Acts 2:14-17. 14But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: 17“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh.
With these words Peter began his Day of Pentecost sermon at the Temple in Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit has come down upon the Twelve Disciples as they begin to speak in foreign tongues so that all the travelers from across the empire can understand the gospel in their own language. Peter’s first thought comes from the prophet Joel, who connected the pouring out of the Spirit with the last days.
Christians often wonder if we are living in the last days. And the answer is a resounding, yes! And we have been since Pentecost. Pentecost wasn’t just a preview of the Kingdom of God on Earth, it was the inauguration of the Kingdom of God on Earth. Christ the king was crowned on the cross and again in Heaven upon his ascension. He rules over all things as the sovereign Lord of the universe. He is placing all of his enemies under his feet. And he has poured out his Spirit on all flesh.
Now that doesn’t mean that everyone on Earth has the Holy Spirit. But it does mean that everyone who receives Christ receives the Holy Spirit. Prior to Pentecost only a handful of people were anointed with the Spirit. Priest, kings, prophets. But now, in these last days, every believer is full of the Holy Spirit, anointed with his resurrection power, the power to love as God loves.
This giving of the Holy Spirit isn’t just the last days, it is the last day (singular). The Day of the Lord. Notice how Joel makes the connection of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit to the Day of the Lord.
Joel 2:1. 1Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near, 2a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness!
In Jewish theology the day of the Lord is a single great and terrible day. It’s that one day that links history’s two ages: this “present evil age,” and the “age to come.” It links the time before the Messiah appears and the time after the Messiah appears. The day of the Lord is the turning point of history. For the Jewish nation it was thought to be the day of their vindication as God’s chosen people. They will survive while all other wicked nations will be put to shame and perish. All of their oppressors will be destroyed. Therefore, it’s a day that the Jewish nation awaits with great anticipation.
But Joel gives us a glimpse into God’s great big secret – the Day of the Lord is not a single day. The day of the Lord is not a single 24-hour day, but rather a day that unfolds over time. And it is a “day” that is unfolded in Christ the Messiah. The day of the Lord, the day of God’s great wrath and justice, the day God defeats all his enemies, has come in the cross of Christ. On the day Jesus died for our sins, just as Joel predicted, the sun was darkened, and the earth quaked. There was thick darkness and gloom. And on his cross, God roared from Zion – It is finished! Every sin paid for. Every enemy defeated.
Colossians 2:15. [God] disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in [Christ].
And yet, at the same time, the day of the Lord is still to come in its fullness. The battle that Jesus has already won still rages. It is the battle for souls. God does not want anyone to perish for lack of knowledge. His greatest desire, as ours should be, is to see many come to him in faith. So now these last days places each and every one of us in what Joel will call the “Valley of Decision.” The Apostle Paul, quoting Joel, will say it this way – “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Joel 2:32; Romans 10:13).”
And that’s exactly what happened at Pentecost. Three thousand souls repented and trusted in Christ, the resurrected Lord and Savior. Hallelujah!
You see Christian, the last days aren’t a time for you to plan your exit. They’re not about blood moons, and darkened suns, wars and rumors of wars. The last days are the time of witness, of evangelism, of the Great Commission and making disciples of all nations. The last days aren’t for hunkering down, they’re for going out and sharing the gospel by the power of the Spirit and the authority of Christ.
Christian, in these last days God has poured out his Spirit on you. The Spirit of truth who will guide you into the truth of Jesus. The Spirit of love who will forever pour God’s love into your heart. The Spirit of wisdom and power. The wisdom and power of the cross. The “foolishness” and “weakness” of the cross.
You: What comes to mind when you consider that we are in the last days?
You in Christ: The Holy Spirit has been poured into you if you are in Christ. How does trusting this allow you to face the day with the same confident love as Christ?
Christ in you: Who do you know that is in the Valley of Decision today? How can you share the gospel with them in a compelling way?
Prayer: Father, I understand that I am alive in the last days and with that comes great blessing and a great responsibility to love as Jesus loves by the power of the Spirit inside of me. Here am I, send me. Amen.
To Live is Christ 