust that you are reading along at home.

Now just before we open the curtain on Acts 2, you should know a bit about the way the stage is set. When the curtain comes up not only will all the disciples still be together. But also in the scene will be ‘Jews from every nation under heaven (2:5)’ and they have come to celebrate Pentecost.[3]

And these Jews on the scene in Acts II here are very familiar with the tradition of the Messiah because they have been looking for someone to deliver them from the evils of the occupation. They have been looking for someone who could offer them freedom for their promised land. They have been looking for someone who can provide salvation for the Jews (cf. psalm 72, 2 Samuel 9). They have been looking for the Messiah, the Christ, the Saviour of Israel.

It is upon this crowd that we gaze as the curtain rises on scene one in Acts II: (I’m reading from the NIV, Acts II)

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing (sound effects) of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be (pillars) tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them.

Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?

And this is the dramatic scene in the opening of Acts 2. And if this were a Shakespearean play, now, hundreds of years later, there would be - Cole’s Notes! - so that we can all understand the nuances of what is happening before us and there are many nuances…

If we had our Cole’s Notes with us today there would probably be an asterisk beside the word ‘Pentecost’ (vs. 1) because when we think of Pentecost we usually think of this very moment: the advent of the Holy Spirit in Acts – but it is more than that.

Your Cole’s Notes would probably say that Pentecost is also known by various other names: the feast of weeks (Exod. 34:22; Dt 15:10, 16:9-12; Nu 28:26-31), feast of harvest (Exod 23:16) and the day of first fruits (Exod 34:22; Nu 28:26; Lev 23:9-14) and this is neat: Pentecost occurs on the 50th day after the Sabbath Passover (Exod. 19:1)[4] and here (in Acts II) it is about 50 days after Jesus was crucified.

Now this Jewish festival[5], Pentecost, is a time actually to celebrate God giving the Law to Moses on Mt Sinai:[6] Remember the Ten Commandments and how Moses climbs the Mountain (twice; Exod. 19-20, 31, 34; Dt. 4-5, 10) and God writes the 10 commandments on the stone tablets[7] with his very own finger (Exod. 31:18; Dt. 4:13, 10:1) and when Moses returns from the Mountain his face is literally radiant (34:29-35): it’s shining.

While in our text it is now about 50 days after Jesus was crucified.[8] And as Pentecost is about the Ten Commandments, the covenant and an empowering of the Israelites for their new life outside of Egypt[9] and here now with the coming of the Spirit, in Acts II, the disciples are empowered for their new life in the Kingdom of God (Lk 24:49).[10]

This event certainly does link Jesus to Moses as a deliver of his people – and those present in this scene are probably beginning to understand that Jesus is that deliverer.

There is even more though for the curious reader here to link Jesus to Moses (verse 3): the tongues or pillars of fire above their heads. Remember as God was leading Israel away from Pharaoh’s Army, and parted the Red Sea for them. Remember as he led them around the desert for that generation (Exod 23:21, 33:14; Dt 4:7) what did God lead them with? …: A pillar of cloud by day and a pillar (or tongue) of fire by night. And here we have pillars of fire linking our minds again to Israel’s delivery and Israel’s covenant with God.[11] Isn’t that neat?

And even more – you see the Bible is REAL. These things really did happen but it is also a literary masterpiece with symbolism everywhere – really would we expect anything less from God’s own Word?

Look at 2:6: “each one heard them speaking in his own language;” some have compared this to an un-doing, as it were, of the tower of Babel (Gen 11:1-9) actually. Do you remember that story? The people provoke God through the building of this tower and as a result, all of a sudden they are babbling in different languages. God confuses their talk. It is kind of hard to work together when you don’t understand what other people are saying – but now what happens? In Acts II, it is reversed. Instead of language being confused, people can actually now hear the Gospel proclaimed in their OWN language.

And further, some people even relate this event to the giving of the law at Sinai again as, according to Jewish tradition, at that point every people heard the law in its own language.[12]
And now certainly we, as well as the much earlier readers of Acts too can understand here the implicit symbolism representing the truth that Jesus, like Moses, is deliverer of His people[13] - and actually he is the one that they have been waiting for.

