Romans 12:3-6 (NLT)

Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well.

Explanation:

Humans are born with varying degrees of nine intelligences.

It is fascinating that Paul is emphasizing two of the nine in our verses today:

• Interpersonal intelligence

• Intrapersonal intelligence

Someone with interpersonal intelligence is good at sensing other people’s emotions, reading the room, and understanding people’s point of view.

They are very inclusive.

Intrapersonal intelligence refers to self-awareness and people’s ability to understand themselves and appreciate their talents. Intrapersonal intelligence involves admiring and respecting others, while pursuing continual personal growth.

Paul is essentially teaching us social skills for the Christian, and it is not just a suggestion. The Holy Spirit offers interpersonal and intrapersonal skills freely, to enhance our lives and our church.

Paul doesn’t believe it is helpful to the church for people to be emotionally and spiritually deficient. Both are equally draining on the body of Christ, and we need a proper opinion of ourselves and others for unity. Insight is key.

Two dangers we are up against:

1. We may overestimate our own importance.

2. We may depreciate ourselves to the point of false humility.

Arrogance and an inferiority complex are equal in spiritual dysfunctionality.

God didn’t design us to grandstand or to be a spiritual wallflower.

The sweet spot Paul is trying to get us to is being free of any bias so we can not only rejoice in our own talents, but be equally happy in celebrating others’ talents.

It is not uncommon for someone to ask me if I am proud of Matthew.

Yes! So very much! One of the things I’m most delighted about is his ability to know God has given him the gift of teaching. He recognizes the gift, respects the gift, stewards the gift, and shares the gift. God likes that.

But equally, Matthew celebrates the gifts of other pastors, whether they are on The Tree Church staff, or other local or national churches. He continually does practical things to come alongside and cheer on the gifts of others.

He doesn’t compete.

He completes.

When we celebrate what God has given us AND what He has given others, we complete the fabric of unity that cloaks the body of Christ.

As Matthew would say,

“Me Healthy-We Healthy.”

You have the responsibility of finding out what your gifts are and using them.

You equally have the responsibility of affirming the gifts of others.

It is how we fulfill His plan for becoming one.

Action Steps:

1. Pinpoint your gifts. If you need help, you can take a Spiritual Gifts test at Spiritual Gifts Survey (churchgrowth.org)

2. Make it a point to physically appreciate another Christian’s gift this week through text, call, mail, or conversation.

Someone needs it.

Prayer:

Holy Spirit,

Help us dwell together with our gifts

Savoring the good and pleasant

Deliver us from competition and rifts

Living and breathing in grace apparent.

Amen.

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1)

Ephesians 4:1-7 (NIV)

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.

Explanation:

My first duty station in the U.S. Navy was on a nuclear aircraft carrier, the USS NIMITZ. My ship carried over 5,500 Sailors and about 90 aircraft. Each Sailor had a specific job to perform to ensure our ship’s overall mission was achieved. Some Sailors flew jets, other Sailors operated the machines that hauled the 2-ton anchors out of the water. Some Sailors prepared food for the entire ship’s crew, while others worked on the bridge assisting the captain while he navigated our course. Our ship had many Sailors but we were one crew, and we had one captain who gave the orders.

Similarly, Paul is encouraging the members of the church in Ephesus to come together and to work as one unit. The Greek word used here for unity is henotes meaning “oneness.” Paul uses this word to emphasize how we as Christians should interact with each another so we can function successfully as the church. As Christians, we all serve some part and contribute in some way to the body of Christ. Paul states, “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it” (Ephesians 4:7). He is calling us to recognize that Christ has given each of us an individual measure of grace that assists us in contributing to the body of Christ as a whole.

Paul is encouraging Christians to be completely humble and gentle, patient and bearing with one another in love so we can function together as one. We are at one with each other when we humbly serve each other, understanding that Christ is the Captain at the helm. Indeed, He is the only one who is capable of navigating us through life’s seas. When we work together as one, we achieve our mission for the kingdom of God: to bring as many to the truth of Christ Jesus as we can.

Action Steps:

1. What is one way you can contribute to the body of Christ this week?

2. Have you considered serving on a team at The Tree?

3. Consider the last time you exercised complete humility and gentleness with members or leadership at The Tree. Is there someone within the church who you have not kept the bond of peace with?

Prayer:

Father God, please help me to be very aware of Your mission for me within Your church. Help me to build others up in unity, patient love, and humility so Your kingdom is advanced. If there is a way I can contribute to the body of Christ, please make it clear to me. Help me to work with others to achieve Your mission of love for all people everywhere. Amen.

