Reading: Acts 2.22-36 NLT
“People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know. But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip. King David said this about him:
‘I see that the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and my tongue shouts his praises! My body rests in hope. For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave. You have shown me the way of life, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence.’
by He Qi
“Dear brothers, think about this! You can be sure that the patriarch David wasn’t referring to himself, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is still here among us. But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised with an oath that one of David’s own descendants would sit on his throne. David was looking into the future and speaking of the Messiah’s resurrection. He was saying that God would not leave him among the dead or allow his body to rot in the grave.
“God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today. For David himself never ascended into heaven, yet he said,
‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet.”’
“So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!”
Prayer: Heavenly Father – You raised Jesus from the dead and exalted him to sit at your right hand. Holy Spirit – Make me a powerful witness to the miracles, signs, and wonders that I have seen and heard… and give me the boldness to show and tell… always pointing to Jesus. Lord Jesus – May the whole world know: that no person is so lost that you can’t find him/her… that no situation is so dark that you can’t bring light to it… that no tribe or nation is so far gone that you can’t raise them from the dead. You are the God who is mighty to save. To you be all glory, honor, power, wisdom and strength. Amen.
Spiritual Song: “Mighty to Save” – Hillsong
The Peanut Gallery 
I’ve never heard a prayer to all three of the Godhead. Wonderful! Pentecost was the true origin of the Church. It was one of the most amazing events in history. Thank you for this.
PS. Mary was with the disciples during this time. Didn’t they all speak in tongues known to the many visitors? Mary, also?
Never thought about that… but she very well may have done.
I love the focus on Jesus. I am finally starting to understand that we have nothing to give the world except Jesus. We must be responsible citizens and faithful family members and servant church members and etcetera, but our lives must above all share Christ with a world in despair. This is a great post.
By the way, the Bible doesn’t say that the flaming tongues bypassed anyone. If Mary was there, then she must have received the gift as well. I actually read the text a little differently than some. In Acts 1:15 the believers are counted as 120. There is nothing in the interim between that statement and Acts 2:1 where it says “they were all together” that justifies the assumption that only the apostles were present. I know some people think so, and that is fine. I wouldn’t quibble about it. Still, for me, the reading says “all” and in the first chapter, “all” was “120.” Just a thought.
Thanks for your thoughts. It’s going to be an adventure reading through Acts.