Old School Surgical Tools
Most people in the Church – even those who do not read the Scriptures often or attend Bible study – know something about the Day of Pentecost. This is probably because pretty amazing audio and visual events occurred on that day. If you ask people about what happened on Pentecost, they may very well know about the sound of a rushing wind. They may recall hearing about the sight of “tongues of fire” distributed on the early saints who were waiting in Jerusalem for the promise which Jesus had mentioned in Acts 1. They will probably remember that these same saints were able to speak in different languages, tongues they had never learned.
Another reason they might recall the events in Acts 2 is that if they do come to church with any regularity, on Pentecost they would see the color red on the altar, pulpit, lectern, and the pastor’s stole. This color is rare in the church year, so it does “stick out” a bit.
It would be a curious case study to ask folks just what else they recall from that day and the reading in chapter 2 of Acts, which occurred only 10 days after Jesus’ Ascension and 50 days from the Resurrection of Christ. (That’s how we get the name “Pentecost,” meaning 50). They might even know that Easter fell at the beginning of a new sacred season during the Old Testament era – the Day of First Fruits was on Easter! [An apparent obvious fact, I did not even learn in seminary! I learned it from a man working for Jews for Jesus.] Pentecost also was on the Old Testament calendar. Sometimes called the “Feast of Weeks,” it was the Festival of First Fruits (distinguished from the “Day”); and the Festival signified the early harvest of wheat and other fruit/plants in Israel. Not by chance Jesus mentions a “grain of wheat dying and bearing fruit” in John 12 when He speaks of His own resurrection.
But I doubt that many people would know that when Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost, he quoted copiously from the Old Testament about that day being a fulfillment of the promise of Joel 2 and about it being connected with Psalm 16 – which was one of the key prophecies that the Messiah would rise from the dead.
Think about this?!? God is using the miracles of sound, visions of fire, and the wonder of people receiving instant language skills…but He still relies on old-school quoting from ancient texts? What’s up with that?
Even today, some surgeons prefer to use ancient obsidian scalpels from volcanic rock to do surgery. Why? It cuts better than steel, way better. And it heals quicker. After Peter quoted these Spirit-inspired, ancient-yet-living Words, what does the text say? “Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brethren, what shall we do?’” (Acts 2:37)
Hebrews 4:12 explains the surgery done by the Spirit: “For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Maybe the author of Hebrews was actually one of the “patients” of the Chief Surgeon, God the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost?! Hearing an ancient promise fulfilled – and witnessing it in person – cuts as deep as the soul and spirit.
But, praise God, the scalpel which reveals the diseased and actually dead soul, also heals. So Peter’s next words brought living hope: “Repent and be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38) Forgiveness of sins comes through baptism in Christ which includes the words of the resurrected Christ, to bring healing and life. Talk about fruit!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us trust Your Word. Guide us as we use this powerful tool to cut hearts to expose the lifeless soul, that we might know the Word to use to bury, and the Word to heal and raise up a spirit – renewed in the forgiveness of sins. Help us trust Your living and piercing Word. Amen.