1 Corinthians 12:12-27 (ESV)

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

Explanation:

When I saw that I was writing a devotion about this passage of scripture, I was thrilled! I am passionate about what this scripture is teaching us: that God has called each one of us for a purpose within the body of Christ. Everyone has a part to play. No one is left out and everyone has something they can offer. If God has placed you at The Tree Church, the Holy Spirit has a purpose and plan and role for you within the church body. That is exciting!

I have the blessing of working on staff at The Tree, and one of my roles is to help people understand and walk through the process of becoming a CORE Member. In order to be a CORE Member, you must implement several specific spiritual habits in your life and be consistent in these habits. One of the spiritual habits is serving on a ministry team at The Tree. Some people jump right in and sign up for a team. For others, it takes a little more convincing. Sometimes they don’t feel like they have anything to offer. Other times the hesitancy is because they don’t feel that they have enough time, or that they will feel awkward. My encouragement is that God has placed them here at The Tree for a reason, and the body (the church) needs them.

I also always tell folks that they will be surprised to see what serving will do in their own hearts. All it takes is looking around on a Sunday morning or throughout the week at The Tree, and seeing the faces of the people who are there operating and serving as a body. If you ask most people, they are finding more joy in serving than they would’ve imagined. That is the design of God. He desires for us to work together to share His message, and we can’t do it alone… we weren’t meant to do it alone! I hope you are operating as a part of the body of Christ (serving) and if you aren’t, I hope this encourages you to do so! The body needs you, you are a part of the body, and the Holy Spirit is calling you!

Action Step:

1. How does it make you feel that you are designed to be a part of the body of Christ?

2. Are you serving on a ministry team at The Tree Church? If not, what is holding you back? If so, think about one way it has impacted your life.

3. If you are wondering how to begin serving on a ministry team at The Tree, you can reach out to Katie Iser, who oversees our teams: kiser

Hebrews 13:17 (NRSV)

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls and will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with sighing—for that would be harmful to you.

Explanation:

In today’s world, obedience and submission to those in authority appear to be optional. If we don’t like the President or disagree with his policies, the world tells us we can dishonor him and show little to no respect. I think the phrase “He’s not my President” proves this point. This goes even deeper than just political leaders. We see it in all areas of our lives. Parents can override how a teacher runs their child’s classroom. Employees believe they have a right to tell their bosses how to run businesses. The list goes on and on. Unfortunately, Christians have fallen into this trap, and we are seeing this attitude creeping into our churches.

When we read today’s passage, God tells us something different. The way of dismissing people, complaining, arguing, and dishonoring is not in line with the heart of God. We are called to a higher calling, and that includes honoring, respecting, and submitting to those who are in authority…church included.

We are called to submit to those in authority, first and foremost because God has placed them there. When it comes to the church, every single pastor and leader has a calling on their life from God. He has designed, created, and appointed them to be in the place of authority for a reason. Second, it is easier to submit to someone when you try to see things from their perspective. You may not realize this, but church leaders, especially lead pastors, will be held accountable for the lives of others before God. That is a huge weight to carry on their shoulders. The pastors and leaders of the church are not doing things for their own gain, rather they are working so as many people as possible can come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Your church leaders care about you more than I think you realize. They are constantly praying for you and concerned about your eternal destiny. When we walk in the way God has called us by submitting to our church leaders, the church is healthier.

Action Steps:

1. Be honest, are you submitting and obeying those in leadership (in all areas), or are you being like culture?

2. How can you change your behavior when it comes to submitting to those in authority?

3. If you are struggling with a decision the church leaders have made, reach out. They are more than happy to walk through it and help you understand the why behind it.

4. Take time this week to text, email, or even send a card to thank someone who is in a leadership role over you. It will mean a lot to that person.

5. Take time every day to pray for your church leaders. Ask God to protect their hearts, for the Holy Spirit to fill them and guide them in truth and wisdom. And if you are struggling with submitting to their authority, ask God to humble your heart and to help you see things from a different perspective.

Prayer:

God, today I want to thank You for our church leaders. I know that You have called and led each of them to this place and this position. Thank You for the impact they have had in my life, and for the way they lead our church. I know You have placed each one in their role for a reason. Will You continue to fill our leaders with Your Spirit, guiding them in wisdom? Help me to always stay humble and to trust the ways in which You are guiding them and our church, knowing they want nothing more than for everyone to come to You. Thank You for the calling You have placed on their lives. Help me to do what I can to submit, trust, encourage, and honor them every day. Amen.

