What Did You Do?
Scripture Reading — Acts 11:1-18
“Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’”
Is good news ever not good news?
Peter and six others had witnessed how the Holy Spirit was poured out on Gentiles in the home of Cornelius. But when they returned to Jerusalem, they faced a lot of questions, like “What did you do?” and “How could you have done that?” They were criticized and called out for eating and staying with “those” people.
So, in a summary of what had happened, Peter explained step by step that God had shown him a vision and that God had wanted him to meet with Cornelius.
Peter pointed out that when he began to speak at Cornelius’s house, the Holy Spirit came on the Gentiles who were there. To Peter, it had felt like Pentecost all over again (see Acts 2).
Up to this point, Peter told the story frame by frame. But now he widened the focus and said he remembered that Jesus had promised they would baptize with the Holy Spirit. And that had come true in the home of Cornelius—a Gentile!
As Peter finished describing this event, he turned to everyone gathered there and said, “Who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?”
And the people—including the ones who were critical— praised God. No further objections!
God of good news, thank you for sharing your grace through the power of the Holy Spirit. Prevent us from ever opposing you; help us to be ready to give you praise! Amen.
About the author — Julius T. Medenblik
Rev. Jul Medenblik is a former attorney who was called to pastoral ministry and became the founding pastor of a church in New Lenox, Illinois. He is currently serving as president of Calvin Theological Seminary, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Jul and his wife, Jackie, are blessed with a son, Joshua, and a daughter, Julianne.
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