- Covered In His Dust
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- Acts Chapter Two
Good afternoon! ☀️
"When disciples followed a rabbi, they followed him closely so they would never be out of his sight, never be someplace where they couldn’t hear him speak. They followed him so closely that his sandals often kicked up dust."
May you be covered in His dust.
If this is your first time getting Covered in His Dust, WELCOME!
Read Chapter Two before reading my notes. They’ll make more sense.
Access previous notes on Acts and Luke by signing into your account. Click 'Read Online' at the top right of this post and scroll down to find them waiting for you.
This chapter is packed! No time to waste.
Are you ready? Let’s go!
The term "Pentecost" was used by Greek-speaking Jews before the events described in Acts Chapter 2. The festival, originally known as the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot in Hebrew), was celebrated 50 days after Passover. The Greek word "Pentecost" means "fiftieth," referring to this 50-day period.
So, Jews, especially those who spoke Greek, called the Feast of Weeks "Pentecost" even before the Holy Spirit was given to the disciples.
Shavuot is a celebration of the wheat harvest in Israel. In ancient times, it was one of the three pilgrimage festivals when Jews brought offerings to the Temple in Jerusalem.
It also marks the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, seven weeks after the Exodus from Egypt. This event is seen as the moment when the Israelites became a nation devoted to serving God.
On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus' followers, giving them the ability to speak different languages. This happened 50 days after Jesus rose from the dead and 10 days after He went to heaven.
It’s seen as the beginning of the Christian Church.
Acts describes about 120 followers of Jesus present in Jerusalem at Pentecost. This group included the apostles, Mary, Jesus' mother, Jesus' brothers, and other disciples.
Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.
‘Dwelling’ here includes both those who lived in Jerusalem and those who were temporarily visiting for Shavuot.
During major Jewish festivals like Shavuot, Jerusalem would have been packed with worshippers. Estimates suggest that the population of Jerusalem could have swelled to several hundred thousand people during these times. It’s hard to say exactly how many were in the city, but it could have been anywhere from 200,000 to 1,000,000 people, including both residents and visitors.
Why is that important?
Fulfillment of Prophecy: The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost fulfilled Joel’s prophecy (Joel 2:28-29), where God promised to pour out His Spirit on everyone. With people from all over gathered for a major Jewish festival, it was the perfect time for this to happen.
Symbolism: Just as Shavuot celebrates the giving of the Torah, Pentecost celebrates the giving of the Holy Spirit. This signifies a new covenant, empowering believers to follow God's will, much like the Torah guided the Israelites.
Gathering of People: During Shavuot, Jerusalem was crowded with Jews from different regions. This was a great opportunity for the apostles to spread the message of Jesus. The ability to speak in various languages allowed them to reach a diverse audience, leading to the rapid growth of Christianity.
Speaking in tongues.
The New Testament talks about two kinds of speaking in tongues:
Pentecost (Acts 2:1-12): At Pentecost, the disciples spoke in real human languages they hadn't learned before. People from different nations heard them speaking in their own languages, which amazed them.
Speaking in Tongues in 1 Corinthians 12-14: Paul talks about another kind of speaking in tongues in his letters to the Corinthians. This type is often seen as a spiritual language that others might not understand without an interpreter.
"For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit."
The speaking in tongues that Paul describes helps the person speaking because it helps them spiritually. If someone interprets what is being said, then it can also help the whole church understand and be encouraged.
Speaking in tongues is one of the gifts from the Holy Spirit mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 along with the following:
Wisdom
Knowledge
Faith
Healing
Miracles
Prophecy
Distinguishing between spirits
Speaking in different kinds of tongues
Interpretation of tongues
Some Christians believe that the gifts of the Spirit, like speaking in tongues and healing, are still given today. Others think these gifts were only for the early church. It depends on how they interpret the Bible and their church's teachings.
Peter’s Sermon to the crowd.
The disciples were speaking in different languages, which got the attention of people from various regions who were in Jerusalem for Pentecost. Some people mocked the disciples, thinking they were drunk.