Acts 9:1-16 (ESV)

But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”

Explanation:

I have learned over the years that I am raising some very opinionated, confident, and dominant personality children. They are confident that they know the best way to do everything, and this attracts others to follow. Many times, my input is merely a suggestion and not a command. There have been times when they incessantly pursue a certain behavior or action that isn’t leading or shaping them in the way they need to go. In those moments, I, as their loving parent, need to step in and stop them in their tracks. Changing their direction will not only put them on the right path, but will also change the direction of those that gravitate towards their influential personality. The hard part is: how? How will I step in? What is the best way to reverse the behavior that they are so confident is right? How do I usher in change in a way that they will desire to follow the Holy Spirit?

Then it hit me like a 2x4 to the forehead. Seeing my kids in this way is EXACTLY how God is viewing me regularly. He is ready to step in and interfere at the most opportune time that brings His plans to fruition, not mine. Just like my children, I can get going in a direction that I am fully confident is right, and it would take a Saul-like moment to stop me. Saul’s encounter with the Holy Spirit not only wrecked his way of life but impacted all those around him. He saw the resurrected Jesus and heard His voice. Those standing right there with him didn’t see what Saul saw but they heard it all. God used the position of influence that Saul had to turn all of those around him in the direction that led others to His glory. Despite his reputation of persecution of believers in Christ, he became a vital instrument to guide others to this day towards encountering Christ and being used by the Holy Spirit. God has a plan to use each of us. When we choose to submit to the Holy Spirit, we become a chosen instrument by God for the works of His kingdom.

Action Step:

1. Can you think of a moment where things just seem like they weren’t going right? You might be in that situation now! Take some time to give it to God. Ask this question: “What role do you need me to play in this moment?” Spend some time listening fi

Leviticus 8:5-12 (ESV)

And Moses said to the congregation, “This is the thing that the Lord has commanded to be done.” And Moses brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. And he put the coat on him and tied the sash around his waist and clothed him with the robe and put the ephod on him and tied the skillfully woven band of the ephod around him, binding it to him with the band. And he placed the breastpiece on him, and in the breastpiece he put the Urim and the Thummim. And he set the turban on his head, and on the turban, in front, he set the golden plate, the holy crown, as the Lord commanded Moses.

Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and consecrated them. And he sprinkled some of it on the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all its utensils and the basin and its stand, to consecrate them. And he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head and anointed him to consecrate him.

Explanation:

In this chapter of Leviticus, the Lord was speaking to Moses about the consecration of priests. Specifically in these verses the Lord is commanding Moses to gather the congregation of people to the door of the tabernacle. He brought out Aaron and his sons to wash them with water. This was a sacred ceremony for priests specifically. This was all a part of the Lord’s plan, not Moses’ plan. They were cleansed and humbled in this process of immersion.

In the same way the ancient priests were cleansed, every single Christian is washed by the work of Christ. The work was accomplished by the death of Jesus for our sins to make us cleansed and humble.

Action Step:

1. Take some time today to think about the ways Christ has cleansed you and made you new.

2. Think about how you can live a life humbled by the work of Jesus on the cross.

Prayer:

God, thank You for the work You have done for us and for Your death on the cross so that we would be cleansed. Help us to continue to walk in a life of holiness, a life that reflects our new lives with You. Lord, continue to work in our hearts and our minds to live like Your anointed people. Amen.

Numbers 12:1-5 (NLT)

While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because he had married a Cushite woman. They said, “Has the LORD spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t he spoken through us, too?” But the LORD heard them. (Now Moses was very humble—more humble than any other person on earth.)

So immediately the LORD called to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam and said, “Go out to the Tabernacle, all three of you!” So the three of them went to the Tabernacle. Then the LORD descended in the pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the Tabernacle. “Aaron and Miriam!” he called, and they stepped forward. And the LORD said to them, “Now listen to what I say:

“If there were prophets among you,

I, the LORD, would reveal myself in visions.

I would speak to them in dreams.

But not with my servant Moses.

Of all my house, he is the one I trust.

I speak to him face to face,

clearly, and not in riddles!

He sees the LORD as he is.

So why were you not afraid

to criticize my servant Moses?”

