Acts 2:14-21 – Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
“Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd.” Isn’t it grand that the Holy Spirit chose Peter to give the sermon? It warms my heart that He was one who was chosen. Peter, with his big heart and “do-er” attitude was called out front and center. Peter was the one who when in a crowd would speak up and say what the rest of the crowd wanted to say, but were timid about doing. Before the arrest, torture and death of his beloved Jesus, Peter was bold and was filled with at least as much faith as the rest of them. James and John may have been the “Sons of Thunder,” but it was most often Peter who stepped out of the crowd to take the risks. We read in Matthew 14:22-33 the account of Jesus walking on the raucous waters of the lake that were worrying the apostles within the boat. All the apostles in the boat were terrified when they saw an unrecognizable image of a man walking on the top of the disturbed waters. They all were terrified until Jesus called out to them identifying Himself. They were all in the boat when Peter said “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.” Any one of them could have called out to Jesus as Peter did, but they did not, he did. Likely, at least some of his fellow apostles were thinking “Peter, be quiet and sit down before something happens to you!” Others may have just been watching the show. One can just imagine a couple of them looking at each other and thinking the unsaid thought of “That’s it! Peter has finally gone off the deep end! He’s going to drown!” Jesus told Peter to come to Him. And then, crazy Peter got out of the boat and began walking on water. Those in the crowd missed the grand experience of the miracle of walking on water. That experience was for alone for bold Peter. Just as those of us who never step out to be used, in small and in bold ways, won’t experience the supernatural power of God flowing through them to others. Most will stay with the crowd, won’t rock or step from the boat, and as a result most of us will never “walk on water.”
Peter also was the one who responded that when everyone else are scattered in fear, Jesus could count on him to not flee but to stay by his side. Peter’s heart was willing to stand strong with the Lord, but he didn’t understand the power of evil that was ahead. Jesus told Peter that on that very night of His arrest Peter would become afraid and disown Jesus three times. In response Peter contradicted Jesus and said that he would never disown Jesus. Yet we know that he did (Matthew 26:31-35).
Peter remembered that Jesus had told him that he would deny Him three times and Peter’s heart broke and he ran away broken and crying (Matthew 26:75).
After the crucifixion and burial of Jesus, Peter surely punished himself for what he considered a cowardly betrayal of Jesus. All of his hopes he feared were gone. Jesus was dead and Peter had not stood brave with Him. The hopes of Peter were dashed. Then, when Jesus was resurrected and appeared to the disciples He made it a point to restore Peter and let Peter know that Peter was still up front as one whom Jesus would use to continue His ministry on earth (John 21:15-19). Hope again filled Peter and joy again was his.
So Peter was the one to speak out. The one who declared that though all may fail Jesus, he would not. He was the one who fled in fear and who subsequently cried the horrible, bitter tears of regret. But Jesus had come to Peter and let him know that He still had big plans to use him. Oh the love and grace of God! Peter’s spirit rose from the dungeon of regret to the freedom of again “walking on water.” Jesus was alive and He still loved Peter and was going to use him. Praise God! So the first evangelistic sermon delivered by the power of the Holy Spirit was through rambunctious Peter and the result of the Holy Spirit working through him was that three thousand souls were snatched off the road to hell and put on the road to heaven. We all have stumbled and fallen. Aren’t all so glad that Jesus always intends to restore us. He is faithful to us. Praise God! Let us be humble and live in the grace and strength of God. Who knows, perhaps some brisk morning the Holy Spirit will choose us to lead three thousand to Jesus. God is good to us all and He loves us all! Praise God! He is so wonderful! Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.