Acts chapter two is one of the most exciting chapters in the Bible. Think about it from the apostles’ perspective. Seven weeks earlier, their hopes and dreams of the redemption of Israel had been utterly crushed. Jesus had been brutally slaughtered by the combined forces of the secular and religious authorities. Peter, and perhaps the others, had thought he was the Messiah, but how could the Messiah be so wholly defeated?

Three days later, they were plunged into absolute confusion. Early that morning, they began to hear preposterous reports from previously reliable friends, claiming they’d met Jesus and he was alive. His tomb was empty, that much was clear, but risen from the dead? That was impossible; except it wasn’t impossible. By the evening, the risen Jesus had revealed himself to the apostles, too. He’d defeated death, and soon they’d discover he’d defeated sin and Satan, too. He really was the Messiah!

The next six weeks were a frenzy of astonishing revelations. Under Jesus’ guidance, fresh light flooded onto the old, old story. They began to discover a wealth of prophecies, types and shadows that all pointed to him. Many others saw the risen Jesus too, and joined the apostles in becoming witnesses of the resurrection. Jesus told them to remain in Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit. The Spirit will empower them to be Jesus’ witnesses, starting in Jerusalem but reaching the ends of the earth.