And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. John 17: 3, NKJV.
Gracious God, please come divinely close, and bless our study with Your presence, in the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
Today we are continuing with the study, “Growing Up In Christ.” Yesterday, we saw the Holy Spirit as the most powerful Agent in our Spiritual growth. Because Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, are One, the work begun by One can continue, without interruption, by the Other! It was after the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples that they could preach, with power, a message that, before this time, they were unable to grasp. On the day of Pentecost, Peter, and the other disciples, preached about the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, the Son of God, with such power and conviction, that we read, “So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day, about three thousand persons were added” (Acts 2: 41, NRSV, emphasis provided). I repeat, what I have said so many times before: we can only share, and I add, “with conviction,” the things that we believe ourselves! Now they fully understood, what Christ’s mission to this earth had been. Now they could tell others about it because they themselves, were convinced!
One of the best ways that I know how to explain what happened with the disciples, while Jesus was with them, can be taken from our human experience. Children who have lived at home with their parents, may, at some point in their life, defy some of the rules at home, protest against some of the regulations, turn a deaf ear against some of the restrictions, until, they are on their own. Then all of a sudden, the things that were taught and practiced, at home, and taken for granted, become ever so dear to them, in the absence of mom and dad. Especially, if they find themselves in difficulties. After Jesus, returned to the Father, His disciples were obviously afraid, of what the Jewish authorities would do to the followers of the Nazarene (John 20: 19). Therefore, after His ascension, they met, and decided to study more fervently the things that He had taught them; they came together with greater earnestness. They confessed their sins to God, and their offenses, to one to another. They asked each other’s forgiveness. And so, the day of Pentecost found them, “with one accord, in one place” (Acts 2: 1, NKJV).
They had gone from “Which one of them was the greatest,” (Luke 9: 46, NRSV) to, being of, “one accord.” They were agreed on what their mission was, not, what their position would be! That, for me is growth, if I ever saw it! When we can forget about self, and become focused on what we are here for, I believe we will see growth in the church of Christ! When we grow up to the stature of men and women in Christ, the body of Christ will experience growth. But notice, that it was when they knew who Christ really was, for themselves; it was clear, what He meant to them: their Savior, and Lord! That was when growth took place! Peter could refer to the Savior in the following terms: ” ‘Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified’ ” (Acts 2: 36). He was no longer offended because of Him. He had come to recognize Him not only as the Anointed One. Peter now knew Him, and acknowledged Him, as Lord, of His life!
Oh, that we might come to know Him, who to know is life eternal!