July 19,2007

“Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd.” Acts 2:14.
Peter, freshly empowered by the Holy Spirit, stands up to speak out in defense of Jesus of Nazareth. This is the first recorded public defense on behalf of Jesus, and it is Peter, who stands to speak on behalf of the small band of followers. Interestingly, Peter did not stand alone. The Eleven stood up with Peter. These “Eleven”, plus Peter, made up the twelve disciples, whom Jesus called to follow Him more closely during His earthly ministry. While this was the first opportunity for Peter to preach, it most certainly will not be his last. In that moment, he has no idea how the crowd is going to respond. They could embrace his message or they could react and get violent, coming against him and this small band of Jesus followers. Peter really does not know, and yet, he takes the risk and boldly speaks out for Jesus.
The crowd, that morning, had grown to thousands, because they were there for the Festival of Pentecost, and they had been attracted by the strange and exciting happenings surrounding the coming of the Holy Spirit. It is a pivotal moment and the stage had been set. Peter “stood up….raised his voice and addressed the crowd.” Being filled with the Holy Spirit, he risks all by boldly proclaiming Jesus as Master and Savior.
Have you ever been in a situation like that, where you had to step up to speak? I have, and I must say that each time I have been very nervous – dry mouth, sweaty palms, butterflies in the stomach. Actually, they were not butterflies; they were dinosaurs! I used to stutter, and, on two different occasions, I was supposed to speak, as a high school student, in front of my whole student body of around two thousand of my peers. I was so nervous, but I got through it! Yet, it was nothing like what Peter faced, as he quite literally put his life on the line for Jesus, his Master. Take some time today to think about Peter standing for the first time before a crowd to proclaim the good news concerning Jesus. What is it that you need to stand up, raise your voice, and address “the crowd” about today? May God strengthen us for the task that He has for each of us.