But more than that. Your Cole’s notes would probably also have an asterisk beside the words ‘the violent wind’[14] in verse 2 where it says, “Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting”

Now, the passage does not claim that the Holy Spirit is a wind rather the Holy Spirit is like the sound wind makes but, this is neat, HERE in Greek, the word for wind is the SAME word for Spirit in the original Greek (cf. Gen 1:2; Eze 37:9, 14; Jn 3:8) so the SPIRIT (or wind) is coming like the WIND (spirit) and this same play on words occurs in the creation story of Gen 1:2[15] where it says that the Spirit (or wind) of God hovered there - over the waters. This passage is about a beginning, a creation, a new Kingdom, if you like, and Jesus here is not only linked to man, he is also linked to God. This very real act of the Spirit coming on Pentecost unites the symbolism of a messiah and of God himself[16].

So then lets recap: they are all together in one place. The Spirit blows in, sound like a violent wind, tongues of fire are settling on people -- Now lets join the scene in Acts 2:17. the Apostle Peter stands up with the 11 (2:14) to make his speech (Acts 2:17-21) He quotes from the Prophet Joel (Joel 2:28-32) [and Psalm 16:8-10]:

In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.

(It will be) the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

As if in a Shakespearian soliloquy, Luke records here what Peter explains, from Scriptures. He explains for us exactly what we can see unfolding the scene before us. He explains that Jesus is from God and Jesus is Lord[17] and he explains that ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

And in case we missed it still Peter says from verse 22 onwards – Jesus was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs…and now, if not before, now people get it and so Peter turns to the common everyday people listening and says:
Jesus was accredited by God and you … (verse 23) you and wicked men put him to death by nailing him to the cross. You, You killed him.

This is tragic. This is as tragic as any play. The people get it now that Jesus was the messiah (and Peter goes on about it more in the rest of the chapter). They get it. He was the one who was supposed to deliver them. He was the one who was supposed to save them. He was the one who was going to lead them into the Kingdom to come. But there is one problem, he died. And not only that, ‘you’, Peter says, ‘you killed him.’

Can you imagine the sorrow, the guilt, the pain? It must be like Romeo and Juliet’s parents: they loved their children with everything in them. They pinned their future hopes on their children and now because of their actions, their unforgiveness, their very loved children are dead.

You see Jesus was to be our deliver, Peter says, and now you killed him. You wanted a deliver. You had a deliver and you killed him. But there’s more.

Peter makes it clear to us that ‘you’ killed the messiah but he also makes it clear (vs22-23) that he ‘was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge;’ He was ‘accredited by God with miracles, wonders and signs which God did.’ And (verse 24) God raised him from the dead. Jesus is inextricably linked to God and you killed Him and he was raised from the dead
And it’s not necessarily understood as good news yet for those listening[18] - The Judeans know that God is just. And so this could be a little scary really. They here are waiting for their deserved penalty for killing their Messiah.[19] They already saw what happened to Judas for betraying Christ (Acts 1:16-20).

This is a part of the world and understanding of the Jews. They understand that there is a punishment for sin.[20] They understand that there is a penalty for killing Jesus, whom those here –from what we’ve examined today – whom those here, are rightly convinced is the Messiah.

These people are now standing in front of Peter – like repentant children in front of the principal, realising that they’ve done something terribly wrong, hoping against hope to somehow make it right and maybe even avoid their punishment (cf. John 21:15-17 re: Peter’s own restoration): Verse 37, “When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?””

What can we do?

We killed Jesus. We killed our Messiah. We killed God’s son. He died for our sins. He’s raised from the dead. Is there anything we can do to be forgiven by Him and by God and be accepted into His Kingdom?

Peter says, verse 38, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” Now this is significant. You see, as we looked at in Luke, Jesus is ushering in this Kingdom of God. And earlier in this chapter we saw the Spirit of God himself come down from Heaven (Acts 2:1-4, Lk 24). We saw the power of God manifest to announced the Kingdom of God is coming now; it is here.

And what does this Kingdom look like? It is a Kingdom of forgiveness. It is a Kingdom –like the Lord’s prayer says - where we forgive those who do things against us and God forgives us what we have done – even our sending [as was his purpose and with God’s perfect foreknowledge (vss. 22-23)] God’s own son to die on the cross.

