As I read this chapter there were a number of stopping places. I marveled at the upper room experience with what seemed to be tongues of fire and wind and then the eruption of tongues. What a time that must have been.
Another pause was with the crowd that gathered. Some hearing and believing, others making fun. Life is so often like that, a mix of skeptics, belittlers and followers.
I loved Peter’s words, frank and honest, “These men are not drunk, it is only 9am!” From there he goes on to explain the new thing God is doing. Encouraging and inclusive: the new thing God is doing is for everyone –sons/daughters, young/old, men/women… for anyone and everyone who calls on the Lord to be saved. In this new age of God, human barriers are torn down.
A wonderfully rich morning, so far.
Then I came to the word ‘saved’ again at the end of the chapter and it seemed to capture most of my thoughts. I have never been a big user of the word ‘saved.’ I don’t know, maybe it sounded too fundamentalist. I generally choose other words to describe becoming a Christ-follower. And yet there it was from Peter’s lips and Luke’s pen multiple times.
And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved' (21, quoting the prophet Joel).
With many other words he [Peter] warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation" (40).
…praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved (47).
As I think about the word ‘saved,’ I am realizing what a wonderful word it is. ‘Saved’ recognizes that someone did something for me that I needed. ‘Saved’ also shows that I was in trouble and now I am not. Too often I think of life in this world as good, (and, yes, much of living is good and fine) yet, at the same time our world is a ‘corrupt generation’ as Peter says. It is living without God and against God and, therefore, by definition is corrupt. I don’t often think of the world like that, but it is true. And then, I thought of Col 1:9-14, particularly 13-14: For he [God] has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. The text says God rescued us (I know it isn’t the word ‘saved’ but it is the same idea) and it speaks about being moved from one local to another, moved from the dominion of darkness (‘ahh’ fits with our corrupt generation, doesn’t it) and into a new kingdom… the
The more I think and muse, the better the word ‘saved’ is sounding…
God, thank you for saving me through Jesus. I believe He is both Lord and Christ. Yes, Jesus is my Lord and Christ. In His name I pray. Amen.
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