How Did That Come Out of His Mouth?

Jaukeem Fortson's Performance of "God Only Knows" Blows the Coaches Away | The Voice Knockouts | NBC (start to 0:49)

It doesn’t happen frequently, but every once in a while you hear something come out of a child’s mouth that simply blows you away. It’s hard to make sense of such things! As the youngest competitor of NBC’s The Voice last season, 13-year-old Jaukeem Fortson's mature voice and heartfelt performance made big impressions, turning judge Michael Buble’s chair the moment Jaukeem opened his mouth. Known in his small town of Elberton, Georgia, as "the little music man," Fortson's passion for singing began in church, where he's known for waking up his mom to make sure they never miss a service. Perhaps Jaukeem’s church family has grown to expect the unexpected tone, vibrato and control of his singing voice, but I imagine they still do a doubletake each time he opens his mouth and begins to sing.

In today’s reading from Acts 2, which by the way, is our last reading together for awhile, a curious crowd has gathered in the temple courts, Jews and Jewish converts from all over the known world, after hearing what seemed to be an isolated rushing wind followed by people speaking in their own language. When suddenly a Galilean fisherman stands up and begins speaking to them, I imagine many looking at him dumbfounded and thinking, “How did that come out of his mouth?”

Read Acts 2:14-47

A large crowd, of at least 3,000 people, had gathered in the temple courts that morning. Some were Jerusalem residents but the majority were pilgrims in the city for Shavu’ot. They were at the temple to worship, bring their offerings or just say their final goodbyes to friends and family before heading back home. The upper room where Jesus’ apostles and followers were staying was in close proximity to the temple grounds because this large crowd of Jews heard the violent, rushing wind, followed by a brief moment of silence and then multiple languages, including their own, coming forth from men who should not have been able to! Seriously, how was that coming out of their mouths? It was simply unbelievable! Some who heard the apostles speaking in their own language were curious, while others were skeptical and dismissive, assuming that they must be drunk, after some intense Shavu’ot celebrating the evening prior.

While the story of wind, fire and tongues was spreading quickly throughout the crowd, the Twelve climbed the temple steps and Peter began to speak with authority. He assured the entire crowd, Jews from far and near, that no one was drunk, as it was only 9AM and that this miraculous happening was a fulfillment of the prophet Joel, that in the last days God’s Spirit would be poured out on His people, with one of the results being “prophecy,” or speaking forth God’s words. “And it will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all people; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. I will even pour out my Spirit on my servants in those days, both men and women and they will prophesy.” (vv 17-18)

A Babel Reversal?

What immediately comes to my mind is the Genesis account of the Tower of Babel, when multitudes were working together for one purpose, able to understand one another perfectly. At least until God broke up their project by confusing their language, making it impossible for them to understand one another. Is what happened at Pentecost a “Babel Reversal” as some presume? At Babel, God confused languages, whereas at Pentecost, God brought people of all languages together and united them. At Babel tongues were confused while at Pentecost, tongues were understood. Makes sense, right? The languages are the main point, right? A diaspora from Babel and a reunion at Pentecost? Or could it be that God’s purposes at Babel go back to the very beginning and His cultural mandate expressed to Adam and Eve?

The Cultural Mandate

On the sixth day of creation, God made his first humans in His image and gave those humans clear directives for their purpose on earth. They were not only to rule all of the other creatures God had made and steward the earth and its resources; He also blessed them and said, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it.” (Gen 1:28, emphasis mine) God purposed all along that His people would not only multiply through bearing and raising children, but also spread out all over the earth. By the time we get to Genesis 11, everyone alive in the world (and they lived for hundreds of years back then) spoke the same language. That wasn’t a problem. The big problem was that they were all clumped together and had come together to work on a very special project, a ziggurat tower that would reach the heavens. “And they said, ‘Come, let’s build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky. Let’s make a name for ourselves; otherwise, we will be scattered throughout the earth.’” (Gen 11:4) They didn’t want to fulfill God’s cultural mandate, to fill the earth. They wanted to stay right where they were and become great by themselves, with no help or blessing from God. However, God’s redemptive plans and purposes would not be thwarted; He confused their language and scattered them over the earth, so they could get back to doing the work He had called them to do of filling the earth.

A New Cultural Mandate

When we turn back to the miraculous gift of languages spoken at Pentecost, we see that God the Spirit’s purpose is not unifying language “Jews … from every nation under heaven … each one heard them speaking in his own language.” (Acts 2:5-6), but a unifying purpose - to return to the original mandate. Yes, but now His purposes included more than filling the earth and subduing it. Jesus broadened the cultural mandate for His disciples before ascending to heaven, instructing them to “go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt 28:19-20) Jesus would be with them, and us, to the end of the age, through the beautiful, powerful gift of the Holy Spirit, residing in all who believe.

This beautiful gift, the third and equal member of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, gave the practical gift of understanding the Gospel message on that Pentecost morning without regard for status, sex, or nationality. In giving this understanding, the Spirit unified the people of God, “tearing down the dividing wall of hostility” that Paul writes of in Eph 2:14, but in a way that preserved their cultural diversity. One Spirit, many gifts. One Spirit, many languages. The Spirit didn’t and doesn’t negate differences among us, rather He cultivates and then leverages those differences in service of God’s historical redemptive mission toward all nations, tongues and tribes.

Because everyone could hear and understand the Gospel story in their own language that day, Peter preached like he had never before, explaining who Jesus is - the promised Messiah - and using Old Testament prophecy to prove his points. Next, Peter clearly affirmed God’s sovereignty over world events and human responsibility for evil deeds. While Jesus was delivered up and crucified according to the definitive plan and foreknowledge of God, that still did not absolve those who contributed to his death of responsibility. Lastly, God did not leave Jesus dead in the grave. Because Christ was the perfect atoning sacrifice, doing what no other human before or since could do, He was raised to life on the third day. Each of the men and women who were now speaking in languages that they had not learned on their own were witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, where He has been exalted to the right of God the Father in heaven.

I imagine that while Peter was preaching this clear and moving account of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the thousands gathered were silently hanging on his every word, not wanting to miss a thing. “When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what should we do?’” (v 37) Peter’s answer almost seemed too good to be true! “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” (vv 38-39) That day, the Lord called 3,000 Jews present in the temple court to hear, believe and receive the grace and forgiveness of Jesus Christ and birthed the Church of Jesus Christ. Because they heard the gospel in their own languages, they were able to then take the message back home, as far as Rome, launching satellite locations of Christ’s church to the ends of the earth!

Big Picture Questions for Today:

• I have to admit, I’m a little sad that today is the last devotion of #LentenDaily2025 The Kingdom of God Drawn Near. And yet, today’s content, of the birth of the Church of Jesus Christ is where Lent ends. It’s as if Jesus and the Holy Spirit slap hands in the heavenlies, Jesus tagging out and the Spirit tagging in for the next chapter of God’s historical redemptive plan. As you’ve studied the first couple of chapters of Acts with me, what new symbols or aspects of the story have surprised or impacted you?

• How are you carrying out the Church’s cultural mandate, to go and make disciples of Jesus? Look around at the people who speak your language, who share your cultural customs. Are you sharing the gospel with them? If not, why?

Pray for faith and courage to be the church to someone today. Share the gospel of Jesus in a way that they understand and be ready to guide them when they ask, “What must I do to be saved?”