Listen here.
Welcome to
Devotions for Worship where we meditate on the appointed Scripture readings for
the upcoming Sunday. I am Pastor Eric Tritten from Gloria Dei Lutheran Church
in Hudson, OH.
Thank you for
being with me today.
As we go through
the Easter season, the readings continue to record testimony that Jesus was
crucified and raised. They also show responses to the message of the gospel.
That is the case in this reading, too.
Some context will
be helpful. There was a Roman centurion by the name of Cornelius. You can read about
him in the first part of Acts 10. We learn that he was, “a devout man who
feared God,” as did his whole household. God gave Cornelius a vision of an
angel who instructed him to send for the apostle Peter, and even told him where
to find him! So, Cornelius sent for Peter, and Peter came. When Peter came, he
told Cornelius and all who were there to hear about Jesus. This reading is
Peter’s message to Cornelius and his household and the result of them hearing
and believing in Jesus.
The Reading: (Acts
10:34-11:1 ESV)
So Peter opened his mouth and said:
"Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in
every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36
As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through
Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37 you yourselves know what
happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that
John proclaimed: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy
Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were
oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 And we are
witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.
They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised
him on the third day and made him to appear, 41 not to all the
people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank
with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to
preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be
judge of the living and the dead. 43 To him all the prophets bear
witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through
his name."
44
While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who
heard the word. 45 And the believers from among the circumcised who
had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured
out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them speaking in
tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47 "Can anyone
withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit
just as we have?" 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in
the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.
Comments
This
is a very important moment in the life of the church. As with the Ethiopian
eunuch, Cornelius was a Gentile – a non-Jewish person who many would have
considered outside of God’s love. Worse, he was Roman, and part of the oppressing
military occupying Judea. That being said, he was a God fearing man who was
generous with his money to support the synagogue and to help the poor in his community,
nevertheless, for him and his household to come to faith was shocking to the
early church. (You can read all about the controversy this created in Acts 11.)
This is why Peter began his address by saying, “I understand that God shows no
partiality.” He is beginning to realize that Jesus’ salvation was not just for
Jewish people, but for all people.
Notice
the common themes that we have discussed through these readings in Acts. Peter
identifies himself a witness. He testifies about the cross and God raising
Jesus from the dead. He also testified about forgiveness of sins through Jesus.
These messages are consistent through the apostles’ ministry.
When
Cornelius and his household came to faith God poured His Holy Spirit out on
them in a special way. They began to speak in tongues, and some have argued
that this is a necessary gift to be a believer. It seems more likely that,
because it would have been difficult for the Jewish Christians to accept that
salvation had come to the Gentiles, God gave a special sign that salvation was,
indeed, for all people, so He gave a powerful testimony to show that He
accepted these believers.
When
Peter saw what happened, his first thought was of Baptism. He saw them as
believers and felt they needed to receive God’s gifts in baptism over and above
the special outpouring of the Spirit. He knew that God works through Baptism to
create and seal His people in faith and forgiveness, so he commanded that that they
be baptized. Then he remained with them – surely to teach them the Christian
faith.
It
strikes me as I read this how backwards we get things sometimes. We see
evangelism, mission, and even Baptism as things we do. But in this passage it
is God who arranged for Peter to come to Cornelius. It was God who brought
Cornelius and his household to faith. It was God who gave the proof of their
conversion by a special outpouring of the Spirit. And it was God who worked through
Baptism to make these people into disciples.
Meditate
on this today: God is the one who is at work in your life. He is the one who
arranged for you to come to faith. He has given you His Holy Spirit. He is also
at work in the lives of people around you, and He just might put you in a
situation to tell someone about Jesus to bring them to faith. And if He does,
don’t worry, He’ll give you what you need to say.
Prayers
O God, You were
at work in Cornelius’s life to bring him and his household to faith, and when
You brought them to faith You gave powerful testimonies that You were behind
all of it and that You welcome all who believe in Jesus. Thank you! Truth be
told, many of us come from Gentile backgrounds and we rejoice that You have
included us in Your kingdom and made us part of Your people. Forgive us for
being fearful of sharing the faith or thinking that the mission of the bringing
people to faith is our mission. Please pour Your Holy Spirit out on us and work
through us to share the good news of Your forgiveness and salvation through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Memory Verse:
This is he who
came by water and blood-- Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water
and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is
the truth. (1 Jn. 5:6 ESV)
Thank you so much
for using Devotions for Worship, I pray that our time together has blessed you
and given you something to meditate on – some reminder of God’s grace to rattle
around in your brain – for the rest of the day.
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favor? If you got something out of this devotional time, would you like and/or
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God bless you!
Devotions for
Worship: Acts 10:34-11:1 - audio: https://soundcloud.com/pastor-tritten/may-2-acts-10-34-11-1
- text: #devotion #devotional #devotions
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