Context of Pentecost sermon
This sermon is what we can call the greatest sermon ever preached. Why do we not call the Sermon on the Mount the greatest sermon? Many others say Sermon on the Mount is the greatest. The reason is that his sermon, the Pentecost sermon is the sermon that explains the cross, the resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit.
This sermon sees three thousand believe in Jesus Christ and get baptized. This sermon marks the coming of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the church. Jesus said greater things will you do (John 14:12). This sermon is one of those greater things.
It was the Day of Pentecost when Israelites were gathered celebrating the harvest festival. Peter had recently addressed the group in the upper room (Acts 1:15). There was a group in the upper room who consisted of “the eleven and Peter” and loyal followers of Jesus who were called Galileans by those who gathered when they heard the sound like that of rushing wind. All at the upper room were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues.
We can assume that there were still the same one hundred and twenty in the upper room and several thousand others who gathered when they heard the sound like rushing wind. There was a wind that was heard by the upper room and those outside the upper room who were diaspora Jews not followers of Jesus who rushed to the scene because of the wind.
Intro to Pentecost sermon
Peter was able to get their attention because he was ready to explain the rush of wind and speaking in tongues and people amazed at hearing a message in their own language. All Peter had to say was let me explain this to you. He dismissed any thought that people were behaving like this because they were drunk.
At the tower of Babel Genesis 11 there was a scrambling of all the languages and a scattering of the people. This movement is a reverse tower of Babel. The languages were brought together as well as the diaspora people from more than a dozen places (Acts 2:9-11). It was a fullness of time. Jesus had instructed for his disciples to wait until the power from on high come. Now the Holy Spirit has come and Jesus’s great commission is underway to the ends of the earth.
The main message of Pentecost sermon
Peter connected what was happening to the Biblical prophecy. From what we have recorded of Peter’s sermon it is made up of a large part of quoting Scripture. Peter addressed the crowd as fellow Israelites (Acts 2:29). Peter established that the awaited Messiah on the throne of David was Jesus who they crucified.
Peter relates this event the coming of the Holy Spirit and to the death and resurrection of Jesus. This is fifty days after the death of Jesus. It was also fifty days after Peter denied Christ. All of this is the fulfilment of the Old Testament prophesies. It was all part of the fulfilment regarding the long-awaited Messiah.
The invitation of Pentecost sermon
They were cut to the quick when they were convinced Jesus whom they crucified was the Messiah. The crowd asked Peter what they should do. Peter gave the invitation to repent and be baptised. The Holy Spirit is for everyone; old and young, men and women. It is for all to the ends of the earth. The crowd of diaspora Israelites did respond to the invitation with repentance and believing in Jesus Christ and three thousand were baptized that day.
The results of Pentecost sermon
Peter preached the Pentecost sermon, but he stood up to address the crowd with the eleven alongside him (Acts 2:14). There was interaction that involved the eleven apostles (Acts 2:37). The question of how they respond to the preaching was addressed to the group of Apostles. We can assume that the apostles shared in doing giving the baptisms that day. This day of Pentecost became the birth of the church. They continued as a community of believers as described in Acts 2:42-47.
This was the birth of the church and marks the expansion of the church. The church grew to three thousand on the day of Pentecost Acts 2:40). The church soon grew to number five thousand (Acts 4:4). More and more continued to believe and be added to their number (Acts 5:14). The number of disciples continued to increase rapidly (Acts 6:7).
In a short period of time through the same power of the Holy Spirit known at Pentecost the disciples of Jesus Christ and new churches covered from Jerusalem to Illyricum, near Rome (Romans 15:19). John the beloved disciple was mentioned by name as being there that day of Pentecost in the upper room (Acts 1:17). Later he was on the island of Patmos in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day Revelation 1:9-10). He had the vision of the full extent of the Church.
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. Revelation 7:9
