“‘Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.’

“When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’

“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. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.’

“With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’ Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.” -Acts 2:36-41

God’s Love Leads Us to Repentance

There is something so incredibly breathtaking about the wooing nature of God right on the heels of the crucifixion of Jesus. He doesn’t come with a guilt trip and condemnation (although without Christ we stand guilty and condemned). Instead, He comes with cords of loving kindness that lead us to repentance. Those listening to Peter were cut to the heart because the Spirit of God convicts unbelievers of sin and unrighteousness. Guilty as charged. But they were also cut to the heart because of the piercing, fierce love of God!

Jesus loved those who crucified Him and went after them with astounding love and mercy!

The Power of God’s Word Transforms Hearts

As Peter spoke, the people didn’t attempt to right a wrong, make excuses, lie face down in their guilt, or tear their clothes in anguish. Instead, they responded to the love and mercy of God in humility. There is nothing they could have done to change the outcome of having been a part of Jesus’ crucifixion. Jesus came to them to love them, forgive them, and give them eternity with Him. That is outrageous love. There is just no one like our Jesus!

Are you ever so undone with the mercy and grace of God? The longer I walk with Jesus, the more I understand my need for His mercy and grace when in other seasons I have taken it for granted. I can’t live without it, and I believe the words of Peter made these thousands realize they couldn’t either.

The Biblical Model for Spiritual Awakening

“It has been said that in normal seasons of Christian work the evangelist seeks the sinner. Yet in times of revival or awakening, things change: the sinner seeks the evangelist. This Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 was one of those great seasons of God’s work.” -David Guzik

This second chapter of Acts provides us with a biblical model of how God works in bringing people to salvation through His Word and Spirit.

The Gift of Repentance in God’s Plan

“What shall we do?”

The guilty crowd didn’t wait for Peter’s altar call. Instead, they pressed in to ask him, with hearts undone, what they were to do. In a similar fashion to John the Baptist, Peter urged them to repent (rightly called “the first word of the gospel”) to change their minds and the direction of their lives and to turn to God. Weeks prior, they deemed Jesus worthy of crucifixion. On this day, their hearts were being pulled to actually consider Him their Lord and Savior.

I don’t think we can ever truly grasp the gift of repentance that God established both before salvation and in our intimate relationship with the Lord as we walk with Him. To be in Christ and made righteous, holy, blameless, and perfect before Him is a gift that doesn’t have enough descriptors of gratitude to attribute to it. However, when we drift away, fall prey to the schemes of the enemy, or give our flesh the authority to rule, repentance is just a breath away. We don’t have to slaughter animals, make blood sacrifices, or sit in the dust of despair. We come genuinely and simply repent. And what follows suit is restoration and embrace and forgiveness. It’s just the most beautiful gift God has given us. And I dare to say I think the 3,000 that day saw the enormity of the gift set before them.

The next thing Peter suggested following repentance was baptism—being buried and raised to new life with Christ. Repentance began in the heart, and baptism was their spiritual journey to the cross and resurrection—body, soul, and spirit.

“Thus, baptism is the representation of the cleansing that belongs to salvation. This washing signifies the forgiveness of sins that Jesus brings and the emergence into a new, clean life with fresh enablement that his work provides (Rom. 6:1-11). Peter calls for each one to be baptized in order to express a personal, visible turning to God.” -Darrell L. Bock, “Acts”

As Peter pleaded with the crowd that day, he made an emphasis to point out the perversion of that generation that would crucify the Son of God. Every generation since is guilty of the sin that crucified Jesus. So, this was not an assault on this one generation alone. As the last days intensify, you see gross perversion increase. As believers in Jesus, we are faced with the tension of living in the world but not being of it. Peter was calling them up and out to a new life in Christ and a new life through salvation in Christ.

The people heard the pleas of the Spirit through the mouth of Peter. Hope rose in them. Faith rose in them to believe. Their need for Jesus was evident, and 3,000 responded. In total, 3,120 followers of Jesus stood together that day.

“Think of how this touched lives beyond that one day. Many of the 3,000 were undoubtedly pilgrims who came to Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost. They expected something special from God, but not anything like this. Many in this crowd went back home, traveling far from Jerusalem, taking the good news of Jesus Christ with them.” -David Guzik, Acts 2 commentary

Prayer for Bold Gospel Witness

I want to close with praying from this passage of Scripture so that the full application of it would reside in us as followers of Jesus who carry the gospel message as our very lives.

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your wooing love over my life. Thank You for your salvation and that I stand before You holy and blameless, perfect in Christ. I pray that we will be quick to respond to Your voice, Your promptings, Your nudges, and Your counsel. I pray that when we need to be cut to the heart over sin, that pride would not rise up. Rather, may we respond to Your cords of lovingkindness and simply, in humility and honesty, repent and turn back to You. Lord, for those who we know who are far from You, I pray for holy boldness and conviction to preach the words of Peter as he urged them to save themselves from the corruption of the world. May we be “merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh (Jude 22-23).” Lord, take these living sacrifices, who are holy and being made holy, and fill us with the boldness and conviction to look different in the world, sound different, and preach the gospel of salvation with courage and boldness. May we help to fill Heaven with worshippers around the throne one day. In the mighty name of Jesus, amen!