Jump Start # 1135

Acts 2:15-16 “For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel.”

  The events at this Pentecost morning in Jerusalem was most unusual. A huge international crowd was gathered.  Peter and the other apostles began speaking to the massive crowd. This was the first time that they had spoken to such large audiences. They had seen Jesus do it, and now it was their turn. The Holy Spirit was leading them. They were miraculously speaking in languages that they had never known. The Biblical expression for this is “tongues.” The context reveals that “tongues” was not a heavenly, “Holy Ghost” language, but foreign languages. The crowd responded, “…are they not all Galileans? And how is it that we each hear them in our own language?” Peter and the others were speaking  of the mighty deeds of God. There had been other Pentecosts, in fact, each year had one, but never had something like this happen. The crowd didn’t know what to make of it.

Some suggested that the apostles were drunk. That was the only explanation that they could come up with.  It was a shallow and weak accusation. Being drunk may make one loud, even obnoxious, but likely the person would slur their words and it wouldn’t give them the ability to fluently speak another language. No, drunkenness was not the answer.

Peter replied that they were not drunk, it was only the third hour. The third hour is 9 A.M. People aren’t drunk at 9 A.M. At least not back then. I had an early flight recently, 6 A.M. Everyone was either sleeping, drinking coffee or juice, except for the guy in front of me. He ordered a beer, at 6 A.M. By 9 A.M. he may have been drunk. So sad. It’s gotten to a point that people cannot do anything without alcohol. Go to a ballgame, there must be alcohol. Even at the orchestra, alcohol is sold. On college campuses it flows like a river. The habits that some of these young people are falling into is scary and very dangerous. Binge drinking is out of hand and it is destroying the lives of many young people and putting them on a path of life long drinking. Since I’m on this soapbox, let me add, far too many Christians are asking about social drinking. Some are saying it’s ok. A little wine here, an occasional beer there. Nothing much. I believe a careful look at the words in 1 Peter 4:3 would shut the door on social drinking. Don’t stand behind Jesus turning water to wine. Read that story again. There were gallons and gallons of wine made. The word wine in the Bible covers the whole spectrum from the grape, to the blood of the grape to grape juice, to wine, to hard drink. Proverbs warns about looking upon wine when it sparkles in the cup. Did Jesus ignore that warning? We reduce Jesus to the beer man at the ballgame, passing out gallons and gallons of alcohol at a wedding. Is that your image of Jesus? The Jesus who stressed righteousness. The Jesus who introduced us to the Holy God. If we stand behind Jesus to drink alcohol, what are we to gather when He turned the tables over and drove out the money changers from the temple? Are we to have covert operations against the wrong practices in churches today? Should we assemble an assault team, storm a church and drive out what is wrong? Most are pretty quiet about that. They want the alcohol Jesus but they don’t want the assaulting Jesus. Maybe we ought to understand that the miracles were to prove who Jesus was and not to justify things that we want. Has alcohol ever helped a marriage? I know marriages that it has ruined. Has alcohol helped a young parent? I know plenty who talked about growing up in a home where dad drank. Their stories are not happy stories. Has alcohol gotten someone a promotion, a scholarship, or better health? We know the answer. Alcohol doesn’t bring out the best in a person. Alcohol kills. Yet, there are legions of young believers today that want to drink. Why? Will it make you a better Christian? Will it make you stand taller with Jesus? Maybe we are standing too close to the world.

Peter assured the audience that they were not drunk. If they were, the audience would have dismissed them. The audience would not have listened. Instead, Peter claimed what happened to them was exactly what Joel had prophesied many years ago. In the last days, God would pour forth His spirit. These things would lead up to calling upon the name of the Lord and being saved. God was now fulfilling His promise to forgive sins and offer salvation through the death of Jesus. The promise to Abraham was being fulfilled. The promise back in the garden was being fulfilled. Salvation was offered for the first time. No, these men were not drunk, they were Spirit filled and for the first time, opening the window of Heaven for a world that was sin sick and lost. And what people got the first opportunity to learn of this salvation? The very people that put Jesus to death. God was forgiving the killers of His Son. When Jesus prayed, “Father forgive them…” the opportunity came in Acts 2 when Peter preached salvation.

The text tells us that three thousand accepted the forgiveness. Three thousand were baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. The offer of forgiveness came with a cost. Repentance and baptism were necessary. A  changed life was expected. When they asked Peter, “What shall we do?” He did not say, “Nothing, it’s already done.” He said, repent and be baptized. How many were in that audience? No one knows. But from that number, the beginning of Christ’s kingdom, the church started. These became disciples of Christ. They grew. They worshipped. They told others. Word spread. That group of 3,000 are the heritage of God’s people today. Worldwide, numbering in the thousands, obedient believers trace their heritage to that Pentecost morning when the Gospel was first preached.

What a powerful beginning. What a great start. That message, the saving Jesus, is still preached, believed and changing lives today. That message still works. That message is still needed. It shows that God hasn’t given up on us. He has plans for you. It begins by believing Jesus.

What they asked Peter, is what you need to ask God. “What shall we do?” The answer is found in Acts. The answer is found in the following verse. God has done his part, now He is waiting for you. What will you do?

Roger