“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.“
Acts 2:42-47

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SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

As I’ve mentioned several times, it’s nearly impossible for us to imagine the scenes of early Acts without reading the rest of the story into it. We look at this group of Jesus-followers—that jumped nearly overnight from 150 bewildered men and women to several thousand devoted men and women—and see the early church, the first Christians.

But in fact, this was a group of Jewish worshippers, through and through. These men and women were Jews from Galilee and Jerusalem, joined with men and women from the Jewish diaspora around the Roman world, gathering in the Jewish holy city to meet at the Jewish holy temple to worship the Jewish Messiah. Peter addressed his earlier sermon to “my fellow Jews” (2:14) and “my fellow Israelites” (2:22) then used words of David and the prophet Joel to express what was happening:

“‘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.” (Acts 2:17-18)

Yes, what is happening is a new thing. But Peter is entirely convinced, through the power of the Spirit, that this new thing is the culmination of what God has been doing all along: the redemption of Israel. This growing church is Israel’s people gathering to hear a word from Israel’s God, now poured out upon Israel in the name of Israel’s Messiah, for the sake of Israel.

Peter’s sermon lands on this note:

“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus…both Lord and Messiah…. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” (2:36, 39)

In the months ahead, we will see the leaders of this movement grapple with an almost unbelievable idea: God intends to graft Gentiles into the Body as well. Paul will write letter after letter arguing that it can be done, that this is the mystery God so long kept veiled; that even those not under the law can be under Christ.

But we today have a very different mind-blowing task: remembering that Jesus, the Spirit, and the Church were from the beginning the gifts of Israel’s God, for Israel’s redemption. If we are to understand what Jesus, the Spirit, and the Church are doing in the world, and ask us to do today, we must do the work of searching to understand “the law and the prophets” as they did.

Questions for reflection and discussion:

  • If you are a Gentile Christian, in what ways do you see yourself as grafted into a community of Israel, worshipping Isarel’s Messiah?
  • How does remembering or forgetting that impact your understanding of the gospel and kingdom?

 

Church Reading Plan: Ezekial 15; Psalm 56-57