The LORD was very angry with them, and he departed. As the cloud moved from above the Tabernacle, there stood Miriam, her skin as white as snow from leprosy. When Aaron saw what had happened to her, he cried out to Moses, “Oh, my master! Please don’t punish us for this sin we have so foolishly committed. Don’t let her be like a stillborn baby, already decayed at birth.”

So Moses cried out to the LORD, “O God, I beg you, please heal her!”

But the LORD said to Moses, “If her father had done nothing more than spit in her face, wouldn’t she be defiled for seven days? So keep her outside the camp for seven days, and after that she may be accepted back.”

So Miriam was kept outside the camp for seven days, and the people waited until she was brought back before they traveled again.

Explanation:

At first, I thought Miriam’s punishment was too harsh, until I connected it to what God wants to accomplish in our lives. On the surface, we see God defending Moses from criticism, but at the core is a lesson in character development that his siblings…Aaron, the High Priest, and Miriam, a prophetess…wouldn’t forget.

Two of God’s greatest characteristics are His holiness and His immutability (which means He never changes). God will patiently spend a lifetime building His holiness in us. Part of that process is allowing us to suffer the consequences of a critical spirit—undue criticism has no place in a holy life. Note that while Aaron cries out for mercy, Miriam says nothing. That is the nature of a critical heart; we think everyone else, including God, must be wrong. But God’s holiness sets the standard for our behavior, and His immutability guarantees it is we who need to change. This is true for every area of life, not just our mouths.

If left unchecked, criticism will hinder our obedience to God, and as we see here, He will do whatever it takes to get our attention. Just like any loving parent, He wants us to learn the lesson sooner rather than later. God always has a greater purpose for His discipline than what we can see.

Action Steps:

1. What or who was the last thing you criticized?

2. Is it possible your criticism was wrong?

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, please convict my heart when I am being critical, so I can repent and remain in the center of Your will for my life. Amen!

1 Peter 1:3-4 (ESV)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.

Explanation:

God has laid out a plan for all of mankind. He desires to have a personal relationship with each of us. According to this scripture, we have the opportunity to be born again or changed. We have hope because of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. What does it mean to be born again?

In researching this scripture, I read something interesting. Someone said that culture has redefined and cheapened some biblical words so much that they no longer mean what the Bible truly intends them to mean. The words then seep back into our vocabulary with a devalued meaning. The term “born again” has been one of those phrases. Anyone who makes an amazing come-back like in sports is described as being born again. Or a corporation that has made their company more successful than ever may now be called a born-again company.

The biblical meaning of “born again” should never be cheapened. We were redeemed by Christ's great mercy. The price of Jesus' sacrifice goes beyond comprehension. When we ask Jesus Christ to become King of our hearts, we must replace our humanness with His Spirit. We must be changed into a new person. Our lives should look different.

As the scripture says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Action Step:

Stop right now and think about whether your life reflects something different than the world gives.

Do you exhibit:

Peace or Confusion

Hope or Defeat

Patience or Frustration

Are you:

Generous or Stingy

Obedient or Confrontational

Forgiving or Stubborn

Prayer:

Father God, I need Your help each and every day to live my life as a changed person. I thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to sacrifice His life on my behalf. Now that I have been reborn as a new creation, help my life to reflect that in this dark world. Keep me always mindful of how my actions look to others. I want to be a shining, living example of You, Lord. Amen.

Romans 3:23-25a (ESV)

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

Explanation:

Glory: high renown or honor, the splendor, holiness, and majesty of God

Justified: declared or made righteous in the sight of God

Grace: the spontaneous, unmerited gift of divine favor

Redemption: the action of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil

Propitiation: that by which it becomes consistent with His character to pardon a sinner

Righteousness: acting in accord with divine or moral law

Forbearance: patient self-control; restraint and tolerance

As most of you that regularly read the Tree Church Daily devotions know, I have the vocabulary of a 5th grader. So, I had to look up all these words so I could honestly understand what I was reading. Once we understand the words that are packed into these Bible verses, it starts to have a whole new and breath-taking meaning.

We all have sinned. We sin daily, hourly, and yes, sometimes every minute. Jesus did not. He set an example for us to strive for. Yes, I know most days we don’t even come close. And honestly, we will never come close, even on our best days of being a parent, coworker, spouse, child, teacher, disciple, etc. So just remember this as we push on and as we tackle verse 24. This is going to be rough, so make sure you’re ready before you read this next sentence…

You Have to Give Up Your Child to Save The World.

