Please read the passage before reading the comments.
It is Easter, yet our Scripture passage states that it is the day of Pentecost. We shall use the Acts of the Apostles for most of our readings during the Easter Season (20 April – 8 June). Easter and Pentecost are two sides of the same coin. In John’s Gospel, the Holy Spirit is given on Easter Sunday night (John 20:22-23) whereas in Like’s account, the Spirit is given on Pentecost Day, fifty days after the resurrection (Acts 2:1-4). The book of Acts tells of the spread of the gospel after the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Peter preached the resurrection of Jesus to the Jewish people. He said that they had killed Jesus, but that God had raised him from the dead. He said this, not to give others an excuse for anti-Semitism, but in order to call the people to repentance. The call to repentance would come in the reading assigned for tomorrow (Acts 2:36-41). The Bible never denounces people’s sins to make them feel bad about themselves. Rather the purpose of announcing the sins of others is to draw them to repentance. The Bible is not about feelings; it is about repentance and receiving forgiveness.
Peter cited the figure of David and mentioned that David “foresaw and spoke of the resurrection”. This is not to say that David understood that Christ would rise from the dead, although God would have understood it this way. It is that God put more meaning into David’s words than David would have understood.
What the ancient prophets longed for came to perfection in the days of Peter. What Peter spoke on the day of Pentecost has come to our ears, eyes and mind, deepening our faith in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and our sharing in this resurrection. What insights does the Holy Spirit give us as we receive the message of this passage?
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