Luke the physician wrote how Jesus' disciples, “returned they unto Jerusalem … and continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren”, and in chapter one and verse fifteen of the book of Acts Luke wrote how, “Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples” where we read:
And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said,
(the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)
The verse begins, “And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, ...” Luke began with the words, “and in those days” which means “and within the sunrises and sunsets that the disciples of Jesus, the women with them, Jesus' mother Mary and His brothers were in the upper room” “Peter stood up” or “Peter whose name means a little rock or stone rose up from sitting” “in the midst of the disciples” which means “within the middle of the students, pupils and attendants of Jesus”, “and said” or “and uttered, declared and proclaimed the words in our next verse”. Luke shared how Jesus' “disciple” “Peter stood up” in the middle of the other disciples and those with him and began to speak the words in the next verse.
The verse goes on to say, “(the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)” Luke parenthetically continued with the words, “(the number of names together” or “the crowd or multitude of the names which are used for everything which the name covers including the thoughts or feelings of which are aroused in the mind by mentioning, hearing and remembering” “were about an hundred and twenty” which means “were the names of one hundred and twenty people”. Luke shared how there were “one hundred and twenty people” in the upper room “praying and waiting” for Jesus' promise.
When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we learn not only how “Peter stood up” to speak, but also that there were “one hundred and twenty people” in the “upper room”. Over five hundred had seen Jesus after His resurrection, (See 1 Corinthians 15:6), but only “one hundred and twenty” were gathered in this room. God desires to have a personal relationship with every person through His Son Jesus, and His desire is for them to follow and obey Him when He gives direction for their lives. Those who are wise will yield themselves to Jesus and look for every opportunity to follow His instructions for how they are to live.
Next time Luke shares how Peter says, “men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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