Gone, just literally gone in a moments time. This little person that you may have given birth to, that you raised from diapers, then taught to walk. Can you do it? All the world is on your shoulders. The world didn’t ask you to do this, but you know this is the only way to save them. God did! No one asked Him to, but He knew this was the only way to redeem the world and show them that HE is LOVE.

As I wrote the above paragraph, I got super emotional, sweaty, and felt the Holy Spirit fall on me. I cannot consider giving up one of my children. It makes me so mad to even think about it. But God gave His Son up to death for wretched people like you and me. God used His Son to redeem us, to give us the chance to be in good standing with Him! God loved us so much that He gave His Son to die on a cross. I’m mad even thinking about losing a child, but God allowed awful people to hang His Son on a cross because they didn’t like what He was teaching and saying. That’s LOVE right there. Love that people write songs and books about, love that withstands the test of time, love that can move people to do amazing things, because the Author of that love is so incredible that He sent His Son to die for all mankind.

God’s propitiation gives us the opportunity to have faith and then to grow that faith in Him. Your old sins don’t matter to God. He made a place for you to cast away your sins: that place is the cross.

Action Step:

1. Are you thinking/obsessing about old or current sins in your life? Is this stopping you from having a love-filled relationship with God? Take those sins to God right now, and let Him do work for you!

2. Is there anything you are struggling with that you need help with? Find a faith-filled fellow believer to share with, and allow them to pray for you as well. There is power in prayer and power in numbers.

Prayer:

God, thank You for loving us and pursuing us even when we were dead in sin. Show us the path of love as we think about what You did for us. Thank You that Jesus took our place on the cross. Give us the strength to reach out to other people when we are struggling, when we may be in weak moments of life. Give us the courage to reach out to those You put on our hearts. God, we love You and can’t wait to see where You move in our lives today. Amen.

Acts 2:29-38 (NLT)

“Dear brothers, think about this! You can be sure that the patriarch David wasn’t referring to himself, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is still here among us. But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised with an oath that one of David’s own descendants would sit on his throne. David was looking into the future and speaking of the Messiah’s resurrection. He was saying that God would not leave him among the dead or allow his body to rot in the grave.

“God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today. For David himself never ascended into heaven, yet he said,

‘The Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit in the place of honor at my right hand

until I humble your enemies,

making them a footstool under your feet.”’

“So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!”

Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” 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.

Explanation:

We often think of the book of Psalms as sweet songs of praise, forgetting that King David was a powerful prophet who God used to help us recognize what to look for and who to believe in as our promised Messiah and Savior. In this passage, the crowds in Jerusalem had come running after hearing a loud noise, and many thought the disciples were just drunk instead of filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:5, 13). Peter uses this opportunity to boldly explain to the Jews from the Old Testament how Jesus was their long-awaited Messiah and Redeemer of Israel.

Peter explains that “God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him” (Acts 2:22), which was the part they could more easily see, understand, and get behind. But when that same Jesus was brutally crucified on the cross, everyone thought God’s plan must have been ruined.

But this was another sign they should’ve been looking for. Jesus did not remain in the grave! God miraculously raised Him from the dead, just as David had predicted centuries before it actually happened. “You will not leave my soul among the dead, or allow the Holy One to rot in the grave,” (Psalm 16:10). And Peter doesn’t stop there. He goes on to show that when they watched Jesus physically ascend back into heaven, this was also a sign foretold by King David. Psalm 110:1 says, “The Lord to my Lord said, ‘Sit in the place of honor at my right hand.” Jesus Christ wasn’t dead in a grave! He was taken back into heaven to sit at the right hand of God, just as predicted. How absolutely incredible, to hear the prophecies in the Old Testament about the One who God would send, and then to see it fulfilled right in front of their eyes!

Peter’s powerful explanation “pierced their hearts,” and they asked the most important question anyone can ever ask after hearing the Gospel: “What should we do?” How beautifully merciful, that after all God has so intricately woven together for our redemption, all we need to do is repent, turn to God, and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Redeemer!

And how comforting that we don’t need to suspend our intelligence and blindly believe whatever we hear. Jesus Christ fulfilled more than 300 prophecies that God included in the Old Testament on purpose, just for us, so that our own eyes could see His beautiful plan fulfilled, and instead of our hands and feet, our hearts could be pierced instead.

Action Steps:

1. Have you allowed God’s amazing plan of redeeming us to pierce your heart? If not, take a moment right now to pray: tur