(Acts 2:41)

The book of Acts tells the story of the early church and what the disciples did following

Jesus’ resurrection. The Second Chapter of Acts tells the story of the coming of the Holy

Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Within the church, this day is recognized as the beginning

of the Church (or the birthday of the Church).

This verse which comes towards the end of the Pentecost narrative and gives us a sense

of how many people responded and became a part of this new group of followers of

Jesus.

I am always amazed at this verse. Imagine 3000 people welcoming the message and

being baptized. This sounds more like a Billy Graham revival and not what most

Lutherans are used to within our congregations. After all, how many congregations have

3000 baptizing in a year (let alone a day)—most may not even have 3000 baptisms in 10

years.

While numbers are not the only measuring stick for congregations, this verse does

stands out to me as one that calls us back to the primary mission of the church—to make

disciples and make them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

This was Jesus’ commission to the disciples at the end of the Gospel of Matthew. And

part of making disciples is about individuals welcoming the message of Jesus and him

crucified and then desiring to be baptized—which does involve numbers of people.

At times, people will downgrade the importance of numbers and talk about other things

(e.g. spiritual growth and maturity, social ministry, etc)—and while these things and

others are important and we should strive for them within congregations they should

never completely override the notion of a call to go out and make disciples and baptizing

them.

This story in Acts reminds us of the work of the Holy Spirit as the church began. We

should be in fervent prayer that the Holy Spirit would continue to work within the church

today and place within ourselves the desire to continue to go and tell the story of Jesus

and him crucified so that people we encounter may have the opportunity to welcome the

message and desire to be a part of the fellowship of believers.