Hello, my “Walking with Jesus” friends on this Wednesday,
I wonder what situation you’ve found yourself in when you felt the most out of place? Yesterday I left you in the port city of Caesarea about 2000 years ago, and the Jewish apostle Peter had just been escorted into the house of Roman centurion Cornelius. Peter had said: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. So, when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection.” (Acts 10:28,29)
Of all the places Peter had ever been in his lifetime, including being dragged before the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem, (Acts 4:5-22) I doubt Peter had ever felt more out of place than this day at Cornelius’ house, surrounded by Gentiles and Roman soldiers!
So, I have an important question. WHY would God put Peter in this very uncomfortable situation? In Peter’s efforts to honor God with his life, Peter would have avoided anything like this moment with Cornelius? But Peter was learning some very important new lessons from God. Have you and I learned them yet?
Peter had been with Jesus for nearly 3 years and repeatedly Jesus had said that God’s love offer, God’s redemption from sin, requiring Jesus’ atonement sacrifice, was being offered to ALL people of the world, not just Jews. (John 3:14-17) And Jesus had commissioned Peter and the other apostles to ‘Go and make disciples of ALL people groups…’. (Matt. 28:18-20) But still, Jewish Peter struggled to imagine God’s “all” was really ANYONE, EVERYONE, ALL people?
You see, even as the disciples had clearly heard Jesus say, “ALL people”, still their deeply rooted belief, the teaching they had received from their families and synagogue leaders, was that God was NOT interested in Gentiles. So, Peter standing in Cornelius’ house was a miracle of God evidencing the radical change taking place in Peter in those days. And so, Peter spoke, as the Holy Spirit led him, in this most unusual setting: “You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all…” (Acts 10:36)
Peter began telling the Gentiles the story of Jesus and His message the only way Peter knew how: Jesus, the Son of God, had come to earth from heaven, sent by Almighty God. Jesus was sent initially to the Jews, with God’s Gospel message. But the Jews rejected Jesus and crucified Him! But God raised Jesus from the dead and resurrected Jesus was seen by many people, over a period of many days.
I presume these Gentiles, in Caesarea, had heard some of these amazing claims about Jesus. His incarnation; His sinless life; His atonement death; His victorious resurrection, and perhaps even His ascension back to heaven. But can we imagine how different the rumors sounded when spoken with confidence by Peter the apostle who was proclaiming that HE WAS AN EYEWITNESS to all these things about Jesus?
In fact, Peter said about Jesus: “He was seen… by us, who ate and drank with Him, after He rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify about Him that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.” (Acts 10:41-43) There are very few things more powerful than the testimony of an eyewitness, would you agree?
This is the good news Cornelius, and his house full of Gentiles, were longing to hear. Jesus’ death and resurrection were for THEM and THEIR salvation too! Can we imagine the looks on their faces, the gratitude in their hearts? Evidently, they began to praise God and repent of their sin, asking for God to save them. Why do I say that? Because the record next says: “While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit came on those who heard the message.” (Acts 10:44) Now what does that mean to you, my friends?
We know the Holy Spirit first came upon the followers of Jesus, on the day of Pentecost, unexpectedly, as reported in Acts 2:1-4. And then, the Holy Spirit came upon a very large crowd of repentant Jews, as they responded to Peter’s message, and were baptized. (Acts 2:38-41) And while the text doesn’t specifically say so, we presume the Holy Spirit came upon many more who trusted in Jesus’ Gospel, and this movement grew to 5000 people. (Acts 4:4)
And then Acts 6:7 reports “The number of disciples increased, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.” Jesus Himself had told Pharisee Nicodemus that the life transforming work of being “born again” was by the Holy Spirit, remember? (John 3:3-7) God’s Spirit was changing lives even outside Jerusalem as was evidenced when Philip went to Samaria (Acts 8:14,15) and now the Holy Spirit was saving Gentiles in Caesarea! (Acts 10:44)
Those Jewish followers of Jesus who had come from Joppa to Caesarea with Peter were astonished as they eye-witnessed the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, in Cornelius’ house, upon Gentiles! (Acts 10:45) And what was the evidence of the Spirit’s arrival in power? Luke reports: “they heard them speaking in tongues [languages] and praising God.” (Acts 10:46)
The Holy Spirit of God was evidently doing in Caesarea with Gentiles, what He had done in Jerusalem with Jews, only a few months before! (Acts 2:7-12) We don’t know what languages were being spoken, but those present recognized it as a miraculous work of God!
Peter himself made a declaration that authenticated what was happening. “Peter said, ‘Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have! So, Peter ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.” (Acts 10:47,48) Authentic, Jesus Christ honoring, salvation was taking place in Caesarea with just as much legitimacy and enthusiasm as it happened in Jerusalem.
Now perhaps you imagine Jewish apostle Peter was very anxious to leave Gentile Caesarea and return back to much more familiar surroundings in Israel, but on the contrary the record says: “They asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.” (Acts 10:48)
I imagine it was Cornelius who invited Peter to stay and as soon as Peter heard the invitation he probably remembered back to when Jesus had led the disciples to Samaritan Sychar and the people there asked Jesus to stay with them for a few days. (John 4:40) I’m sure as Peter reflected on what happened in that Samaritan town, Sychar, then Peter was filled with joy that he now had an opportunity to stay in a place where the Spirit of God was doing great things!
It causes me to ask… when have you or I ever been in a place where the Spirit of God was so powerfully working at changing lives, that we didn’t want to leave?
Again, important ‘lessons learned’ study notes are ready for your further study into this Scripture, and then a wonderful worship song which celebrates that what Jesus was doing in Caesarea that day is happening in many places all around the world, in our day! And I’ll be here waiting for you tomorrow.
Today’s Scripture: Acts 10:34-48.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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