Welcome to Ligonier's weekday podcast, Things Unseen.

If your short-term memory is still functioning okay, you'll remember that yesterday I was

saying that when we think about Pentecost, we need to think about what Jesus was doing.

I know if we were to ask most Christians what Pentecost is about, they'd tend to say

it's about the Holy Spirit and of course they're not totally wrong, but that's not the

whole story. At least Simon Peter didn't think so judging by the sermon he preached.

It was preached in order to answer the question people were asking, what is all this about

these strange sounds, this preaching of the gospel in different languages? And when

Peter answers that question in his sermon, of course first of all he demolishes the cynics

in the crowd who say they're drunk and he points out that it's only the third hour

of the day, that is by Roman Empire reckoning nine o'clock in the morning.

Now says Peter, these men are not filled with intoxicating liquor. What you're seeing

is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel chapter 2.

Remember he says what God promised through Joel, how in the future the last days would

come and they would be marked by the spirit of God being poured out on all flesh on sons

and daughters prophesying and having visions and seeing dreams.

Well says Peter, what this means is that future is now, it's happening today. We could

almost use the words of Jesus in the Nazareth synagogue here when he says this scripture

is being fulfilled in your presence today. So Pentecost is much more than just an amazing

personal experience these people are having. Notice how Peter's mind is working here,

I think it's worth pausing on this incidentally, because first of all he thinks biblically

about what's happened. And if you think about it that's a huge change in Simon Peter.

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