After the Testimony

Peter Neilson April 19, 2026 1 1

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Acts 2:14, 36-41 (NIV-UK)

14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: ‘Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.

36 ‘Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.’

37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’

38 Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call.’

40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’ 41 Those who accepted his message were baptised, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

“God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

Six weeks earlier some of this crowd had been crying “Crucify!”, carried away by a strange bloodlust that had overcome them. Now the red mist had cleared, and they were realising what they had done. “This Jesus” had been God’s anointed Son, now risen from the dead to be Lord of all, the unexpected Christ, who was Receiver and Giver of the Holy Spirit.

How did they miss it? They were “cut to the heart”. It was a moment of pain and acute shame that they had so abused the man who was sent by God – and, it seems, was much more than a heretic on a cross.

Time to leave behind their old misconceptions. Time to turn and look God in the face. He does not condemn or shame them. He offers forgiveness and welcomes them into the mysterious communion of the Holy Spirit.

“We are not in the communication business. We are in the communion business”. So said Eugene Peterson, revolutionising every preacher’s task. Peter led 3,000 into that communion. He invites us to join them. Repent. Believe. Receive.

Prayer:

Turning, turning, turning.

From confusion to clarity, turning.

From shame to acceptance, turning.

From earth to heaven, turning.

From mistaken identity to this Jesus,

our Lord and Christ, turning. AMEN