I am in the book of Acts in my daily Bible reading. Jesus had ridden into Jerusalem as the long-awaited King. The people cried out, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” The streets echoed with praise and palm branches lined His path. But in just a few days, many of those same voices—swayed by the religious leaders—turned cold. “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”
And yet, that wasn’t the end.
When Luke picks back up in Volume 2 of his letter to Theophilus, Jesus has already risen. He’s spent 40 days walking, talking, and teaching His followers. Then, in fulfillment of ancient prophecy, He ascends on the clouds—presented to the Ancient of Days and seated at His right hand with all authority under His feet.
“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.
And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13–14 ESV).
Jesus wasn’t just seen alive again—He was seen by over 500 people at once. The sorrow of the crucifixion was swallowed up in joy. I can only imagine the face of Mary when she saw her risen Son—this time not beaten and bloodied, but glorified. I wonder about James and Jude, His own brothers who once thought He was out of His mind. How they must have wept when they embraced Him… and then kneeled before their risen King. These two would go on to write letters now included in our New Testament canon. What a redemption story.
And then came the day of Pentecost.
Peter stood up and preached the first Gospel sermon with power and clarity. Not about a coming Messiah, but a reigning one. He said to the crowd—many of whom had heard Jesus preach, seen His miracles, maybe even shouted “Hosanna” just weeks before:
“Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” (Acts 2:36 ESV).
This wasn’t said to strangers. These were people who knew. People who had watched. People who had maybe joined the mob, or at least stood silently by.
And when the truth pierced their hearts, they cried out, “What shall we do?”
Peter’s answer still echoes today:
“And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” (Acts 2:38 ESV).
Three thousand souls obeyed that day. Three thousand people said yes to the King they once rejected. And this is how it happens for us, too.
We listen to Jesus. We admire Him. We walk with Him. Maybe we even worship Him. But when He calls us to kneel—when He asks for our full allegiance—too often we say, “Crucify Him!” with our lives.
But even then, grace speaks.
When we’re cut to the heart and everything finally makes sense—when we realize who He really is—we ask the same question: “What should we do?”
And the answer hasn’t changed.
Repent. Be baptized. Receive forgiveness. Receive the Holy Spirit. Pledge allegiance to your risen King.
That’s what Mary did. That’s what James and Jude did. That’s what 3,000 believers did that day in Jerusalem.
What matters most isn’t how we’ve failed Him before. What matters is what we’ll do with Jesus now.
He is Lord.
He is King.
And He is the great High Priest, ready even now to take your sins away.
Will you call on His name?
Let me know what this stirs up in your heart. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments so we can grow in Jesus together.