(Today’s audio reading on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/503pSqaledd7MQIEXUkwvQ)
Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)
Consider the possible responses of someone either trying to sell you something, or steer you to reach an obvious conclusion:
“I know you are thinking that this must cost a lot! But wait…!”
“Well, now that you mention it…”
“I thought you would never ask…”
I’m sure Peter the Preacher was hoping that his audience would reach the obvious conclusion he was hoping for. What do you all need to do? The Preacher had a ready answer. He had laid out an explanation for all that was happening around them. He anchored that explanation to prophecy foretold over centuries. He pointed to their fellow Jew and citizen of Israel, Jesus of Nazareth, as the extraordinary one who was the long-awaited Messiah (whom they had killed by the way, not realizing that He was the One!) Waiting until they raised the question about what was next, he then gave them decisive steps to take:
“Each of you must repent and turn to God.” He placed individual responsibility on their decision-making. He made it clear that the next step was for each member of the audience to do something. That something which they were to do was to repent, or go in another direction from where they were currently headed, and turn to God.
“Be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins.” After making that 360 degree turn to the true and living God, abandoning sin and self-direction, they were to demonstrate this turning-decision with baptism. The Jews had practiced the use of water to cleanse people from ceremonial defilement (Numbers 19). Now, in the age of the Christ-followers, baptism would show that the forgiveness of sins was accounted for.
The Preacher pronounced that those actions of repentance and baptism open the door for the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, the member of the Trinity who had caused such extraordinary disturbances on multiple levels on this Pentecost Day, was now ready to personally attach to these new converts in a new way. But for that to happen, they had to take two particular steps of action. The Holy Spirit would then follow.
“Father, may our hearts be sensitive, as these folks were, to inquire about what you are doing and how to take action!”
Freddy Boswell 