Led by His SpiritSample

Only a few weeks passed—fifty days—between Jesus’ crucifixion and the events of Acts 2. On that day, the disciples walked out onto the streets of Jerusalem—the very city where the Lord had been crucified—and preached that Jesus is the only way of salvation. Remember that these disciples were the same men who had fled in terror when Jesus was arrested. These were the same men who Jesus found huddled in a locked room after His Resurrection. Peter, who stood to preach at Pentecost, was the same man who three times denied being Jesus’ follower or even knowing Him.

Yet Acts 2 records that on the day of Pentecost, everything was different. These men who had been terrified became bold witnesses of the gospel. Thousands were saved in those first few days of the early church. What made the difference? The disciples were transformed when the power of the Holy Spirit took control of their lives. They had not suddenly become more courageous in their own strength, but they were empowered by the Holy Spirit. We then see the power of the Holy Spirit emboldening the disciples’ witness throughout the book of Acts, including in the passage above.

All of our efforts, abilities, methods, and programs will come to nothing if we work in our own strength. It is only in the power of the Holy Spirit that we become effective witnesses to the lost. When we are fearful to witness, we can turn to God for the power to do so boldly.