And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? Acts 2:12
Our text is describing the public reaction to Day One of what is commonly called the church age. What was everybody amazed at and confused about? The verses before our text describe how the Christians, after they received the Holy Spirit, were able to speak in many different languages. At that time, there were people in Jerusalem from all parts of the known world, and they spoke many different languages. Now, they were hearing their own mother tongue spoken by the Christians. And they were amazed at that. But what was even more amazing was the message those Christians were telling them.
Before He returned to Heaven after His resurrection, the Lord Jesus had given His disciples His great commission. They were to take His Gospel throughout the world. They were to make disciples of all nations. It was a simple commission, but there was one problem: those disciples lacked the power to carry it out. They huddled together for safety in one place and waited, as their Lord had bid to do. But Pentecost had come, and the Holy Spirit arrived, and the Lord’s people had the power to do as He had commissioned them. They boldly opened their mouths and proclaimed the Gospel, and are doing so today.
What those disciples were preaching at Pentecost is the same message that is being preached today by faithful heralds of the cross. Even though those we preach to and testify before today are not amazed at the Gospel message, we should never see it as anything less than amazing. The apathy of the world around us should never blunt our wonder that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
Those Pentecost day listeners wondered what the message they were hearing meant. It means the same today as it did then, that we can receive – and tell others about – God’s great salvation. -Jim MacIntosh
Here is the link to the video of this message: https://youtu.be/EMXuAL4Fh8c