Unstoppable! 'He Poured Out the Spirit' — Acts 2:33

Friday, February 3, 2023

[Peter continued his sermon:] "Now [Jesus] is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God's right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today."
— Acts 2:33 NLT

Key Thought

Today's verse contains two truths that tie together the shared work of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit at Pentecost:
  • Truth One: The Father exalted the Son to the highest place of honor because of his loving and obedient sacrifice for sins (Philippians 2:5-11).
  • Truth Two: The exalted Son poured out the Holy Spirit on his disciples at Pentecost to begin the church with it rooted in the message of what Jesus accomplished through his life, death, and resurrection.
Much like the Scriptures emphasize that all three (Father/Son/Spirit) were involved in the creation of the universe (e.g., Genesis 1:1-2; Colossians 1:15-16), so also Peter makes clear at Pentecost that God (Father/Son/Spirit) was at work again creating a new reality, the Kingdom of God, through what happened on this special Pentecost.

Today's Prayer

Forgive us, dear God, for diminishing the importance of the church, the people through whom your Kingdom is present in the world today. I realize today that the message at Pentecost was inspired by the Holy Spirit and was focused on Jesus because of what you, as Father, did to redeem the world. O dear God, please, please, be at work today, within us, with your divine power and awaken us to proclaim Jesus and to live as your people who are filled, empowered, inspired, and made courageous by the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

  • John 1:1-5, 7:37-39
  • Colossians 1:15-23

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Illustration

Illustration of Acts 2:33 NLT — [Peter continued his sermon:] "Now [Jesus] is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God's right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today."

About This Devotional

Unstoppable! is a one-year devotional guide through the book of Acts. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage, a reflection and a prayer. The reflection opens up the day's scripture and shows how it challenges one to live for Jesus.

Unstoppable! is written by Phil Ware.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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