Who testified of the mighty works of God at Pentecost? Peter sure did when he preached the Pentecost sermon, but who else did? It was also the eleven disciples because the eleven stood up with Peter when he preached.
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: (Acts 2:14)
Is there another answer for who testified at Pentecost? Yes, there were 120 in the upper room when the sound like a violent wind filled the house and “all of them” were filled with the Holy Spirit.
Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. (Acts1:13-14)
It was Peter, it was “the Eleven” and it was the 120 in the upper room who declared the wonders of God to the 3,000 who were saved and baptized that day. I really did not think about the role of the 120 at Pentecost until recently.
—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” (Acts 2:11)
I was preparing to preach at Pentecost just before my 64th birthday. I had a dream that something significant was going to happen at the service. When I woke up, I looked at Acts 2:11 and realized that the 120 were declaring the works of God at Pentecost.
This was a significant realization for me. I have sermons on Peter preaching at Pentecost, but not until this dream had I thought about the role of the 120 speaking the wonders of God in the languages of the diaspora peoples who came to Jerusalem at Pentecost.
When I saw this I looked up the word used for declaring. It is the word lal-eh'-o Strongs # 2980 which is: utter words:--preach, say, speak. The 120 were all preaching at Pentecost. It may be a different more person to person kind of speaking than what Peter did when he addressed the whole crowd, but nonetheless they were all declaring, “lal-eh'-o” the mighty works of God at Pentecost.
That means the brothers of Jesus declared the mighty works of God on the day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit came upon them, and they declared the mighty works of God. That means Mary the mother of Jesus declared the mighty works of God. That means the women in the upper room received the Holy Spirit and declared the mighty works of God that Pentecost day. That means presumably Mary Magdalene was in the upper room and she too declared the mighty works of God at Pentecost. Why not? All believers in Christ should declare the mighty works of God to all who need to hear the good news of great joy, the gospel of Jesus Christ.
When I was thinking of preparing a sermon on Pentecost, I went to sleep thinking about how I would relate this Pentecost sermon that every believer must share their faith. The answer came to me in conjunction with my dream. Part of what the Prophet Joel prophesied about would happen when the Holy Spirit would come at Pentecost is that old men would dream dreams. I felt I was experiencing that. I had just become old when I had that dream, if you consider old age beginning when you turn 64.
It wasn’t just Peter’s preaching that day but the declaration of the 120 on the mighty works of God. The geographic area covered by those who heard the mighty works of God declared and returned to their place saved and baptized was expansive. Paul declared that he did the pioneer work from Jerusalem to Illyricum in his three missionary journeys taking a total of about twenty years. The geographic area covered on the day of Pentecost was four times as much as the journeys of Paul.
Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” (Acts 2:8-10)
Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit comes on them, they would receive power to be witnesses to the ends of the earth. There were 15 languages hearing the 120 speak the mighty deeds and Peter called them to repent and be baptized, and after their baptism they returned back to their homes to the ends of the earth.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
The 120 were staying at the upper room and were praying constantly. This was the Day of Pentecost 50 days following the Day of atonement. That is why there was such a diaspora gathered. One of the aspects of Pentecost was to sing Psalm 67 and this is what we can assume everyone in Jerusalem had been singing including those in the upper room and including those who heard the 120 proclaim the mighty works of God.
The words relate to what was happening on Pentecost day when the Holy Spirit came and when all believers would be witnesses to the ends of the earth. They were singing about the fear of God and blessing of God reaching the ends of the earth.
4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you rule the peoples with equity
and guide the nations of the earth.
5 May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.
6 The land yields its harvest;
God, our God, blesses us.
7 May God bless us still,
so that all the ends of the earth will fear him. (Psalm 67:4-7
The Pentecostal prophecy of Joel was that of God pouring out His Holy Spirit on all people. God poured out his Spirit on 120 in the upper room who declared the mighty works of God to 3,000 people from 15 languages who were saved and baptized and went to the ends of the earth North, South, East and West now having the Holy Spirit and now declaring the mighty works of God to the ends of the earth.
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)
This was the point I was thinking about, and considering how I would communicate at the Pentecost sermon when I dreamed my dream and awoke to see Acts 2:11 and realize that everyone in the upper room was declaring the works of God, not just Peter.
The point is that we all need to declare the mighty works of God. We all need to share our faith and declare our testimony of how God has redeemed us through faith in Jesus Christ.
In order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, (Ephesians 1:12-13)
The Samaritan woman shared her testimony of Jesus and many believed in him. She had not received special training she simply declared the mighty work of God in her life.
Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” (John 4:39)
The Lord will use you when you are faithful to declare the mighty works of God. Jesus died for you the just for the unjust to bring you back in fellowship with God. When you put your faith in Christ and ask God that Jesus death on the cross count to pay the penalty for your sin that separates you from God, then you have the Holy Spirit like 3,120 on the day of Pentecost.
The plan was for believers to share. By acts 4:4 the number was to 5,000 and in Acts 5:14 the number of men and women who believed became more and more. How many more believed through the 3,000 who believed on the day of Pentecost and went to the ends of the earth can be added to the number.
This was the Pentecost plan foretold in the Scriptures. This is God’s plan for you, that you declare the mighty works of God. The mighty works of God are the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The mighty works of God are good news that salvation is available by faith in Jesus Christ. Aren’t you glad someone declared the mighty works of God to you? Go and declare the mighty works of God He has done in your life.