What is it that one must do to be a part of this Kingdom? We just have to repent (This doesn’t just mean change your way of acting – it means change your whole way of thinking) – You must repent – you must now believe that Jesus died for our sins, rose from the dead and Jesus is Lord. You must believe and be baptised (which here is an initiation ceremony); you must be initiated into the Kingdom of Forgiveness of Sins and the Kingdom of God, in the name of Jesus – and that’s it.[21]

Peter says then “you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” This same Holy Spirit that came down on Pentecost and even more than that he assures us that this promise isn’t just for them. “The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off —for all whom the Lord our God will call.” And, like we read earlier, “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”

And look what it says, just before the curtain closes on our scene here. It says in verse 47 “day by day the Lord added to their number those being saved.”

And may it be continue to be so. Come and pray for the Spirit in our lives.

Benediction: Galatians 5:22-26a.

www.sheepspeak.com
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[1] After Acts 15, Paul becomes the central apostle, whose acts we are following.
[2] “For,” said Peter, “it is written in the book of Psalms, “ ‘May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,’ (Psalm 69:25) and, “‘May another take his place of leadership’ (Psalm 109:8).
[3] These Jews are probably members of the Diaspora: shortly after Jesus died, there was an unsuccessful Jewish rebellion (68-73 CE) against the Romans [which led to the destruction of the temple (70 CE).] As a result, many Judeans had to flee for their lives. This dispersion was throughout the Mediterranean world and these dispersed Jews are members of the now commonly called Diaspora. However, “We have seen that this Dispersion had [actually] begun six centuries before in the Babylonian Captivity, and had been renewed in the settling of Alexandria.” Will Durant, Caesar and Christ. (TSC 3: New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1944), 545. Those present here would be from the earlier group as Acts is set before the destruction of the temple and some even argue that the scene in Acts 2 actually takes place in the temple.
[4] Thus the name Pentecost from the Hebrew he pentekoste "fiftieth"
[5] There is much discussion about whether or not Luke was making specific reference to this event at the time of his writing; regardless of whether this was an intentional parallel drawn by the author of Luke, the symbolism seems to be divinely intentioned. Cf. Robert W. Wall, Acts. (NIB 10: Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon Press, 2002), 57-58, for a thorough discussion of this.
[6] This continues to this day. Also cf. R.C.H Lenski, The Interpretation of the Acts of the Apostles. (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Augsburg Publishing House, 1961), 57.
[7] The first time (Exod. 31:18); The second time, according to the Exodus account, Moses is required to do the writing himself (Exod. 34:1; but cf. Dt. 10:1)
[8] In John’s narrative (John 20:19-23), The disciples receive the gift of the Holy Spirit before Jesus has gone to ‘his Father’s house.’ This may be a different record of the same event; however, it may not. This appearance of the Holy Spirit is not an act unique to Acts II.
[9] Robert W. Wall, p. 54. : [Some] interpreters posit a new dispensation has dawned when the Holy Spirit through the Messiah mediates a new covenant. (cf. Jer. 31:31-34; Rom. 8:2).
[10] Cf. Willimon, p. 28.
[11] These tongues are also an obvious fulfilment of Luke 3:16: ‘He shall baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.’” They may however also represent the altar with its holy fire. Fire is also a symbol of purity and purification, cf. also Lenski, p. 59.
[12] Fredrick Frye Bruce, The Book of Acts. (TNICNT: Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988), 54.
[13] Certainly readers of Matthew would understand this, as one of the themes of Matthew is that Jesus is ‘the new Moses.’
[14] Jesus himself compares the coming of the Spirit to the wind, see John 3:8.
[15] R.C.H Lenski, p. 58: “This mighty sound was surely a symbol of power, and we may recall that both the Hebrew and the Greek words for Spirit, Ruach and IIamven denote wind or breath.” Some also suggest that the ‘whole house’ referred to in this verse here may actually be an allusion to the Temple, which was destroyed in 70 AD.
[16] See John 3:8 where Jesus himself compared the coming of the Spirit to the blowing of the wind.
[17] It is significant here, I believe, that Luke quoted the Greek text. He was able to thus make a strong intentional link then with the word ‘Lord’.
[18] This is reminiscent of Jesus’ appearance to Peter right after Peter had denied him and he was crucified.
[19] Cf. Robert W. Wall. pp. 66-67.
[20] Cf. NT Wright, The Problem of Evil and the Justice of God.
[21] Ibid.