Di Promise Na for You

One fisherman from Galilee stand up for front of thousands of people from all over di world. Seven weeks ago, e dey hide behind door wey dem lock. Now e wan tell dem about one promise, and fear no dey im body.

Na di Jewish festival of Pentecost, fifty days after Passover, and Jerusalem full with pilgrims from all over di Roman world: Parthians, Medes, Egyptians, Romans, Cretans and Arabs. Dat morning, di Holy Spirit don come on top di followers of Jesus with sound like strong wind wey dey rush and tongues like fire, and dem don begin praise God for languages wey dem never learn. Crowd gather, dem dey wonder and dem confuse. Some dey laugh dem, dey talk say dem don drink. So Peter stand up with di eleven and raise im voice. Na only nine o'clock for morning, e talk. Dis people no drink. Dis na wetin di prophet Joel talk say go happen.

Then Peter tell dem about Jesus: di miracles wey e do, how dem hand am over and crucify am, and how God raise am from death. And e turn to David. My brothers, make I talk to una plain about our great father David, say e die and dem bury am, and im tomb dey with us till today. Everybody for di crowd know where di tomb of David dey for Jerusalem. David body never rise. So when David write for one psalm, you no go leave my soul for di grave, and you no go let your Holy One rot, e no fit be say na about imself e dey talk.

So, because e be prophet, and e know say God don swear oath give am, say from im own body, from im own children-children, God go raise di Christ to sit for im throne, e see am before and talk about di resurrection of di Christ. God don promise David say child-child of im own go sit for im throne forever. Peter talk say: dat child-child na Jesus. Dis Jesus, God don raise am up, and all of us na witness. And now, as God don lift am up to im right hand, Jesus don pour out di Holy Spirit, wey na wetin una dey see and hear. Peter even quote Psalm one hundred and ten. Di Lord talk to my Lord, sit for my right hand. David no go up to heaven. Jesus go. So make di whole house of Israel know for sure say God don make am both Lord and Christ, dis same Jesus wey una crucify.

Di words hit di crowd like blow. Luke talk say e cut dem for heart. Dem cry out to Peter and di other apostles: Brothers, wetin we go do? And Peter answer: Repent, and make every one of una baptise for di name of Jesus Christ for di forgiveness of sins, and una go receive di gift of di Holy Spirit. Because di promise na for una, and for una children, and for all di people wey dey far, as many as di Lord our God go call come meet am. Di promise wey God make to David no be only for kings. E be for dem. Luke tell us say about three thousand people baptise dat day.

Wetin Peter talk, say di tomb of David still dey there, na true for real. Di Jewish historian Josephus, wey write later for di first century, tell how di high priest John Hyrcanus, when enemy surround am for Jerusalem, open one room for di tomb of David and carry three thousand talents of silver comot, and how King Herod later enter am too. For di time of Peter, everybody for Jerusalem know where David lie down.

Di Promise Na for You. You go find am for Acts chapter two, verse twenty-nine to thirty-nine. God don swear give David say son of im own go sit for im throne. For Christmas, Christians dey celebrate di birth of dat son for di town of David. For Pentecost, Peter announce say di promise don come true, and say im doors open for everybody, near and far. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Peter talk say di promise na for you and your children and all di people wey dey far. Who you fit share dat promise with dis Christmas?