As many as He Calls
Peter summoned his audience in Jerusalem to repent and be baptized “in the name of Jesus Christ.” He concluded his sermon on a note of fulfillment and with a foretaste of things to come. Peter began with a citation from the Book of Joel, and he finished his message with a clause from the same passage, thus neatly bracketing his sermon.
What began on the Day of Pentecost was the
era of fulfillment. It must continue until the consummation of all things on
the “Day of the LORD.” What the crowd of pilgrims in Jerusalem “saw
and heard” on the Day of Pentecost was the promised outpouring of the
Spirit “in the last days” as prophesied by Joel.
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| [Photo by Ken Cheung on Unsplash] |
With the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, the “Last Days” began in earnest. The Gift of the Spirit was granted to his people, starting with the young congregation in Jerusalem, but certainly not ending there - (Joel 2:28-32).
The “Day of the LORD” was more
imminent than ever. Everyone who heard the Gospel needed to repent while the
opportunity remained, even “as many as the Lord our God shall call.”
- (Acts 2:37-38) - “… Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God will call to him.”
The “promise” was the “Gift of
the Spirit” foretold in the Hebrew Bible, and by Jesus when he commanded
his disciples to “tarry in Jerusalem” until they were endued with power
from on high, the “Promise of the Father.”
John baptized “in water,” but the Messiah
of Israel would baptize his followers “in the Holy Spirit.” Afterward, they
would become his witnesses and take the Gospel of the Kingdom of God to the “ends
of the Earth” - (Acts 1:4-5, Luke 3:16, 24:49).
The sights and sounds accompanying the Spirit’s
outpouring on Pentecost confused the pilgrims gathered at the Temple, “Jews
and proselytes” from at least fifteen nations. Luke listed these nations to
make a theological point. The bestowal of the Spirit marked the start of the mission
to announce the Kingdom of God to all nations (“Now there were
dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven”).
The covenant of Abraham envisioned a community consisting of more than just his biological descendants. At one point, Yahweh showed the Patriarch the stars of heaven and challenged him to number them if he could. So would be the number of his “seed” - (Genesis 15:5, 17:4-6).
However, Abraham’s physical descendants
failed to keep to the covenant. That did not mean God had rejected Israel. To facilitate the redemption of Israel, He promised a New Covenant
relationship that would include the Spirit.
COVENANT FULFILLMENT
God would “gather you from among the
nations and bring you into your land.” He would put a “new Spirit within
you… And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes”
- (Ezekiel 36:24-27).
The fulfillment of the promise began on the
Day of Pentecost, not only with the outpouring of the Spirit but also with the
addition of three thousand converts from among the Jewish pilgrims.
That was only the beginning since the “promise”
was “to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the
Lord our God will call to him.” The proclamation of the Gospel began in
Jerusalem. However, the Book of Acts presents it progressing from there
to “Judea, Samaria,” and eventually to Rome, the heart of the World Empire.
At the end of Acts, we find the
Apostle Paul in Rome under house arrest. Despite his circumstances, he “received
all that went to him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching the things
concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness,” both Jews
and Gentiles alike - (Acts 28:30-31).
The Gift of the
Spirit and the proclamation of the “Good News” do not represent the reversal
or rejection of the covenant promises made to Abraham, but their fulfillment. What began on Pentecost
was only the first stage in taking the Good News of God’s Kingdom “to the ends
of the Earth.”
The
“Promise of the Father” was and is for “you and your children, and to
all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” The
summons to repent and receive the Spirit is made to all men and women until the
arrival of the “Day of the Lord” and the return of Jesus. Until that
day, the Good News of the Kingdom must be announced to the “ends of the Earth.”
RELATED POSTS:
- To the Ends of the Earth - (The Gospel of the Kingdom announced by Jesus offers salvation and life to all men and women of every nation and people)
- The Mission - (The mission of the church between now and Christ’s return is to announce the Good News of his Kingdom to all nations – Matthew 24:14)
- Spirit and Mission - (Jesus now dispenses the gift of the Spirit to his people, and it empowers them to carry out gospel proclamation to all nations)