In response, Peter stands up with the eleven apostles and speaks loudly to the crowd. He assures them that the disciples are not drunk, as it's only nine in the morning. Instead, he explains that what they are witnessing is the fulfillment of a prophecy from the prophet Joel.
“And it shall come to pass afterward,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.
Even on the male and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit.
“And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Joel prophesied those words about 800 years before the pouring of the Holy Spirit.
Peter continues and quotes David from Psalm 16:8-11.
I have set the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption.
You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
In the Old Testament, Sheol was viewed as the place of the dead or the grave where the souls of both the righteous and unrighteous went after death.
"You will not abandon my soul" means that David trusted God not to leave him dead. In this Psalm, he proclaims his belief that God won’t forget or forsake him even after he dies.
He trusts that God has the power and love to bring him out of death and into life again, showing that death is not the end for those who trust in God.
“Or let your holy one see corruption.”
What???
“Holy One” refers to someone set apart for God, and in this instance, it is a prophecy about the coming Messiah.
“Corruption” means undergoing decay or decomposing after death. David trusts that God will not allow the Messiah to undergo the usual process of decay that follows death.
Peter argues that Jesus' resurrection fulfills this prophecy, showing that Jesus did not see ‘corruption’ or remain in the grave. Peter uses this argument to convince those listening that Jesus is indeed the promised Messiah, whom they had helped crucify.
As Christians, our understanding of what happens when we die is different. For believers in Christ, when we die, we do not go to Sheol but enter directly into the presence of Jesus in heaven.
As the apostle Paul wrote,
"We are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord"
The Christian hope is that upon death, the believer's soul goes to be with Christ, not to some dark, gloomy underworld.
When you understand the meaning of ‘Sheol’ and ‘Corruption’, verses 29-34 make more sense. Take a minute to read them again.
Peter then quotes from Psalms 110:1
“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.”’
This is what Peter is saying:
“The Lord said to my Lord”: The first “Lord” refers to God (Yahweh), and the second “Lord” refers to the Messiah (Jesus). Peter is pointing out that even David recognized the Messiah as his Lord.
“Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool” shows that Jesus has been exalted to a position of authority and power, sitting at God’s right hand and that all His enemies will eventually be defeated.
Man, Peter, filled with the power of the Holy Spirit…
Did
Not
Hold
Back
Peter then drops a truth bomb:
“Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
There were hundreds of Jews listening to Peter’s speech.
“We just killed the promised Messiah? What shall we do?”
Peter said to them, “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.
Shhhhhh.
Can you hear it?
Those words are still ringing out to you and me today.
Shhhhhh.
Listen…
He’s calling you…
"Then Jesus told his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.'"
Three thousand believers were added that day!
Luke ends Acts Chapter Two by describing the birth of the church and what it looked like—and, dare I say, what it should look like.
Go back and read verses 42-47. (Seriously, take 60 seconds and go read it again.)
THAT’S what the church should look like.
Let’s take a closer look:
Devotion to the Apostles’ Teaching: The early Christians were committed to learning from the apostles. They focused on the teachings of Jesus and how to live out their faith.
Fellowship: They spent a lot of time together, building strong, supportive relationships.
Breaking of Bread and Prayers: They regularly shared meals and prayed together, including the Lord’s Supper (Communion).
Believers shared everything they had: Those who had more sold their possessions and used the money to help those in need.
And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
THAT’S the church I want. That’s the model Christ gave us.
Does it get better than that?
I’m flying to the United States tomorrow night to visit my two oldest sons. I’ll do my best to get Chapter 3 out on Friday.
Until then, enjoy Kim Walker Smith’s ‘Spirit Break Out.’
I love you,
George
Uncovering Scripture
George Sisneros is a full-time missionary in Guatemala and the founder of Ordinary Missionaries and the El Rosario Christian Academy for Boys.
He’s been married to his wife, Vonda, for 25 years. He’s a father to nine children, five adopted.
George and his family will be expanding to Cuba in 2024.